Secret box

You can use this box with a secret made by do it yourself, for storing different the right little thing and also as gift or packing for a gift.

For the manufacture of boxes with a secret you will need six sheets of paper, preferably heavier paper. One sheet for the outside of the box, contrasting for the lid and 4 sheets for the inner boxes. Cut out as follows (all measurements in inches - 1 inch equals 2.54 cm):

• outer part of the box: 6 x 11;
• box cover: 8.5 x 8.5;
• 4 inner boxes: 8 x 8;

Method of making a box with a secret

Let's start making a box with 4 inner boxes. They are all done according to the same scheme. See further step by step photo manufacturing.

1. Draw two lines from the corners to the corners on the seamy side of our paper square.

2. Now fold the corners to the center of the intersection of the lines on all four sides (like an envelope), and then unfold it again.

3. Then we divide the distance between the center and the fold in half and again fold along this line from all four sides - these are the sides of our box.

For clarity, in the figure, everything is drawn with a marker, but this is not necessary.

4. Then we cut out the four shaded triangles and get the following:

6. Now we collect our box. He does everything without glue, you just need to firmly press all the corners and folds (although, if you wish, you can use glue).

Thus, all 4 inner boxes and a lid are made. The lid of the box, however, like the box itself, can be decorated according to your taste and desire.

We take a sheet of paper, measuring 15.25 x 287 cm, and bend it in the center, then divide both halves in half again and bend again. Thus, we got 4 rectangles, each of which will have one box. We place our boxes on them as shown in the figure and glue them.

After the glue dries, just bend the sheet with boxes along the folds

Our secret box ready!

Here are some options for boxes with a secret

Box (translated from Latin "scatula" - box) - small size a chest that serves to preserve valuable things. Depending on the material of manufacture, plastic, wooden, metal boxes are distinguished. Less common are products made of bone and stone.

With the aim of giving nice looking, boxes encrusted precious stones, covered with leather, cloth, carving or embossing. They come in different configurations (round, oval, square, rectangular or describe the contour of an irregular geometric figure) and sizes (small - 50 mm x 50 mm, medium - 100 mm x 100 mm, large - over 150 mm x 150 mm).

The high cost of the box reduces the demand for this item... However, do not despair, the chest is easy to build yourself.

Consider the history of appearance, types and how to make a box with a secret with your own hands.

Video tutorial "How to make a box with a secret with your own hands"

The emergence and formation of "secret" boxes

The first box appeared two thousand years ago in the Middle East, a little later the "know-how" spread across the territory of Egypt, Japan, China. During excavations carried out within Mesopotamia, archaeologists have discovered fragments of wooden caskets. Found chests were decorated with juice lacquered wood, ivory, carving, inlay.

In Europe, "amazing boxes" appeared in the Middle Ages and indicated the status and prosperity of the owner. V Ancient Rus the chest was already in every home and was used to store jewelry, love letters, and memorabilia.

Before the emergence industrial production, the wooden box was made by hand directly by the order of the buyer.

Russian craftsmen strove to get ahead of their colleagues in the quality of workmanship. So, "tricky" boxes were born, which opened only after pressing the secret button.

The first music box appeared in Switzerland, at the heart of its action was a special mechanism - the carillon, then the boxes for the self-winding watches were created, which emitted a melody when opened.

Today, the chest has turned from an expensive item into an “everyday” product, which is mass-produced by contractors. At the same time, the field of application of the box has increased beyond recognition: in addition to boxes for storing jewelry, products for banknotes, documents, watches, cigars, business cards.

Making a box with a secret

A truly true work of art is the Himitsu-Bako Japanese chest. It first appeared in the vicinity of Hakone a hundred years ago. In addition to its attractive appearance, which depended only on the imagination of the master, the box was a kind of puzzle.

Not everyone can open such a box. There is no hidden lever, button or locking mechanism... To get the "secret" contents, slide the walls, the fragments of the box in a certain sequence.

The medium difficulty box opens in seven spins. At the same time, there are caches designed for up to 125 movements, employees reliable protection from thieves.

Consider how to make a box with a secret with your own hands.

