DIY Puzzle Box Plans will be the perfect woodworking activity to boost your skills and test your problem-solving abilities.
Puzzle boxes are small wooden boxes that have various locking mechanisms on them. They are popular for storing treasures or simply keeping things safe. Now, you can make your own individualized puzzle box with simple plans and instructions. Many plans and tutorials exist on making a puzzle box, but most are not easy to understand, even for experienced woodworkers. This is why we have collected 25 of the easiest DIY puzzle box plans from the most reliable sources and combined them into this book so that you can make beautiful and advanced work that will be appreciated by anyone who receives it!
If you've ever seen a puzzle box, you've undoubtedly been intrigued by its deceptive simplicity and puzzled about how it works. This book will give you all the necessary information to make your own decorative puzzle box. Are you creative and want to make amazing puzzle boxes by yourself? Here, we have presented some DIY Puzzle Box Plans that are very convenient to use. These useful puzzle boxes can also be made as gifts for your friends or family or even as beautiful furniture ornaments, whether made to keep things inside or just to attract attention! With these plans, step-by-step instructions, and full-color photos, you can create a beautiful puzzle box with a working mechanism.
DIY Puzzle Box Plans
The design of these DIY Puzzle Box Plans allows for infinite possibilities—it's up to your imagination to create whatever design you desire. These boxes are not just fun and challenging toys; their unique design makes them a great decorative addition to your home. These DIY Puzzle Box Plans are a collection of various designs and types of boxes, which were made by hand in the author's own version and his own hands. From a simple box to an advanced model and a quick game for kids to a sophisticated puzzle for adults and even more suitable for geometricians than for carpenters - there is a puzzle box design for all tastes.
Simple Nine-Dot Puzzle Box
It is perfect for those who want to begin learning and growing in the wonderful craft of woodworking. Since the puzzle box is a classic craft, here's a simple design for those who want to try their hand at making one. The Simple Nine-Dunk Puzzle Box has only one moving part that comes from the box itself--the keyhole in the center--to prevent the layers of the lid from sliding around. The simple puzzle box project is an example of fine craftsmanship.
You can use it as a gift box or jewelry chest or keep it as a pretty ornament that can decorate your desk. There are no screws, nails, or nails - just glue. The assembly process consists of gluing the ends of the bottom and then glue the side walls for them to form a box. The only thing to build is to glue the lid onto the rest of the box.
Project details: instructables.com
Wooden Puzzle Storage Box
This storage box plan is high quality and very fun to make. I have noticed that children worldwide have fun playing with toys made by their parents. This puzzle storage box has a playful design; it works as a puzzle and a toy storage box when it is disassembled. It can store small toys, snacks, and other things. If you want to learn how to use a tape measure and a table, saw and how to cut accurate squares from your workpiece, if you want to build your first project from wood, if you want this project to be ready in less than 30 minutes from start to finish (in most cases), then this plan is for you.
Project details: manmadediy.com
DIY Puzzle Box – Instructables
This DIY Puzzle Box is a great project to exercise hands-on ability and patience. It combines art with some math and physics principles. Furthermore, this DIY puzzle box will help discern the design elements of much more delicate objects than most people would think about furniture, for example. This is a valuable experience for beginners as well as professional designers alike.DIY Puzzle Box is a rapid challenge for you to make and test your skill. It is crafted with lightweight yet strong lauan plywood. The drawers fit snugly into the box's top, middle, and bottom. You will need to sand all the dimensions to prevent interference.
The three-step process would be: 1. Print all parts 2. Sand everything so the drawers have a snug fit (this is crucial) 3. Put it together and disassemble. In the end, you'll have a working puzzle box to play with or keep as decoration, depending on your skill level. This DIY Puzzle Box is a new spin on a classic puzzle! Using just $50 of materials, you can make your own lockable secret drawer box. This project can be completed in just 5 hours with a few advanced woodworking skills!
