DIY Wood Burned Wood Box

My work space is covered with sticky notes, pens, scraps of paper, and lists and I decided I needed to add a little extra desk organization to the space. Can you relate? I whipped up this DIY wood burned wood box in less than thirty minutes and it’s the perfect place to corral my notepads and office supplies. It can be customized any way you like – painted, stained, distressed – to suit your space and provide a little extra order to the day.

To make this simple wood box, I used one 1×4 and cut it into the pieces I needed. I cut two long pieces {about eight inches long} for the front and back, two short pieces for the ends {about two inches wide}, and one piece to sit in the bottom {about two inches by six and a half inches}.

I sanded down the edges of each piece but left them somewhat rustic. If you want to paint the box, you could do it now or wait until it’s entirely assembled.

Before attaching the box together, wood burn your design on the front. I chose to add a simple monogram but you could obviously choose any word/text or design you want.

Rather than freehand, I printed out a letter, placed it over the front piece, and traced the edges, etching the letter onto the wood.

When the paper is lifted, it leaves an etched design which makes it easier to accurately wood burn. Or, it makes it easier for me to wood burn. For some reason, I find wood burning a little tricky and I’m thinking of taking a class to improve this skill. Does anyone else find it harder than it looks?

Go over the edges, shade the inside if desired …

… and then assemble the pieces together, fitting the ends inside the front and back and sliding the bottom piece into the bottom space. It’s easiest to clamp it all together …

… and then use a brad nailer to assemble it. Just a couple of nails on each side will do the trick {I used 1 1/4 inch nails}.

Sand down any remaining rough edges …

… paint or stain if you want …

… and you’ve got a basic DIY wood box that can be used for almost anything.

I’m thinking of whipping up a few more for the little gadgets my kids love to collect. They’d even be super cute attached to the wall next to a bed to store the night’s reading material.

What would you store in your DIY wood box?

For more simple building projects, be sure to check out these DIY rustic wooden trays with leather handles {another great way to use those wood scraps} …