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How to Make a Birch Bark Box

Birch bark is a very versatile material. It can be formed into all sorts of waterproof containers, from cups and bowls to canoes. Actually making one of these containers involves knowing a simple trick to remove the brittleness of the bark. Once the bark has been heated for a few moments, it becomes extremely pliable. This pliability allows the bark to be made into circular or oblong shapes and bent even into mobius strips. One of the most common birch wood projects is the simple birch wood box. This finished box will be 1 foot tall and oval-shaped.

Things You'll Need

A large piece of birch bark able to be trimmed to 2-by-1
A second, slightly smaller, piece of birch bark
Sharp knife
Boiling water
Hairdryer
Birch bark fiber (pulled from the edge of the large piece of birch bark)
Large sewing needle

Instructions

- 1
  Cut a large piece of bark from a dead birch tree. Taking bark from a live tree can cause it serious damage or even kill it.
- 2
  Pull several thin fibers from the side of the bark and steep them in boiling water for three to five minutes.
- 3
  Trim the bark to 2-by-1 and heat the remaining bark with a hairdryer for one minute. This will make the bark very pliable. If there are still any places that seem brittle, heat these areas again. This can be done on a hard surface, like a bathroom counter or kitchen table, or can be done while holding the bark in your hand.
- 4
  Bend the bark into an oval shape and stitch it together with short strands of birch fiber to make the box wall.
- 5
  Cut out a top and bottom piece for the box. Lay the second piece of bark on a flat surface and heat it. Use the oval that you have just stitched together as a template and trace the outer edge of it on the flat birch bark. Cut out this piece for use as part of the lid of the box. Repeat this step to create a bottom as well.
- 6
  Cut a 2-foot 1-inch long, 2-inch wide piece of bark and heat it so that it can be bent around the top of the stitched box wall. Stitch this piece together as well to make a ring for the lid. Stitch the top to the ring to create the finished box top.
- 7
  Stitch the bottom directly to the interior bottom of the box walls.
- 8
  Place the top on the oval box.

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