1. Prepare a rosewood block measuring 40 mm x 46 mm x 75 mm, check the perpendicularity of the canvas so that the parts of the box can move correctly. Perform this procedure regularly throughout the entire work.
2. Cut out the lid, walls, bottom of the rectangular box. This procedure should be performed using a jigsaw.
3. Draw and cut out a key in the shape of the letter "T" on the lid.
4. Make a cut on the wall of the box. Set the sawn-off cover to one side.
5. Draw a line around the workpiece, 3 millimeters from the edge, designed to go around the key cut. Drill a small entrance hole in one corner with a drill, make a cut along this mark.
6. Cut out the lifts. These end parts will subsequently be inserted into the secret cell, supporting its cover.
7. Glue the walls of the chest to the bottom. Do not grease the area near the key cut with glue.
8. Attach lifts. To do this, apply a layer of glue to the inner ends of the box walls. Then place lifters at both ends. Replace the secret compartment cover as it locks the walls in place.
9. Clamp the box in a vice, leave for 10 hours to dry.
10. Sand rough edges with a sanding block with sandpaper.
11. Finish with Danish oil, wax paste.
12. Cover the chest with varnish.

A secret box is a proven way to hide personal items (money, jewelry, letters) from unwanted eyes and intruders.

We offer you to watch an online video on how to make a chest yourself.

Each person is mysterious in his own way. And each, no doubt, has its own secrets. For example, many people often keep all sorts of trinkets for many years, reminiscent of significant events in their lives. If you are in this category, you may need a secret box. In souvenir shops, you can easily choose your favorite little thing, moreover, it closes with a key for reliable storage of "secret" little things. But in ancient times, such devices were not on sale. And therefore, those who wanted to hide any thing from others invented various tricks. One of those useful things was a secret box made from an ordinary book. Only its owner knew on which shelf and in which row of the huge library (which was an obligatory tradition in those days) the keeper of intimate secrets stood. This article will tell you how to make a box with a secret with your own hands - from a book, and even in the form of a book.

Making a real cache. Method one

You will need any book you do not need that differs from the rest in its monumental thickness. It is desirable that the blank have a secure hardcover and a thick cover. So, let's begin. Place the book in front of you and open it on the front endpaper. Prepare a thin piece of wood in advance, which should be the same size as the book. Place it underneath all pages and on top of the back cover. Then draw the outline of the hole with a pencil on the first page. It can be either rectangular, round or oval. Naturally, the rectangle is much easier to cut. Yes, be patient: the hole will have to be cut in each page separately. Use for these purposes a special sharp cutter or Passing along the indicated lines, bend the finished pages with a niche inside. So gradually work everything down to the bottom cover. The antique box with the secret is ready. This product may be imitated homemade device described below.

Method two: a secret box using cardboard

Such a craft may well become an original gift with a surprise. Taking this little thing, tied with a bow, the birthday man is unlikely to immediately guess that a boring nondescript volume from the collection of classical literature is an interesting and unusual cache. The frame of an old unnecessary book is used as a cover. Cut and glue four rectangles out of cardboard (these will be the sides) and place them inside the blank, following the example of the previous box, forming an empty niche in the middle. Can be pre-drawn on front side border lines imitating pages. Then glue the inner frame tightly to the back cover and spine. Make a rope bookmark for originality. Surely the gift will become memorable!

Japanese box with a secret

One of the ways to keep secrets is the traditional gizmos of some peoples. For example, the history of Japanese wooden caskets is rooted in the distant past. You can open such a device made by hand in several stages (sometimes there are more than a dozen of them). It all depends on the level of difficulty. By moving in a certain sequence fragments and walls decorated with ornaments and mosaics, all the secret boxes of the box are gradually revealed. The process is somewhat reminiscent of a children's puzzle - tags, only here everything is much more complicated.

The world is full of wonders and mysteries! Build your secret box, let the secret live in your home!

Caskets were originally intended for storing jewelry and expensive things, therefore they were mainly in the homes of wealthy gentlemen.

The variety of shapes, sizes and materials for making caskets amazed the imagination. They were made of gold and silver, inlaid with diamonds and other precious stones. There were also simpler wooden boxes. Centuries have passed, but the fashion for these original and elegant products has survived to this day.

It is noteworthy, but making a wooden box with your own hands is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. The main thing is to apply a little skill and connect your own imagination.

Where to begin

Making any craft begins with a project, a diagram. The master imagines exactly what his masterpiece will be, and already, starting from the drawings, he stocks up necessary materials and tools.

For many ordinary people, a wooden box is a rectangular box with a closing lid. This is true, but not quite. The box is a real work of art, and even a handicraft made from scrap materials can look like expensive antiques.