Project details: instructables.com
Making a creative Wooden Puzzle Box
This video shows you how to make a wooden puzzle box that is tricky to open. It turns out, that the reason it’s tricky to open is that there are no hinges or latches to open like a normal box – you have to hold the box in just the right way. In this video, Nick Clements shows you how to build a wooden puzzle box. This is a one-of-a-kind puzzle box, not made like an ordinary box, and with no hinges, lids, or latches to open it. Some call these boxes Chinese Puzzle Boxes as they originated in China. This is one of the coolest puzzle boxes you’ll ever see. It’s a gift that anyone would love to receive. They have been handed down from generation to generation for hundreds of years and were given as gifts by royalty.
Cool Wooden Handmade Dice Puzzle Box
This wooden dice is a unique and handy DIY Dice Box / Game Chest. The goal of this project is to make something useful, have some fun and learn a thing or two. You need some basic woodworking skills, tools, and materials.
Puzzler Puzzle Box
This is an awesome puzzle box that you can use to store different things in the drawer of your bedside table, including some jewelry and other small knick-knacks. With the box closed, you can still put a pillow on top of it! It's certainly not something like a Chinese puzzle box that, once opened just stays open. But it is still hard to open so you will not fear waking up from the sound of something accidentally falling out. This wooden-carved gift box is made of 100% wood, which makes it very elegant. It is a kind of brain-teaser puzzle. The box comes with small magnets. You can buy more small magnets to replace the stalks on the corners. The Puzzler Puzzle Box makes your incredible gifts safe and pretty. Plus, it is not easy to open the box where jewelry can be placed.
Project details: diypuzzles.wordpress.com
Ball Puzzle Box Plan
The ball puzzle box is a unique combination of the hand-crafted, wood box and mechanical puzzle. A simple but interesting interactive wooden puzzle box. The hidden ball, coin, or small item may be shifted from the middle to the top to block movements of the upper pocket. The upper lid on the top is used to hide and show the hidden part. You need three parts from us to craft this puzzle box. The upper lid closes like a normal box.
But inside is a hidden ball, coin, or small item that sits just below the seam between the two halves of the box. Shifting it to the top half blocks movements of the upper lid and creates an interlocking problem making it impossible to slide the top layer open. The working principle of this box is similar to the idea of the hole-in-the-middle, a ball fitting into the middle hole prevents the cover from lifting. At the same time, it can be shifted from the middle hole to another hole, which will block movements of the upper pocket.
Project details: craftsmanspace.com
DIY Paint Stick Puzzle Box
Have you ever wanted to create a puzzle box but didn't know where to start? Here's a project showing you how to turn paint sticks into functional objects. The DIY paint stick puzzle box possesses the same elegant appearance and functionality as other pricier puzzle boxes. You can build a colorful and sturdy puzzle box in no time using these DIY paint stick pieces. The side drawer will swing out easily, and you can hand draw an attractive design.
The DIY Paint Stick Puzzle Box is a fun, highly addictive project to make for yourself or as a gift for a loved one. The DIY paint stick puzzle box is cleverly designed. The trick is to line up all the same colored pieces in one row or column and then. You can open the small drawer in the center, too. The secret is in the way that pieces interlock with little effort; it does not take any glue to hold them together except a magnet - and there is no need for tools when building this DIY Craft Box. This project requires paint sticks, locking pins, precision cutting instruments (drill bit set, Stanley knife, and sander), sandpaper, and stain (color optional). And if you still haven't done so, it would be wise to watch the above video first.
Wooden Puzzle Coin Box
Showcase your creativity by building a wooden puzzle box to store your coins. This is an excellent project to hone your woodworking skills, and the results are a beautiful box that you can long treasure. This Wood Puzzle Treasure Chest is designed to hold a collection of coins, jewelry, or other valuables. Finished with high-quality wood stain, the puzzle box can be assembled and disassembled easily. Ideal as a gift item to be kept or given away, it is an exciting challenge for those who want to keep their treasure in an intriguing puzzle box. Great for any level woodworker. The puzzle is figuring out how to combine the six pieces by using grooves and bevels.
This wooden puzzle box is a fun way to store or give away coins or other trinkets. With grooves and dado joints, you'll have an intriguing time building it for the first time, and putting it together will be the second challenge. This box can be used for any purpose by adding a dial or lock. The techniques used in this model are also used to build other projects such as boxes, jewelry boxes, and drawers that use simple finger joints. Let's get started.
