Kelsie's Blanket Chest

So for Christmas every year me and my wife make each other gifts. I spend all year thinking of what I'm going to make her. Since we've got married she has asked for a hope chest or blanket chest every year. So this year that's what I wanted to make her.

Because money is tight I just used a piece of plywood. I got a nicer quality so it wouldn't look like crap when it was done.

After I cut out the box pieces I cut a grove for the bottom of the chest out so it would look super clean once put together.

Then I used a biscuit cutter on the side to give it more strength once together.

The box went together way better than I thought it was going to. I always think something will go amiss once I start.

This is exactly how I wanted the inside of the box to look. Clean and nice.

As you can tell putting on the trim took all my clamps. But those pieces shouldn't fall off.

This is the trim for the lid. I routered the bottom with a grove like so, so you could lift the lid easier.

I mitered the corners for the most clean and sharpest look.

I used biscuits again on the lid trim. I really don't want this to come apart.
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Chest ready for staining. Lid is to just not in the picture.

I had to use my work shop to stain because it got to cold in my garage shop. It was nice because they have a overhead heater and more space.

Back hinges.

So I found out that installing lid supports are not that easy or I did it a difficult way.

This is the finished product. My camera I guess had dust on the lens so this isn't a great picture. But it turned out great and she loves it. So does my three year old who thinks it's his and hides everything in it.