Any box has its own purpose in the house. Based on this message, the master thinks over the shape of the product. The following options are possible here:

• for jewelry ... These wooden models have a traditionally rectangular shape, but the inner surfaces are lined with velvet, and the lid is complemented by a mirror. As a result, jewelry is not scratched and is easy to try on;
• for jewelry, trinkets. Characteristic feature such products are boxes that move freely inside the case. The number of pull-out elements is unlimited, and a tight fit does not require special guides;
• small box for those dear to the heart, memorabilia... Made in the shape of a heart and is great for storing letters, postcards, photographs and other things;
• Puzzle . Quite a complex product that at the same time serves decorative decoration and a children's toy. A system of wooden gears resembling a clockwork is installed here, and the lid is opened after turning the handle or one of the wheels;
• to hide a small amount of money... Made in the form of a rectangle, but exterior decoration made for a book;
• for needles, threads... These wooden boxes usually have several compartments where sewing accessories can be stored. The case is often complemented by a carrying handle.

In addition, there are boxes with clocks, locks and secrets, original boxes and boxes for storing cigars, products that emit melodic sounds when the lid is opened. The shape is not limited to rectangular. In fact, if there is modern instruments for wood processing, it can be any, including round.

It is noteworthy that all of the above options can be done independently at home. But still, it's better to start learning how to make wooden caskets with your own hands with simple designs, complicating the task as mastery skills emerge.

How to make a classic box

Even a teenager with minimal skills in handling woodworking tools can cope with this task. Such a box is made from plywood, while the selected sheet should not have visible damage: knots, cracks.

At the initial stage, you will need a pencil and a ruler. In order not to complicate the task, for the walls, lid and bottom it is better to choose the correct geometry of the shapes, for example, a square or rectangle. The outlines of four walls are drawn on a sheet of plywood: 2 side - shorter and 2 front - more authentic.

Note! The sides of the bottom are calculated in such a way that, after gluing the sidewalls, it is recessed inside the walls.

Then all the drawn elements are carefully cut out with a jigsaw, the irregularities are processed with sandpaper. So that the end and side walls are beautifully connected to each other, small grooves can be made at the edges of the ends, corresponding to the thickness plywood sheet... This tip will help give the chassis a monolithic look and overall strength. The walls are glued together, then the bottom of the box is placed. If Bottom part comes in with difficulty, the edges are processed with a file. The bottom fit must be tight.

After that, they begin to manufacture the lid. To make the design more original, it is better to choose the option not of a flat, but of a deep cover. For this, the scheme described above is used. A large workpiece is cut out, which will be directly the lid, end and side walls. In fact, a reduced copy of the box body is obtained. All parts are processed with sandpaper, glued together. The cover is attached to the body with small hinges. After assembly, the finished product is varnished or painted in any color you like.

Similarly, you can make a box made of solid wood. To do this, use wooden board... It must be sanded and cut into pieces of the required size. The tree is more difficult to cut with a jigsaw, it is better to use circular saw... Curly edges can be made with a router.

If you need a box

The whole box is made of wood with drawer manufactured in the same way as classic version, but there are a number of peculiarities here.

The simple rectangular shape of the lid and bottom will spoil the appearance of the product. The long sides of these elements are best wavy using an electric router. In addition, having chosen this option, the lid and bottom are not placed inside the case, but left outside.

The walls are made different heights... In particular, the rear part and the ends are made of the same height, glued together. For the front wall, cut out a strip half the width of the back. This element is not recessed between the ends, but is overlapped and fixed with glue.

The box consists of two parts: a box that fits freely between the walls, and the front part - similar in size to the top plate. The elements are also planted with wood glue.

Between the top and bottom a partition is installed, which will serve as the bottom of the upper compartment of the box. Inside the pull-out and stationary drawers, partitions can be made from thin plywood delimiting inner space into several departments. The cover is installed on decorative hinges, the wood is covered with several layers of furniture varnish.

How to decorate with carvings

Carved boxes look much more original and interesting, but such work requires certain skills and knowledge. For beginners who decided to try their hand at wood carving, experienced craftsmen recommend starting with simple geometric shapes and large patterns. With a certain amount of patience, even a novice master will be able to cope with such a task.

The drawing is applied to the surface with a pencil, each line is well drawn. After that, a pattern is carefully cut out with an oblique knife or chisel in strict accordance with the applied markings. Small blemishes and irregularities can be corrected with a file or fine emery paper.

How to put a lock

An interesting solution is mortise lock, which will open with a small key, but such work is difficult to perform even for an experienced specialist. Therefore, it is better to limit yourself to a padlock or decorative crochet hook.

To install the padlock, hinges are placed in the central part of the side wall and cover, which are screwed in with small screws. The location of the hinges must be calculated in advance: even a slight displacement will break the symmetry, and the box will lose its attractiveness.

