This is a secret box inspired by George Orwell's Animal Farm. I know some schools have this book as part of their curriculum but sadly mine doesn't. I read this book for the first time recently and loved it! Throughout the story, the animals are being tricked by what's right in front of their eyes. The Seven Commandments of Animal Farm are always changing, but most animals don't seem to notice. I took inspiration from this and decided that the best key is one hidden in plain sight and will often get overlooked. That's why the key to unlocking this box is actually the ladder!

Supplies

My materials:

3D printer
acrylic paint
hot glue
posca markers (for the writing parts)

Feel free to make this using different materials like cardboard or different colored filaments (I only have black filament so I painted mine)

Step 1: 3D Print

You can use the stl files I provided or make your own.

Step 2: Paint It

Paint everything until you're happy with the results. Since I was painting over black, I did a few layers of white first to make it easier to paint.

Step 3: Write the Rules

I would recommend searching up the Animal Farm Rules because they change during the story. I chose to do the final set of rules and make it obvious that they were edited. To imitate a pig with little writing experience on a ladder's writing, I wrote the letters using straight strokes. I did everything in pencil before going over it with Posca markers.

Step 4: Assemble It

Using hot glue or your glue of choice, put everything together.

Step 5: Hide Stuff!

Now is the fun part, hide whatever you want! To unlock it, take the ladder off its pegs and insert it into the holes in the back. Turn the pieces using the ladder as a key to remove the top! When you're done, lock it back up and think about how you feel like an evil genius such as a certain tyrannical pig named after the first French emperor.