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Hey instructablers !
I'm going to show you the gift I made for my girlfriend for her 24th birthday, and break it down in a step-by-step guide so that you'll be able to replicate any part or the whole of the process.
(Please excuse in advance my english, which may be inaccurate, since, well, I'm french.)
Listening to Renaissance music while browsing may improve your experience of this instructable.
By the way please excuse the pompous name, but I tried to include everything in it.
The gift consisted of a one-object enigma , containing the following :
- an enigma
- an old book
- an ambigram with both of our names
- a scattered-through-the-pages poem/enigma to piece together again
- two blazons, at the very center of the book
- a silver chain used as a shackle, a fleur-de-lys pendant, a padlock and a hidden key.
Quick overview of the enigma :
The ambigram has a number on it which corresponds to a page, which contains a small phrase or verse, and a number pointing to another page, etc. until all the verses are found and make up the poem. The poem contains clues about where the key is hidden in the book. The key, found in the cover, unlocks the padlock, which closes down the two center pages (containing the drawn blazons) with the silver chain. Between the pages, in a small paper pocket, lies the fleur-de-lys pendant, through which the chain must be threaded. Along the pages of the book remain all the explanations about the symbols drawn on the blazons.
Everything was made especially for the occasion, this is a project made from scratch : you can follow me, and pick whatever you please from these independent elements.
Let's start !
I'm going to show you the gift I made for my girlfriend for her 24th birthday, and break it down in a step-by-step guide so that you'll be able to replicate any part or the whole of the process.
(Please excuse in advance my english, which may be inaccurate, since, well, I'm french.)
Listening to Renaissance music while browsing may improve your experience of this instructable.
By the way please excuse the pompous name, but I tried to include everything in it.
The gift consisted of a one-object enigma , containing the following :
- an enigma
- an old book
- an ambigram with both of our names
- a scattered-through-the-pages poem/enigma to piece together again
- two blazons, at the very center of the book
- a silver chain used as a shackle, a fleur-de-lys pendant, a padlock and a hidden key.
Quick overview of the enigma :
The ambigram has a number on it which corresponds to a page, which contains a small phrase or verse, and a number pointing to another page, etc. until all the verses are found and make up the poem. The poem contains clues about where the key is hidden in the book. The key, found in the cover, unlocks the padlock, which closes down the two center pages (containing the drawn blazons) with the silver chain. Between the pages, in a small paper pocket, lies the fleur-de-lys pendant, through which the chain must be threaded. Along the pages of the book remain all the explanations about the symbols drawn on the blazons.
Everything was made especially for the occasion, this is a project made from scratch : you can follow me, and pick whatever you please from these independent elements.
Let's start !
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Signing UpStep 1Hardware Parts
I needed an old book , the kind with a beautiful binding and cover. My gf is an actress and she's fond of medieval history. When I stumbled upon "Le Théâtre Français au Moyen-Age" (French Theatre from the Middle-Ages), I knew I had found the grail. And it was from the Lycée de Versailles... perfect.
The padlock gave me a lot of trouble. It had to be small, if possible look a bit old and used (vintage-style), and have a small – if possible flat – key. That was a hell to find. I searched on ebay and in half the antique stores of my town before finding the right one. And it still wasn't perfect, since the key was round and not flat. I knew that would give me a little more trouble later, but it was still small enough to be fixable.
The gift itself was a hard choice too. I wanted a piece a jewellery with a fleur-de-lys. I had thought of a ring, but I would have been forced to cut into the paper itself to hide it. Like a secret book that is not a book but a box in which you hide your stuff. And I didn't want to hurt the book. So I found a pendant with a fleur-de-lys, and that was perfect for what I had finally in mind. And I could use the chain as a shackle. Perfect.
You'll have to spend :
- Book : 20€-65€ (depending on the age of the book, its condition, its material, whether it's full leather or not... etc. Actually there is no upper limit to the price of the book.)
- Padlock : 5€-15€ (depending on the age, condition, material and possibly shipping price)
- Necklace : chain 10€-25€ & pendant 20-45€ (depending on the material and crafting quality)
That's a total of 55€ to 150€ depending on your bargain skill. My budget was somewhere in the middle.
Tools I used :
- Indian ink and a quill. You can get various nibs and a pot of ink for less than 10€.
- white sheet of paper
- a cigarette lighter
- a small hole puncher
- scissors
- glue
- a small pair of cutting pliers (you can see them later on at step 5).
The padlock gave me a lot of trouble. It had to be small, if possible look a bit old and used (vintage-style), and have a small – if possible flat – key. That was a hell to find. I searched on ebay and in half the antique stores of my town before finding the right one. And it still wasn't perfect, since the key was round and not flat. I knew that would give me a little more trouble later, but it was still small enough to be fixable.
The gift itself was a hard choice too. I wanted a piece a jewellery with a fleur-de-lys. I had thought of a ring, but I would have been forced to cut into the paper itself to hide it. Like a secret book that is not a book but a box in which you hide your stuff. And I didn't want to hurt the book. So I found a pendant with a fleur-de-lys, and that was perfect for what I had finally in mind. And I could use the chain as a shackle. Perfect.
You'll have to spend :
- Book : 20€-65€ (depending on the age of the book, its condition, its material, whether it's full leather or not... etc. Actually there is no upper limit to the price of the book.)
- Padlock : 5€-15€ (depending on the age, condition, material and possibly shipping price)
- Necklace : chain 10€-25€ & pendant 20-45€ (depending on the material and crafting quality)
That's a total of 55€ to 150€ depending on your bargain skill. My budget was somewhere in the middle.
Tools I used :
- Indian ink and a quill. You can get various nibs and a pot of ink for less than 10€.
- white sheet of paper
- a cigarette lighter
- a small hole puncher
- scissors
- glue
- a small pair of cutting pliers (you can see them later on at step 5).
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Glad you like it :)