Project details: canadianwoodworking.com
DIY Mini Puzzle Box
DIY Mini Puzzle Box is a laser-cut box with a lever as part of the puzzle. Give your DIY bottle opener a more mysterious style. This one is only for decoration or gift cards, it's not meant to be opened. The DIY mini puzzle box will lure your friends into the opening and solving it. A laser cutter is used to cut this project, but you also need to prepare more thin wood pieces. DIY Mini Puzzle Box, is a small riddle box to be a decoration or a card. Except for the box itself, the other parts are made by a laser cutter machine.
You can make it your own by cutting more wood pieces to make the inner maze, and then people can open it step by step before solving the puzzle inside. The thin wood pieces are ironed and glued together with colorful cardboard; the hidden drawer can be pulled out by solving the maze. This puzzle box can be a good decoration for your house or a lovely gift card.
Project details: indukudesign.com
Nail Puzzle Box
The nail puzzle box is a traditional wooden puzzle with an oriental style, which can be labeled as ancient Chinese. This box consists of 8 parts, and all the parts are nailed together. The rule is to place three nails in non-countersunk holes of one block. Traditionally, this box type is called "the treasure chest of the Lingnan family." It demonstrates not only fine craftsmanship but also intelligence and wisdom. There are no screws, glue, or tape.
The rule is to place three nails in non-countersunk holes of a block. This nail puzzle box is made from Carbon plywood and contains a sliding nail mechanism. It's also one of the most popular Sparrow designs. How many ways can you disassemble the nails and open them? Multiply and have fun!
Project details: instructables.com
Wooden Puzzle Box Plan By Craftmanspace
The puzzle box named "By Craftmanspace" has characteristic craftsmanship details and is made of wood. The design of this product is based on the tradition that travels from generation to generation. The pieces are firmly glued to the sides and the constructions can be seen with naked eyes. This puzzle surprises with 3 elementary effects, i.e., opening, closing, and moving of the metal piece which is put onto the dowel. It is made of excellent quality natural wood and selected materials only.
We believe it will be a wonderful piece of furniture for your collection and environment, as well as a great toy and canister! This wooden puzzle box would make a great study project for those who are interested in locks and mechanisms as a hobby. You need basic information about dovetails or dovetail joints. It's a great project to show your friends how much you love them.
Project details: craftsmanspace.com
Japanese Puzzle Box Plan By Woodsmith
The Japanese puzzle box is a unique and fun woodworking project. It's a relatively easy cutting task if you set up precious alignment for yourself with a router table fence. The woodworking plan features detailed cut lists and illustrations that guarantee the straightforward, successful building of the puzzle box. And, as a terrific extra, you'll also find several ideas for creating an oriental-style jewelry box from the remaining components of the original project.
This plan package gives you great woodworking blueprints to build a traditional Japanese puzzle box. You'll learn various joinery techniques, including grooving on the router table, creating tongues and grooves, and fitting rabbets and chamfers. All of this adds up to making a gorgeous project that will last for many years.
Project details: woodsmith.com
Trick Box By Fisher’s Shop
The Fisher's Shop Trick Box is a work of fine carpentry and craftsmanship, using many separate pieces to make one fully functional box. This project is not for the beginner; you will need intermediate woodworking skills and equipment, such as a table saw and dado blade. It also requires a lot of patience as each piece must be hand-cut to the final size, then carefully arranged and glued to form the entire box. The finished project will be an admired showpiece or useful storage chest in any home.
The Trick Box is a puzzle box that features four different functions: table saw, miter saw, wood planer, and combination square. If you like puzzles and woodworking projects, this is the project for you. Make sure to carefully label all parts so that you don't cut any of the same sizes in two locations on the same side piece. Labeling all of your parts after cutting is vital to accuracy. For example, depending on how your lumber dries, you may end up with a few pieces that are only slightly wider than needed. This can throw off your measurements or even cause your puzzle box to break if inadvertently cut twice in the same place by mistake.