Making a box of complex shape from solid wood will take much longer. To do this, you must definitely use a power tool, while parts from plywood can even be cut hand jigsaw... For artist for decoration finished product a large field of work opens up. You can paint it with paints, attach decorative fittings, decoupage or burnout.

Japan pleases us with many secrets. This is one of those countries whose cultural development has created an amazing atmosphere. Nevertheless, if other peoples have forgotten about them, then they keep them and constantly remember their ancestors. This is vividly reflected in their cultural objects, where true diversity is celebrated.

I would like to say a few words about Japanese jewelry boxes... The traditional ones have always been distinguished by unnatural beauty, supported by mystery. Many people have such boxes, but they cannot solve their secret for several years. Surprisingly, at first glance, a very simple object can store a sea of ​​grace and beauty that are inaccessible to other things.

Japanese jewelry boxes are special, they surprise people not only with their beautiful appearance, but also striking features that allow us to talk about their real perfection. Japanese jewelry box makers are like jewelers who hone their craft for decades to create a single masterpiece. There are not many such examples, but at the same time we constantly meet their high cultural and material value.

Himitsu-Bako - traditional japanese boxes with a secret appeared over 100 years ago in the vicinity of Hakone... Many years ago it was a station on the main road to Edo and was developed as a souvenir for tourists. These places are distinguished by a wide variety of tree species. For the manufacture of boxes, a special method of wood processing is used. Planks of unpainted wood different color cut into thin strips and glued into plates. Then new strips are sawn off from these plates, which are then glued together again. And so several times. The result is a bar glued from different breeds trees and has a unique pattern on the cross section. Further, using special tool, cut paper-thin sheets that are used to decorate caskets.

The secret of the box is that it consists of several parts and you need to know which of these parts to move in which direction to open the box. In most cases, in order to open the box, you need to make from 4 to 66 movements. Although there are boxes for 78, 122,119,125 movements.

The shape of the Japanese caskets

Probably few people have seen live japanese boxes, their distribution is not that wide. Of course, people are interested in them, but their manufacture is nothing like any other product. It should be noted that the industrial creation of Japanese caskets is simply impossible because each of them must contain a secret. They are presented on the market in small volumes. Most often these are simple fakes that are not able to please people with real quality.

The shape of the Japanese box is unusual, but there is no constancy in it. If we are accustomed to the fact that the box is an ordinary rectangular box, then the Japanese argue that this is not always so simple. The fact is that numerous can be performed with round boxes or a simple cube, on which even the lid itself does not stand out. This is what becomes one of the main features of Japanese jewelry boxes. The form depended only on the complexity of the closing mechanism, so each master chose it to his liking.

Usually on the market we find ordinary rectangular boxes, but they cannot be called masterpieces, because there is no real originality in them.

The secret of Japanese jewelry boxes

The Japanese box is a truly original piece of art... Its shape and dimensions depend only on the imagination of the master-manufacturer. There are no specific standards that everyone adheres to. Thus, we sometimes come across boxes that resemble simple cubes. Sometimes, it seems that they do not even open, but each keeps its own secret.

The Japanese box looks more like a kind of puzzle because opening the lid is not easy. There is no locking mechanism in our understanding, rather, you need to look for a small lever or button. Historically, the Japanese caskets were the property of the ruling part of the population, who used them to store wealth. However, a simple lock cannot provide sufficient protection against thieves, so true craftsmen made boxes with a secret. A similar secret has always been about opening the lid, that is, it has never been opened by simply tilting the lid. Most often, it was necessary to rotate some part of the picture or press a hidden button, the mechanism worked and the lid opened. The creation of such a box took a lot of time, so the real masters can be counted on one hand.

Drawings on Japanese boxes

Japanese boxes always fascinated with their secrets, as well as beautiful drawings that adorned each of them. You can consider the drawings, seeing interesting myths and legends on them, but one should not think that the apparent simplicity of the drawings does not hide any secrets.

Everything drawings on Japanese boxes bright and catchy. They reveal pictures of the history of the country or some of the legends, although in some cases a simple ornament can be seen. Nevertheless, some of the drawings were done in convex, which seemed just amazing. This kind of skill could only be found in Japan. True, the embossed drawing was not always a simple picture. It often hid a secret mechanism to open the lid. It was only necessary to find a bump, which should be pressed, because the keys for them simply did not exist. The beauty of the pictures was precisely thought out, it was impossible just to draw a landscape. Each picture of a Japanese master carries an important meaning, which may not be revealed to every person. Moreover, in some cases, it is he who becomes a hint for opening the box.

