Cedar Pencil Box

That is awesome great job

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that is nice to know that your wife is doing something with her time I’m doing the same I’ll like know how to make something with my glowforge

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Wowwww, absolutely gorgeous! The front plank is my favorite :slight_smile:
My dad gave me a (manufactured) cedar box where I kept calligraphy pens and bottled inks as a teenager, and in my 30s I still have it – and that SMELL of the cedar with the inks is such a distinctive one, and worn into my memory as the scent of coziness and beautiful things. Every time I open it, I breathe in that magical feeling.
100% amazing gift. I’m sure she’ll treasure it forever.

I also love the idea of leaving it a bit rough, as well, to override the desire to get too precious with it. So good!

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I would love to say I planned it that way but it wasn’t until after I handed the box to my wife and she buried her face in it to smell that I realized how large a factor that will be over time. I am literally thrilled at your description. Scent is such a strong memory anchor. I should really consider it as a primary design factor more than I do. Lesson learned. :wink:

That’s from earlier lessons learned. Last year I made wooden gifts for friends and family. Most of these did not involve the Glowforge so were not posted here. My sister-in-law received a cutting board with matching trivets and a pencil made from some of the off-cuts. She also got a set of measuring spoons with lathe-turned handles of the same wood. After the holiday when I asked how they were enjoying the gifts she said they were still trying to figure out where best to display them.

A friend received a set of two matching pens made of olive wood for him and his wife. The olive wood was from Bethlehem and the clips on the pens were in the shape of a cross. Similar result - when I asked how they were enjoying the pens I was told they were on the couple’s dresser where they could look at them every day.

The irony here is that if I tried to make art pieces the best I could do might be to find a guy named Art to give them to. But I make something intended to be well used and acquire the patina of love over the years and it ends up in a display case.

Not complaining, though. Happy the recipients think so highly of the work. But now my strategy takes this effect into account. “Utility items need to present some evidence of their status”. Check.

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Haha, yes! All of this resonates. It’s wonderful that the gifts you give people mean so much that they’re afraid to damage or lose them (especially pens). And then, they never acquire that wabi-sabi quality… Such an interesting contradiction.

One more compliment, on omitting a top handle so the contents wouldn’t spill out – as an absent-minded creator (and thus very likely in the majority), that’s a genius touch.

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