Projects / Keepsake box plans / 12″ × 8″ × 5½″ tall
12×8 keepsake box
A 12-by-8-inch box with mitered corners, a solid wood lid and a ¼″ panel bottom.
AdvancedHalf a day6 parts1× board or ¼″ plywood
Other sizes:6″ × 4″ × 3½″ tall8″ × 5″ × 3½″ tall10″ × 6″ × 3½″ tall12″ × 8″ × 5½″ tall14″ × 10″ × 5½″ tall
Have scraps? Check this project against your wood
Cutting diagram
Bright pieces are your parts; the dimmed wood is left over. Every cut allows ⅛″ for the saw blade.
Cut list
| Part | Qty | Width × length | Cut from | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Front and back | 2 | 5½″ × 12″140 × 305 mm | 1× board |
| B | Side | 2 | 5½″ × 8″140 × 203 mm | 1× board |
| C | Lid | 1 | 8½″ × 12½″216 × 318 mm | 1× board |
| D | Bottom | 1 | 7½″ × 11½″191 × 292 mm | ¼″ plywood |
How to build it
- Cut a ¼″ groove along the inside face of the side stock, ¼″ up from the bottom edge, to hold the panel.
- Miter the four sides at 45°: two at 12″ and two at 8″ on the long edge, so the grain wraps around the corners.
- Cut the bottom panel to 11½″ × 7½″ so it sits in the grooves with a little room to move.
- Glue the miters with the bottom in place, unglued, and clamp with a band clamp.
- Cut the lid to 12½″ × 8½″ so it overhangs slightly, then fit it with small hinges.