The objective was create a support material to help me learn English when my English course at Talk school is finished. We thought about creating a box capable of holding didactic material, cultural material, devices that motive me to use the language, useful objects and a way to check if I'm using it.

Made by Marina :)

Step 1: BOX

First we searched for a box. We went to a secondhand store and bought an old boardgame, so we could use the cardboard box.

Step 2: TALLY COUNTER

In the box we came up with the idea to include a tally counter. We cut laminated wood from an old picture frame and covered up the inside part of the box. We glued a bent nail tied to a thin string and a magnet. I want to use this nail to make a mark on the wood every time I use it, like the daily counter of a desert island survivor. Also, on the wood we glued pieces of cork to create a little space to stick pushpin reminders or bold notes.

Step 3: BOX COVER

On the front side's cover we glued a piece of fabric with white glue. I bought the fabric in a street market to make a skirt but finally I used for the box because I liked the print.

Step 4: NOTEBOOKS

I made two notebooks. I wanted those notebooks to be very special so I decided to make them by hand. The small one will be for writing down short sentences or reports from books, films, celebrities,.. and the biggest notebook will be for creating my own illustrated stories.

I used an old drawing notebook. First, with scissors, I cut all the sheets of paper to same size and I joined them in pairs and folded them in half. I wanted to keep the sheets together with a thick string so I needed to make big holes. We tried to make them with a mini hand drill but it smashed too much the paper. Finally we did it with a gimlet and it ended up well. When all the papers had holes in them I passed the string through the holes in a carefully placed and specific order. After that, I tied it strongly. For the covers I used two different techniques.

With a utility knife I cut a little bit smaller than the notebook with hard cardboard. I glued a piece of fabric on this cardboard and then I glued it all to the first page of the notebook. The left side of the notebook, where the holes and the holding strings are, have to be free of cardboard to allow it to open. I took the fabric from a torn T-shirt. I found it in a street trash bin and at that moment I didn't know how I would use it, but I liked the African print so I took it. For the other one, I only used a flexible transparent piece of plastic with holes and I painted the first page to decorate it.

Step 5: BOTTOM OF THE BOX

We painted the exterior of the bottom part of the box in black and I glued two pockets on the lateral surface. We decided to make some device to hold a USB drive and keep it protected from the magnet. The pockets will work like a pencil case and like a bag for the pen drive. I sewed by hand the pockets with two purple pieces of fabric and black thread. With a needle I sewed together the pieces of fabric and I made sure that the messy seam stays in the back because this side will be glued to the cardboard of the box. I glued the large pocket to the cardboard. After I glued it I fixed the part with clamps and clothespin while it dries.

Step 6: THING IN THE BOX

There are other objects that I put in the box. The most important is the USB drive. We saved a lot of didactic material and an original document with online resources suited to my interests on it. I have been looking for a recording device with USB output, but I didn't find it yet, because it has to be second hand on account of getting a good price. When I find I will make a bag for it because this box will be always in construction and in development.

Made by Marina :)