Spend a day creating your own fun and versatile box that can be used as a shadow display box or a traditional puzzle box with beads.
Students will build a small 4-5" square box, then choose paper imagery to create a tiny, layered diorama inside, protected with a Plexiglas cover. It's an interesting and useful structure on its own, but with the addition of some tiny balls it can also become a puzzle box!
Students will have the option to leave their boxes as-is, or add circular divots so that balls can be rolled about by manipulating the box, with the goal of getting each ball to settle in a divot. It's harder than it looks.
(Known as a “dexterity puzzle” or “ball-in-the-hole” puzzle, this is a classic children's toy and most folks over 40 will have handled or seen one at some point, though they're a bit more rare these days. If you're still not quite sure what we're talking about, do a google search for “vintage dexterity puzzle".)
In addition to being a fun project, this workshop is also an excellent introduction to simple box making, and good practice for some of our other workshops including the Box Making Core classes.
Materials to Bring
Small objects to be used in your box, collage items, beads, pearls, coloring pens, pictures. Material for making these lively little boxes can be found everywhere: junk drawers, garage sales, second-hand shops, used bookstores, in the woods, at the seashore, the dollar store.
Students are also welcome to bring any of their own favorite bookbinding tools or art supplies.
About the Instructor
Bettina Pauly (she/her) lives in San Francisco and works as both a book artist and a letterpress printer with Kim Vanderheiden at Painted Tongue Studios, Oakland, California. She loves books and boxes both as physical objects and as containers of meaning. She is interested in a variety of folded, sewn and woven structures in which she can incorporate her printing.
Past Student Reviews
“I love Bettina's energy and encouragement and it was a great project.”
“Bettina is so creative and inspiring. I always leave her workshops full of ideas of what I can do with what she has taught.”
"Great, fun, very productive afternoon. Great handouts. Good explanations. Very helpful and attentive instructor. Very interesting and supportive people in the class. Got inspired to make more boxes at home.”
Location
San Francisco Center for the Book
375 Rhode Island Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Registration Policies
Please read over the SFCB Registration Policies before signing up for a class. Registration will close approximately three days prior to the start date of the workshop to allow the instructor time to prep materials for class. We recommend you not wait to register, as workshops that don't meet our minimum enrollment will be canceled, sometimes as much as a week in advance.
Workshop fee
(includes materials fee):
$180
Prerequisite:
None.
Class session:
Saturday, August 23, 2025
9:30 am-5:30 pm
If this workshop is full, please click this link to add your name to the waitlist. If a seat becomes available, we will contact you.