Legend of Zelda Chest

This chest is going to be for my wife. Zelda has always been her favorite game from way back in our NES days. This is meant to be a "stocking stuffer" type gift for her this Christmas.

There are many of these on the web, and here on Instructables that look great. I really didn't research them in depth because I like the process of figuring out the best way for me to make stuff. I didn't decide to make an ible of this until halfway through so some of the beginning is not as well documented in pictures.

Materials:

1/2" Oak plank

1/2" x 1 1/2" Oak strips

1/8" Hardboard (Masonite)

Wood Glue

Wood Filler

Upholstery Tacks

Hinges

Hasp

Felt

Wood Stain

Spray Paint

Music Box module

Tools:

Various Saws

Chisel

Hammer

Screwdriver

Clamps

If I could do this over again I would have planned the dimensions better. What happened is I bought a specific length of wood plank and discovered that this was the longest box I could make without having to return to the store for more wood. After I made the top, the chest seems a little too tall for how narrow it is. This is the part that doesn't have many pictures. The chest top was laid out as half of a hexadecagon. I did my best to "miter" the edges of the 1 1/2" strips to 12.5 degrees with a power sander so that they would fit together nicely. (spoiler: they didn't fit together nicely) I glued the box all together and left it to dry. After the box dried I used some wood filler to fix all the gaps in the joints.

The design is pretty minimalist. I just printed an outline of the Wingcrest. Ocarina is my wife's favorite title from the series and this symbol is first seen in that game. I used a woodburner to create the design on the front top of the chest. Next I stained the whole outside of the box a fairly dark shade. I used a foam brush and just let the stain soak in. I'm going for a look consistent with a wooden chest that would be found at the bottom of a well guarded by some Redeads so I am purposely not trying to get a high gloss, high polish finish. The stain was allowed to be a little uneven in places.

I considered using actual steel banding however this is meant to be a jewelry box or a make-up box so I didn't want it to weigh a ton. I am planning on making a much larger version when I have the time that will probably have welded steel banding. For this small chest I used 1/8" hardboard (Masonite) cut into 3/4" strips. It is very easy to work with but sanding is slow going because you have to use fine grit or you just end up tearing the layers away like paper. At this point the wood strips are just being glued on.

I picked Oil Rubbed Bronze paint for the faux metal banding. I masked off the stained wood, and primed the banding. I sprayed 5 coats of the bronze paint. I think it turned out pretty well. The last picture shows that I prematurely added some of the upholstery tacks before I painted. I also ordered a vintage type lock. Its a simple lever lock that is easily removable should the key get lost.

My wife's favorite color is purple so I added some felt to the inside. I did this by cutting some pressboard rectangles and gluing felt onto them. Then I just glued the board inside the chest.

I bought some inexpensive hinges and a hasp from Amazon. I added some small eye bolts and a piece of purple cord for the lid. I also purchased an inexpensive vintage looking lever lock. I plan on putting the key in my wife's stocking and making her look for the chest around the house. Lastly I purchased a small inexpensive light activated music box recorder. I am going to record the chest opening music from the games and place it inside so it plays when she opens it.