This by far is one of the most personal and meaningful projects I have ever done. Let’s begin by saying I never do anything “simple.” If there is anything that can be over complicated or taken to the next level then that is where I take it.
Last summer (2018), I knew it was going to be the year to propose to my then fiancé. So as I went around to the different jewelry stores shopping for an engagement ring, there was something in my gut telling me I had to build a ring box. I mean I make things so this was kind of obvious.
I spent many sleepless nights lying awake designing and re-designing in my head the perfect ring box. (Side note, many of the projects I come up with get designed in my head late at night before they are sketched out on paper). A box with four sides and a lid was just too simple, so back to the late night drawing board.
Alas, the time was drawing near. I was on vacation from my full time job and I had a date in my mind that I was going to propose. I had began making some different iterations of the perfect ring box. As the date was drawing near I had the idea of what I wanted to build. A tall skinny, square box. I wanted the side to slide out and that piece hold the ring. I wanted to somehow incorporate a sliding dovetail. I had the perfect image in my mind and made plenty of firewood getting the perfect fit. The next concern was is the ring going to fit? (I had not bought the ring yet.)
Yes. I came home with the ring and hurried out to the shop. Last minute finishing touches and the ring fit.
The next day all the pieces were falling together and off to Chicago we went, me, a beautiful ring box, and an unsuspecting girlfriend soon to be fiancé. It was a freezing cold rainy October day in Chicago. Good thing I’m better at making things than planning them because I should have know Lurie Gardens in Millennium Park would be a dead garden, not the most romantic backdrop. After I got down on one knee, I pulled out the ring box and to her surprise I asked her to marry me. She said “maybe” (which was a yes!) and we started laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole day as we made our way to a taxi, teeth chattering and all.
This was a project that brought me so much joy and was so fun and rewarding to build. Seeing the look on her face was priceless and we both agreed, of course I would have built an engagement ring box. So the rest is history, we attempted to plan a more traditional wedding but ultimately decided to elope and I have an amazing wife who has a pretty awesome ring box and we have a ridiculous story.