The Jewel Box Box

Storage for CD Sleeves

April, 1997

Explanation

So, I keep all of my CDs in plastic sleeves instead of in the original jewel boxes. The main advantage of this is that CDs in sleeves take up about 2/7 of the space. Two disadvantages are that I now have to store the sleeves in something (because they don't stand up on their own), and I have a huge collection of empty jewel boxes.

Eventually I hit on a solution that solves the storage problem and ameliorates the empty jewel box problem. I make storage boxes for sleeves out of empty jewel boxes.

Materials

For each box:

• Three empty jewel boxes
• One scrap CD (Buy a stupid magazine for the free CD.) for decoration
• Some Duco cement or other glue good for plastic
• Four to six small clamps (Medium binder clips are great.)

The Process

1. Open two of the jewel boxes.
2. Remove the CD trays from the two boxes.
3. Bend them back until they are open 270 degrees. You may need to disassemble and then reassemble the boxes to accomplish this.
4. Put glue on the edge of the box backs that is opposite the hinge edge.
5. Clamp the two open boxes together so that the edges you just glued are pressing up against the front of the other box, forming a rectangle. This is the body of the box.
6. Place the third box face down on the table in front of you, with the hinge away from you. This is the bottom of the box.
7. Glue the bottom edges of the box backs that form the body.
8. Clamp the body down to the bottom with one of the box backs facing you.
9. Allow the glue to dry overnight.
10. Remove the clamps.
11. Re-install the CD trays onto the front and back of the box.
12. Put the decorative CD into the front tray, with the label side hidden unless it's something cool.