Woodworkers are known for hoarding wood.  This story is no exception to that line of thinking.  I’ve had this particular piece of highly figured curly maple kicking around my shop for a few years now.  Whether you call it curly maple, tiger maple or fiddleback maple, the tightly spaced and consistent curls in this board made it something to where I was looking for just the right project to make with it.  When my wife and I were tossing around ideas for a small jewelry or keepsake box, I knew I had the right piece of wood for the job.  My wife is no jewelry aficionado, but she does have one or two piece she wears almost daily, mainly her wedding ring.  Just before bed, she places her ring on the top of another small box I made her years ago.  This always had me curious to why she places it atop the box and not in it.  She told me it’s really the only jewelry she wears consistently each and every day and when she wakes, she grabs it first before she goes about her day.  After discussing some velvet to line the inside of a jewelry box that would have a heart motif in the top, we had that aha moment!  This is part one of a two part series on how to make a velvet inlay, continuous grain, curly maple jewelry box.  Part two should be out in a week or two so make sure to subscribe to both my email newsletter and YouTube channel so you don’t miss out on part 2.  Enjoy!

If you are interested in making a similar item and are looking for some highly figured wood, contact Bob Kloes.  He is a dear friend of mine and where I got the wood for this project.