I did not want to spend a great deal of money on a premade watch case for myself when I travel. I had all of these old cigar boxes and left over bookbinding paper. I decided to put them to good use. My method to covering the box may seem a little backwards. If you bind books, the key idea is to prevent rework that can ruin a project. I.E. You need to be precise the first time.

Step 1: Step One

Material List:
Paper Cigar Box, Bookbinding Paper, PVA Glue, Brush, Bone Folder, Cardstock, Foam, Razor Knife, Scissors

Optional: Leather Strap, Snaps, Waxed Thread, Awl, Needle

Measure the paper with the open box and give yourself enough room to cover all of the sides. Leave the paper together as you draw out the square of the bottom of the box. Keep the paper as one piece in this stage of the process.

Glue the square and place the bottom of the box on the square. Turn the paper over and smooth out any of the bubbles. Now cut the paper in the back. You want the top piece to come down to an 1/8” above the bottom and then the bottom piece to come within an 1/8” of the top.

Step 2: Step Two

Turn the box over and slice off the corners to ¾” to the edge of the box. (On books I go much tighter….but I decided to give myself more room and be uniform around the entire box.)

Step 3: Step Three

After the top is tucked and folded with glue. Work backwards

on the bottom. Do not worry about the top being uneven from the inside. Use cardstock to cover this just like the inside leafs of a book. Glue the cardstock and start from the top moving downwards with the bone folder. Work over the edges and press into the back of the box.

Use foam to fill in the box.

Step 4: Step Four

The box can be finished at this point using Shellac spray. The friction of the paper on the box will keep the lid closed. I decided to go ahead and add a leather strap stiched through the top of the box.

Choose a leather strap and angle the left anf right side with a punch or razor knife. Using an awl or a drill with a very small bit....safely put stitch holes in the leather and paper making them as uniform as possible. Stich the leather to the box and attach snaps. It is important to note that if you are using rivet style snaps, the paper box will be too thick. In this case use a small bold and nut. (the foam will cover it.)

The finished product turned out well. I would also point out that you will need to turn the watches upside down to make their glass faces aim towards the foam. Just to make sure nothing gets damaged. I decided not to use two sections of foam based on the thickness.

Thanks,
Carl