Holiday Puzzle Box
For the holidays, we have prepared a unique puzzle box. The box looks like a typical box until you open it up, then presents itself as a puzzle to be solved. The crafter used two pieces of wood that are shaped like T’s in a clever way to make the box. The bottom piece can move back and forth by moving the top piece up and down. This movement allows us to hide the gift bag within the box itself!
We have made an illustration picture of each step in making our puzzle box in case you do not understand how to combine it from our instructions. The Holiday Puzzle Box is a great DIY project that you can use it to gift gifts. This is a new way to present gifts such as rings, jewelry, mobile phones, and others. Assemble the puzzle box from this project. It is not difficult, just follow the steps and photos we have provided.
Project details: kiwico.com
Escape Room Puzzle Box
The Adinkra phoenix puzzle box is a great way to introduce the concept of "escape rooms" to your organization. The box requires the team to unlock the hasp and lock it outside of the box with an included key to solve the puzzle box inside. This set includes one medium-level puzzle box that makes a realistic phoenix image and also includes easy openers to assist in solving the tougher puzzles. Perfect whether you want to use this on its own, as part of a larger game, or just display it as art! Each is hand-built and sturdily constructed and made from solid wood with laser-cut parts. The scarab is made from plastic resin, which means the puzzle box is much lighter than the original ones. Openers are never going to get stuck with this version! Each opening tool can easily fit into the scarab and unlock the box.
Project details: hourglassescapes.com
Dragon Puzzle Box
Are you ready to build a wooden Chinese puzzle box? This is a chapter-by-chapter building guide, following instructions step by step. Not only will you learn how to make a puzzle box, but it also includes techniques on how to join the side parts interlocking with each other in a very detailed manner. Create the Mystical Dragon Puzzle Box and share it with your friends, or keep it as a special treasure to pass down to the next generation. The box is made of mahogany and cherry wood.
This very creative project provides an excellent opportunity for you to use your advanced skills to build an artistic classic Chinese puzzle box with multiple intricate parts - dados, miter joints, and side joints. With the download guide with images, drawings, and plan details, you will have all the instructions needed to follow exactly step by step. This puzzle box is a true masterpiece for advanced craftsmen. There are multiple intricate pieces inside one another. There are dadoes, side joints, and nail locking parts installed together. Moreover, it has fine details, including acanthus leaf carvings, ornate corner moldings, and a dragon figurine that can be opened/closed.
Project details: diypuzzles.wordpress.com
Twin Lock Box
The Twin Lock Box consists of three sections: box, cover, and a set of sliding keys. Each key features two positions you can move around until the box’s borders. In order to make this puzzle more challenging, you will want to change the order of all the keys. Simple yet challenging puzzle box. Each key features two positions, which can be moved until the box's borders. The goal is to move all keys correctly, starting with an empty box and ending with the key inside the last smaller rectangle-shaped hole.
After you solve all 12 pieces, you move on to the next level, with double the number of pieces. This puzzle is constructed with simple materials—mostly wood and dowel—that are easy to assemble and disassemble, making it great for amateur puzzlers to enjoy.
Project details: instructables.com
The Unbox Puzzle Box
Are you tired of carrying around big, heavy boxes to store your stuff? Do you want to get creative with your self-expression? Then the Unabox Puzzle Box is perfect for you. Made from high-quality baltic birch plywood, each box is unique and hand-finished. This item is a mechanical puzzle.
Even though it looks impossible to complete at first glance, the item is not intended to frustrate but rather to challenge your hand-eye coordination and logic skills right at the onset of your unboxing experience. The Unabox puzzle box is a design and a kit that allows anyone to build their own portable box in 2 hours. The first prototype is made of wood, but you can make one from different materials. There are many kinds of boxes that have locking mechanisms and other kinds of locks as well.
Project details: instructables.com
Dovetail Puzzle Box Plan
The puzzle box is a very old and simple puzzle. As stated above, it has three pieces: the lid, the bottom, and the lock. The first thing that you should build is the lock. As previously stated, there are two keys to the lock which determine which position the bottom goes on in relation to the lid. Once the keyways and keys are done, and they fit snugly together, it is time to move on to cutting out and putting together the rest of your box. Dovetail Puzzle Box Plans is an easy project that makes a great gift. The dovetail design and wooden hinges allow the pieces to fit easily together. The box will fit snugly, so there are wooden key pieces to keep the lid in place.
