Uli's Quick-Fix Box
"The lame quick-fix solution
Size: about 2.7" x 2.7" x 2.7" for the larger two
Material: construction paper (*blush*)
Since I have neither the money to actually buy a puzzle box nor the talent to make one out of wood and thin metal sheets, I took the easy way out. Here's a quick how-to if you want to make a cube yourself, fast and at practically no cost:
- Get the orient-hr1.gif graphic from the archive at http://www.cenobite.com/box/lament.
- Buy an A4 sheet of fairly sturdy golden construction paper (it should be
available at every good stationery shop,
especially around Christmas). Make sure it's thin enough for your printer to
handle it though.
- Print the image out. (If available, select the "fit to page" option.
For a sharper result, you might also experiment
with recreating the orientation of the orient-hr1.gif using the larger single
side images available in the archive.
Using a laser printer is highly recommended, as ink tends to smudge on the paper's
surface.)
- Cut out the cube, leaving flaps in the necessary places.
- Before you fold the construction paper, use a knife along a ruler in order
to scratch the edges a little so they will
bend easier later on. With my construction paper, this caused ugly white lines
(the "inside" of the paper) to appear, but
a big black felt pen dragged along the folded edges took care of that.
- Now glue the whole thing together at the flaps.
The result looks surprisingly good considering how cheaply it is made - I especially
like the one made from reflecting
metallic golden paper (on the right).
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