Building Jewelry Box For Valentine's Day Using Walnut, Cherry and Purpleheart!

It is February. The pressure is on. You could buy chocolates (gone in 10 minutes) or flowers (dead in 3 days). OR... you could spend 40 hours in the garage building something that will last 100 years.

I chose the latter. This is the story of the Walnut & Cherry Jewelry Box.

Small boxes are arguably harder than large furniture. In a large table, a 1/32" gap is character. In a jewelry box, it looks like the Grand Canyon. Precision is everything. This project tested every skill I have: resawing, miters, splines, and flocking.

Material Selection: The Palette

I wanted this box to look romantic and high-end.

Black Walnut: The main body. Dark, elegant, classic.
Curly Cherry: The lid panel. The "curl" (chatoyance) shimmers in the light.
Purpleheart: The splines and handle. It offers a pop of natural purple color without any stain.

The Build Process

Step 1: Resawing & Bookmatching

To get the most improved grain pattern on the lid, I bookmatched the wood.

Technique: I took a thick piece of cherry and sliced it down the middle on the bandsaw, opening it like a book.
Result: The grain mirrored perfectly from left to right. It looks like a Rorschach test or a heart, which was perfect for the occasion.

Step 2: The Miters (The 45-Degree Stressed)

I wanted the grain of the walnut to flow continuously around the corners of the box.

The Cut: I used my table saw crosscut sled with the blade tilted to exactly 45 degrees.
The Trick: I cut the pieces in sequence from one long board. So the grain at the end of the front piece matches the start of the side piece. It creates a "waterfall" effect.

Step 3: Splines for Strength

Gluing end-grain to end-grain (the miters) is a weak joint. If you drop the box, it cracks.

The Jig: I built a spline jig that holds the box at a 45-degree angle over the table saw blade.
The Cut: I cut slots across the corners.
The Inlay: I glued thin strips of Purpleheart into these slots. Once trimmed flush, they look like beautiful decorative keys, but they are actually structural rebar holding the box together.

Step 4: The Interior (Flocking)

I didn't want the jewelry rattling around on hard wood. I decided to flock the interior.

What is flocking?: It involves painting a sticky color-matched adhesive on the wood and then puffing tiny nylon fibers onto it with a specialized tube.
The Process: It makes a huge mess. You pump this tube and fibers fly everywhere. But 24 hours later, the inside of the box feels like velvet. It is a premium touch that blows people away.

Step 5: Finish

I used Osmo Polyx-Oil. It's a hardwax oil. It doesn't look like plastic (like polyurethane). It feels like raw wood but offers protection. It made the grain of the walnut explode with color.

Pro Tips / "Don't Do What I Did"

Mistake #1: Flocking Mess: I didn't tape off the outside of the box well enough. I got green fuzz on the outside visual walnut. I had to sand it off and refinish that spot. Tape everything meticulously.
Mistake #2: Tight Trays: I built the removable internal trays with zero clearance. When the humidity rose, the wood expanded, and the trays got stuck inside. Leave a 1/16" gap around sliding parts!

Conclusion

She loved it. (Thank god).

This project taught me patience. When you are working on something small, you are intimate with every detail. You can't hide mistakes with caulk. It's pure woodworking.

If you have some nice scraps lying around, try making a box. It's the best way to practice precision joinery without buying 500 board feet of lumber.

[!NOTE] Sourcing Flocking: You need a specific "Mini Flocker" kit. Don't try to just glue heavy felt fabric; it gets bulky in the corners. Flocking is seamless.