Japanese boxes still bear interesting, but incomprehensible drawings, which most often cannot be a help for opening.

A little about the history of caskets in general and Japanese caskets in particular

Caskets came to us from the depths of centuries, with mysterious countries East. Since then, their design has not changed much, but they began to be used in the creation latest materials and modern mechanisms, production schemes have been improved. However, no matter what materials the boxes are made of, each of them has its own little secret.

It is believed that the very first boxes were created for storing jewelry. Two millennia ago, talented craftsmen from Japan and China made unique cases for storing valuables. They were different forms and sizes, decorated with the juice of a lacquer tree. The craftsmen strove to get ahead of each other in the level of craftsmanship, so all the new processing methods appeared: decorating with fabric or leather, inlaid with precious stones, ornaments with ivory. Such boxes were a real masterpiece, they were valuable in themselves, especially if precious and semi-precious stones or precious metals were used in their decoration.

Russian craftsmen and craftsmen created boxes that were very cunning in their design, such boxes could be opened only by pressing a secret button. The Russian people have always loved riddles and secrets, so secret boxes began to enjoy great success. With or without a secret, caskets for jewelry and valuables were made in the main, and they were of all kinds, from small to large.

Music boxes appeared in Switzerland. It was there that the first musical mechanism was created, which was placed in a box - a carillon. Switzerland is famous for the creation of watch mechanisms, it is not at all surprising that the boxes for the self-winding watches were created here, which emitted a pleasant melody when opened, and consisted of many plates and metal teeth.

Japanese hand-made boxes with a complex mechanism.

The secret boxes are mostly and most often made of wood. You can store anything in such boxes, in other words, boxes are not a props, but can actually be used for their intended purpose.

The first Japanese secret box was made over 100 years ago... Made this miracle Jinbei Ishikawa (1790-1850)... Ishikawa lived in Hakone-Odawara, Japan region. Jinbei Ishikawa was surrounded by mountains and an abundance of high-quality wood, from which he made the first wonderful box with a secret mechanism.
As then, more than a hundred years ago, today such boxes are made different sizes, forms and with different amounts steps (actions) to open the box and are done manually.

The surface of most of these boxes is decorated with Yosegi, a unique mosaic made from different types of wood. This mosaic is more than 10 centuries old, the greatest development of this art was from the 17th to the 19th century.
It was originally used to decorate trays, dressers and other items. The center of the trade was, and is now, surrounded by wooded mountains and has long been known for its crafts.

Well, now about the tricks and mechanism of Japanese puzzle boxes... No, this box will not play tunes, jump or do any other stupid and / or uninteresting thing.
The trick of the box is that you can't just pick it up and open it. There are many stripes in the box that can be moved in different directions (parts of the walls of the box can be moved). But in order to open a wonderful puzzle, you will have to move the parts of the box in a certain way and with a specific sequence.

Japanese secret boxes have the following differences from each other

1. according to the picture.
2. By size (3 sun, 4 sun, 5 sun) and so on. The larger the box (sun), the more expensive it is.

Sun is an ancient Japanese measure, one sun = 30.3 mm. Thus, if the box has 3 sun and 4 steps, then this means that the box has a length of about 9.1 cm and in order to open this box, you need to perform 4 actions (steps).

3. By the complexity of the mechanism, namely by the number of actions that need to be performed to open the box. The more actions, the more complex the mechanism (5 step, 6 step and up to 27 or more steps), the more expensive the box is.
In shape, boxes are square, rectangular (mostly).

The internal volume depends on the number of steps, and of course on the size of the box. If there are not many steps (4 - 8), then from the external volume (length, for example 4 sun we multiply by 3.3 external length = about 12 cm) we subtract about 2-3 cm (i.e. 1.5 from each sides) cm, and we get an internal length of about 9 cm.

Approximate dimensions for different outer sizes of boxes

Inner dimensions for 4 sun approx:
for 4 sun box (about 12 cm outer length) and 4 step (4 steps to open), inner dimensions are as follows: 8 x 6 x 3.7 cm.
for a 4 sun box, but already with 27 step internal dimensions = 7.31 x 6.2 x 3.2 cm.
For 5 sun boxes (about 15 cm long):
for 5 sun and 7 step int. dimensions = 10.79 x 7.5 x 5.35 cm.
For box 5 sun, but 27 steps (27 steps) internal dimensions: 10.41 x 7.5 x 4.2 cm

Various Japanese boxes (photo):