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How to Make a Butter Box

A butter box is a box designed to fit around a standard block of butter. The butter box emerged in 1896 following the patented design of a protective soda cracker box. Vegetable parchment was used to wrap the butter to prevent it from absorbing odors from other objects. The chipboard box was treated with paraffin, a type of wax, to protect it from moisture. Household cooks rely on the same butter box design today to keep butter safe during transport and free from contamination. Designing this type of box is not difficult.

Things You'll Need

  • 1/4-inch graph paper
  • Tape
  • Straight edge
  • Triangle
  • Ruler
  • Stick of butter
  • Chipboard
  • Craft knife
  • Parchment paper
  • White glue
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Instructions

    • 1

      Tape 1/4-inch graph paper to the drawing table. Measure your stick of butter. In general, most sticks of butter are square on the ends and rectangular in length.

    • 2

      Center your measurements on the paper and draw the dimensions of the stick length and width so that the length is horizontal and the width is vertical on the paper. Repeat the exact measurements three times directly below your first rectangular box shape, ensuring that all four rectangles connect with each other to form one long shape. These are the four main sides of the box.

    • 3

      Measure 1/4-inch below the bottom of the fourth rectangular box shape. This is a flap. Taper the ends of the flap at a 45-degree angle on each end.

    • 4

      Return to the top rectangular box. Measure 1/2-inch to the left of the left vertical line and 1/2-inch to the right of the right vertical line. Draw a vertical line the height of your box along each 1/2-inch mark. Repeat for the third box down. These 1/2-inch pieces are glue flaps for the box.

    • 5

      Go to the second rectangular box. Measure the height of the box. Transfer the measurement horizontally from the left line of the box. This is an end piece of the box. Repeat for the right side. Measure 1/4-inch from the end piece left line for a flap. Taper the corners of the flap at a 45-degree angle. Repeat for the right side. This is the basic shape of a butter box.

    • 6

      Using your drawing as a guide, cut out your box shape. Fold along each line. Add glue to the glue flaps -- leaving one end piece of the box unglued so you can open and close the box -- and press the glue flaps into place to secure the box.

    • 7

      Check that your paper box is the right shape and size to fit a stick of butter. Once you confirm this, repeat Steps 1 through 5, cutting out the entire shape of the butter box once you have drawn it out. Trace this shape onto the chipboard, scoring the chipboard gently along the lines where it will fold.

    • 8

      Cut out the chipboard shape with the craft knife. Line the chipboard completely with wax paper, using glue to adhere the wax to the chipboard. Fold the chipboard box as you did with the paper box. Leaving one end piece unglued, apply glue to all other glue flaps and form the box.

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