Makes | 21 Sep 2022
Cricut Veneer Box
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8zcvzw8b/production/ad5e1a47e58242928e1e2b3375a6c6d32dc68ae3-2811x2118.jpg?rect=0,181,2811,1757&w=720&h=450&auto=format)
On a whim I decided to make this veneer box for my husband, using a small unfinished wood box from Hobbycraft I had in my cupboard, and some veneer off-cuts from another project. I drew up the design in Affinity Designer on my iPad, and imported it into Design Space.
I had found these veneers very fragile on my last project, and they had broken apart during cutting. I decided to try and back them with some double-sided adhesive sheets I recently got, but realised the backing of the sheets was so slippery it wouldn't stick to the mat at all. I adhered some regular printer paper to the back and it worked perfectly, it gave such clean cuts and there was no residue on the mat.
I glued the frame on first to give the other pieces something to fit into, and then added the other veneers layer by layer, gluing the pieces down in sections. I had to do quite a few small adjustments with a scalpel as the box was not exactly square (thanks Hobbycraft!), but eventually I got them all in.
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8zcvzw8b/production/309d3ecd5919c4aa975a18df4840650efb2d7dab-3000x4000.jpg?w=750&auto=format)
I sanded the whole box down with 240 grit sandpaper, and then applied a clear gloss spray. I then lined the inside and the bottom with adhesive baize, which was not easy again because the box is not square, but I'm happy with the end result!
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8zcvzw8b/production/ad5e1a47e58242928e1e2b3375a6c6d32dc68ae3-2811x2118.jpg?w=750&auto=format)
![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8zcvzw8b/production/8b23b9f3c723e83d5cacf3857c20a1f433198f81-2559x2559.jpg?w=750&auto=format)
Next time I would assemble the veneers as one flat piece using tape on the front, and then glue the whole piece on at once, which would be a lot quicker and less painful. I'm going to investigate buying some nicer quality boxes also, which would be more expensive but I think would greatly improve the final product.