Box 20 of my Little Boxes series is called "Curly Confections." Unlike some of my other little boxes where I chased deeper meaning, this one started with something simple: a box of Birmingham Chocolates from Birmingham, Michigan. The Birmingham Chocolate Company is known for its bonbons, bars, and treats made with high value chocolate and clear, bright flavors. I wanted to make a special box to fit a box of their colorful chocolates just right.
The body is all curly maple, bright and lively, the grain dancing in the light like it cannot sit still. A ribbon wraps across the top and down the sides, built from walnut on the edges, curly maple in between, and a rich mahogany stripe running through the center. At the top, the ribbon gathers into a bow made from the same woods, lifted just high enough to give the piece a touch of playfulness.
Birmingham itself has roots that reach back to the early 1800s, first as a farming community and later as a suburb tied to Detroit’s automobile boom. Today its downtown, known as The Triangle, is filled with shops, restaurants, and art galleries, making it a place where a box of fine chocolates feels right at home.
This is a happy box. Fun, clean, and inviting, it does not pretend to carry heavy symbolism. Like the chocolates it was made to hold, it is something sweet, bright, and meant to be enjoyed.
Little Boxes Series, #20
Box 20 of my Little Boxes series is called "Curly Confections." Unlike some of my other little boxes where I chased deeper meaning, this one started with something simple: a box of Birmingham Chocolates from Birmingham, Michigan. The Birmingham Chocolate Company is known for its bonbons, bars, and treats made with high value chocolate and clear, bright flavors. I wanted to make a special box to fit a box of their colorful chocolates just right.
The body is all curly maple, bright and lively, the grain dancing in the light like it cannot sit still. A ribbon wraps across the top and down the sides, built from walnut on the edges, curly maple in between, and a rich mahogany stripe running through the center. At the top, the ribbon gathers into a bow made from the same woods, lifted just high enough to give the piece a touch of playfulness.
Birmingham itself has roots that reach back to the early 1800s, first as a farming community and later as a suburb tied to Detroit’s automobile boom. Today its downtown, known as The Triangle, is filled with shops, restaurants, and art galleries, making it a place where a box of fine chocolates feels right at home.
This is a happy box. Fun, clean, and inviting, it does not pretend to carry heavy symbolism. Like the chocolates it was made to hold, it is something sweet, bright, and meant to be enjoyed.
Little Boxes Series, #20
