Simple Box ========== .. figure:: simple_box.jpg :align: center .. only:: html .. contents:: This is one of the the simplest cartonnage project: a parallelepipedal box that opens on a hinge. Materials --------- You will need: * bookbinding board, 2-3 mm thick; * bookbinding cloth or cloth-like paper; * decorative paper such as that used for book end sheets; * mull, tarlatan or fabric scraps; plus * contact glue; * PVA or paste; and the following tools: * metal ruler; * pencil; * X-acto or snap-off blade knife; * a brush or spatula to apply the white glue; For a small box, such as the C6 one in the pictures, 2 mm board is fine, above that it's probably better to use 2.5 mm or even 3 mm for something around C4 size and above. Pattern ------- For a box of external dimensions w × l × h, with bookbinding board of thickness t, you will need the following bookbinding board pieces: * 2 × plates: w × l; * 2 × long sides: w × (h - t); * 2 × short sides: (l - t*2) × (h - t); a piece of fabric w × about 50 mm for the hinge; the following pieces of bookbinding cloth: * 1 × cover (w + 40 mm) × ( l * 2 + h + 40 mm); * 1 × sides (w + l * 2) × (h + 20 mm); and finally the following pieces of decorative paper: * 1 × inner cover (w - 4) × (l - 2 + 20); * 1 × base (w - t * 2) × (l - t * 2); * 2 × short sides (l + 40) × (h - t - 2 + 20); * 2 × long sides (w - t * 2) × (h - t - 2 + 20); dimensions in the bookbinding cloth and paper where 20 mm or 40 mm are added can be rounded to the closest 5 mm. Precalculated dimensions for a box in 2 mm board can be as follows, in millimetres: =========== ========= ========= Piece C6 (h 28) C6 (h 40) =========== ========= ========= plates 114 × 162 114 × 162 long sides 162 × 26 162 × 38 short sides 110 × 26 110 × 38 fabric 114 × 50 114 × 50 cover 200 × 300 200 × 310 sides 390 × 50 390 × 60 inner cover 158 × 130 158 × 130 base 158 × 110 158 × 110 short sides 155 × 45 115 × 55 long sides 158 × 45 158 × 55 =========== ========= ========= Instructions ------------ Cutting ^^^^^^^ Cut all the pieces in the appropriate material. When cutting the board make sure that the grain of the side pieces lies along their short side and the grain of the plates lies along their long sides. For the bookcloth and paper try to make the grain run along the long edge of the finished box, but it may not be as critical. Structure ^^^^^^^^^ .. figure:: 0201-glued_base.jpg :align: center Using contact glue, attach the four sides to one of the plates, starting from the spine, then the top and bottom and finally the front. .. tip:: read the instructions of the glue for details on how to use it: you will probably have to apply some glue to both board pieces, let it rest for a few minutes, then apply some more glue and press together the pieces in their right position with some force. .. figure:: 0202-hinge.jpg :align: center Put the top plate over the base, spread PVA for about 2 cm around a long edge, on the top plate and the adjacent long side; put the fabric on top and press well to form a hinge. .. figure:: 0203-open_hinge.jpg :align: center Cloth Outer ^^^^^^^^^^^ .. figure:: 0301-cover.jpg :align: center Spread PVA on the bookcloth for the cover, put the box on top of it, aligned at about 2 cm from one end and wrap the cover around it; press carefully and cut a notch at ever place where the cloth is curving. .. note:: when glueing bookcloth, make sure to only touch it with hands that are clean from glue, as that can stain the front of the cloth in a way that is very hard to clean. .. figure:: 0302-cover_edges.jpg :align: center Fold all remaining edges of the bookcloth so that they are glued to the inside of the cover and to the sides. .. figure:: 0303-sides.jpg :align: center Spread PVA on the bookcloth for the sides, put it on the remaining sides, aligning it to the bottom of the box and to the corners with the spine. Clip the top of the cloth at each corner. .. figure:: 0304-sides_folded_down.jpg :align: center Fold down the flaps into the box. Paper Lining ^^^^^^^^^^^^ .. figure:: 0401-inner_cover.jpg :align: center Spread PVA on the cover lining, put it on the cover, at 2 mm from each edge and going down into the spine. .. figure:: 0402-short_side.jpg :align: center Spread PVA on one of the short side linings, put it in the box, 2 mm down from the edge and extending into the long sides and the base, being careful to let the corner lay flat; notching the paper may help. Repeat for the other short side. .. figure:: 0403-long_side.jpg :align: center Spread PVA on one of the long side linings, put it in the box, 2 mm down from the edge and precisely aligned between the corners, with the excess going into the base. .. figure:: simple_box.jpg :align: center Finally, spread PVA on the base lining and put it in the box. See also -------- * `The blog post about the box pictured in these instructions `_