The solution is to use a dab of glue – in the right place – to secure the end keyways and keys. This ensures that the dovetail joints stay snug when you move the keys. If you don't use glue, the parts will move on each other, allowing moisture into your box. This is not just a puzzle; it is also a working toolbox that opens easily, so you can keep all of your small valuables safe. Just make sure to hide the keys elsewhere!
Project details: woodarchivist.com
Puzzle Box By MRX Designs
The Puzzle Box is a secret hiding place from MRX Designs that allows you to conceal valuable items. It contains multiple compartments and dividers to separate valuable items and is ideal for storing cash, jewelry, and other small or semi-precious belongings. This handmade wooden puzzle box features four internal compartments for stashing small trinkets and other treasures. The Puzzle Box has a unique locking mechanism made of a system of tumblers and latch-armed layers that work together to keep the box securely closed.
Project details: mrxdesigns.blogspot.com
DIY Puzzle Box By Tuan Djeems
Building your own trick box is a thorough job requiring some secure skills. Building your own DIY puzzle box as you like is possible too, with the tutorial here. However, you must master some required skills and tools for building such a box. You need a small wooden box in which 4 painted stick pieces can be placed on each side. You must cut the chest with a saw into four sides with twelve stick pieces and glue three starting from the bottom of each side. Another two sticks are needed at the top of each side to install smaller pieces like 3cm × 3cm. This DIY puzzle box is easy to make and costs around $5. With this DIY trick box, there are various styles made with different materials, such as wood, glass, metal, or plastic. Enjoy it!
Wizard’s Puzzle Box
We present the newest design puzzle box for your kids and friends. Wizard’s Puzzle Box is a plan suggestion for building the puzzle box. With delicate craftsmanship, you can master the process and make a surprise gift for your little ones or friends. The “Wizard’s Puzzle Box” is a beautiful, magic wooden puzzle box. It is made of solid wood with a natural finish and has a transparent lid for viewing the tessellated pattern on the top of the box.
You will see a wonderful tessellated pattern when you slide open the lid. On the top of the box is a beautiful sky pattern inside! Slowly open up all the pieces to reveal an optical illusion. You will be surprised by the little animal hidden inside. To make this lovely toy, you need to have patience and creativity. Train your kid's imagination and sense of space through this game.
Project details: stormthecastle.com
DIY Complex Puzzle Box
DIY Complex Puzzle Box is a fun and difficult model, guaranteed to challenge and entertain anyone. The DIY Sliding Puzzle Box is a fun and challenging project that anyone can design and assemble. The puzzle box is easy to build, with a complete instruction manual and all necessary hardware included. Each complex puzzle box has 15 toggle switches that need flipping into the correct positions to open it.
To solve the puzzle, you must reconfigure the pattern on the faceplate by flipping different switches into their correct positions. The secret is that all of these switches must be flipped into position in a very specific way so that they complete the circuit of the 9V battery inside the box. If you open up this puzzle without doing this correctly, then you'll find that nothing happens. Don't worry, though - provided that you do it correctly, power will flow out from the battery, down through certain wires, and onto other pieces inside. These pieces will then move, allowing you to remove them from the box and take off its faceplate.
Project details: hackster.io
Apprentice Maze Puzzle Box
The Apprentice Maze puzzle box is a take-apart wooden puzzle box. It includes a sliding locking mechanism and is held together with wedged finger joints. The joint design is inspired by medieval European carpentry. Where the grain of the wood was used as a locking mechanism for structures, to overcome this problem, we need to design a puzzle box consisting of sophisticated mechanical devices in which the locking mechanism uses at least one slider on both sides of the box.
You can't see the sliders when looking at them, but they are essential to making the puzzle work. The Apprentice is a small-sized puzzle box with an "easy" opening mechanism involving kerfing (cutting notches) into the sides of the puzzle box. The Apprentice is created from multiple pieces of wood and stained to achieve the desired look. We recommend choosing a good quality wood to create the look you are planning.
Project details: makerdesignlab.com