by Florence O. Bean - Assistant in Manual Arts - Boston Public Schools
Published by School Arts Publishing Company 1914
definite purpose. Consider the proportions of the width, length,
and height; also the height of the sides of the cover.
A box consists of foundations of news board, the edges of which
are stayed with strips of tape or vellum, and the outside covered
with paper. The cover should be larger than the bottom by 78
inch in both directions to allow it to slip over the box. This amount
will vary somewhat with the thickness of the news board, the
paper with which it is covered, and the skill of the worker.
The foundation for each part is to be developed from a single
piece of news board. The box and cover are to be covered with a
thin paper. A great variety of paper for this purpose may be
purchased, either figured or in plain colors.
For the box plan a strip of paper long enough to extend around
the four sides and to provide for a lap where the ends join. Be
generous with this lap, as it will be found that the paper "takes
up" when it is pasted on. The width of the strip should be at
least one inch more than the depth of the box. For the cover,
development, but with its sides 72 inch or more
wider to fold over the edges. Let the corner
squares serve as laps. Make dimensioned
sketches of all pieces and layout and cut all parts.
(See Plate XXVII.)
Along folding lines of the foundations score
deeply with a knife, one blade of the scissors, or
with a pin, and fold with the crease on the
outside. It is essential to the success of the box to
have this crease on the outside to insure a sharp
straight and strong edge, which might otherwise
be rounded, irregular, and weak.
Fasten the corners of both box and cover together
with pieces of stay tape or strips of vellum, lapping
onto the sides. (See Plate XXVIII.) If possible,
allow the corners to dry before proceeding further.
Paste the strip of paper around the box, allowing
}/z inch to project beyond both top and bottom
edges. Rub down well. Make a vertical cut at each
corner of upper projection and fold and paste laps
Make a V -cut at each corner of the lower projection, fold and paste the laps against the bottom. (See Plate XXX.)
It will probably be necessary: to apply more paste before finally rubbing these laps down.
Paste top of cover to the paper, leaving equal margins on all sides. From the two long edges make cuts to the
corners of the news board foundation at right angles to its edges. Fold and paste paper over the ends of cover first,
and then on the inside, using the thumb to push the paper over the edges. (See Plate XXXI.) The cuts made from the
long edges give an extra length to end coverings. Paste this extra piece onto long sides and then paste the part
naturally to be used to cover these sides. The appearance of the box will be greatly improved by running the thumb
and finger along the folded edges of the cover to sharpen them.
In this manner, boxes of any size may be made. Small boxes may be covered with linen, cretonne, or other kinds of
cloth. In this case it may be better (after making the foundations as already described) to paste the covering to the
inside of the foundation only, otherwise the surface might be discolored by the paste oozing through the cloth.
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