DIY Coconut Shell Jewelry Box

by Muhaiminah Faiz in Craft > Jewelry

42847 Views, 210 Favorites, 0 Comments

DIY Coconut Shell Jewelry Box

20150225_122526.jpg
coconut box.jpg
20130524_144302.jpg
20130524_114915.jpg

I'm into rustic crafting these days. I've made some rustic home decors for my mom, and this time I tried to make a coconut shell jewelry box. It's really easy to make and looks nice. I'm not very good in giving a smooth finishing touch, but I'm sure you can make one better than mines. To make it look nicer, use attractive hinges and locks.
Lets start!

Things You Need

PicMonkey Collage54.jpg
You'll need:

1) Coconut shell (cut into 2 pieces),
2) Silicon carbide paper (aka, sand paper)
3) Drill machine or anything to make small holes on the shell,
4) Hinges,
5) Lock system (in this case, hasp and staple's the best)
6) Screws and screw driver,
7) Varnish and 1 inch paint brush,
8) Small padlock.

(I couldn't gather all the materials at the same time, so couldn't take a picture of them together) 

Preparing the Shells

PicMonkey Collage.jpg
PicMonkey Collage1.jpg
20130518_124628.jpg

Couldn't take pictures of breaking the coconut into 2 pieces. It's quite hard and tricky, but you can take help from the internet.
You'll need 1 coconut to make 1 jewelry box.
After breaking the coconut into 2 pieces (the pieces should be relatively equal), use a silicon carbide paper to get a smooth finishing. Take a small piece of silicon carbide paper and use the rough side to get the smooth finishing on the shells (for both inside and outside of the sells).
I popped a hole to drain the coconut water, so I had to cover the hole with a thick brown paper and white glue.
I also applied a coat of varnish on both pieces in this step.

Drill the Holes

mark .jpg
marking.jpg
drill holes.jpg
This is the most important part. If you make any mistake in this step, you'll have to start over again! so, be careful!

Carefully place the 2 shells together, making sure they're edges join properly to make the jewelry box.
Take the hinge, hold it on it's required place on the shell and use a marker to mark the spots for screws. Do similar for the hasp. Make sure you mark the spots properly, otherwise the hinge and hasp won't fit.
Then, drill the holes carefully. You can use drill machine or something with a pointy edge to make the holes. I think using drill machine is better, as the other technique is hard, time consuming and your hands might hurt!

Attach Hinge and Hasp

20130520_194710.jpg
20130523_195928.jpg
PicMonkey Collage5.jpg
attach parts.jpg
attaching lock.jpg
It's a relief when you're done drilling the holes. Now's the easy step. Simply place the hinge and hasp on their place and attach them with the shells using screws. First attach the hinge and then the hasp-staple.
I couldn't find a round shaped hasp, so had to bend the hasp into a slightly round shape to make it fit with the coconut shells.
You can apply another coat of varnish if you want to. 

There! you have a rustic coconut shell jewelry box. I think it's 1 of the easiest way of making a jewelry/ accessory box, the materials are also easily available.

Enjoy!