I have a friend who is fond of dragons, so for my first foray into box making, I thought I’d make her a dragon-themed box.  I found a sizable assortment of vectorized dragons online and chose a few to use in the project. I also figured that this would be excellent practice for making a keepsake/jewelry box for mom.

The box is made from cheap Pine obtained at Home Depot.  The sides were shaved down to accommodate laser-cut panels that were then glued to the sides and front.

The lid inlay is Walnut veneer glued into a corresponding laser- etch so it sits flush with the lid.  The corner filigree work on the lid is etched, and you can plainly see that the etching is textured where the laser couldn’t quite penetrate the growth rings.

The whole thing was coated with semi-gloss polyurethane, and sanded between coats so that it feels mirror smooth.  I also glued a deep indigo velvet to the inside of the box and the inside of the lift-out tray.

Lessons Learned
How to build a box out of wood.  Using the laser to make veneer inlays.