I have been meaning to make this holder for a long time, in order to get an unsightly cardboard box off my kitchen counter. The Coffee Challenge was just the motivation I needed!

This container is made from 1/8" bass plywood, laser cut, stained to match the kitchen cabinets, and then assembled. I don't have room for other types of capsule/pod storage, so this was my solution. I designed it to be roughly the same size as the actual product box, with similar design for dispensing.

Supplies

Here is my materials list:

1/8" plywood

wood glue

clamps (optional)

ruler

sand paper

stain or paint (optional)

paint brushes

Simple Orange (for cleaning burn residue)

Design Software (I used Corel Draw)

Access to a Laser Cutter

Step 1: What Size?

Since the cardboard box for my coffee capsules had been functional (but a little tacky), I decided to go with essentially the same size and design. I did make the opening bigger so I didn't hit hard wood with the top of my hand each time I reached in. I also wanted it to hold the entire contents of the box each time I refilled so I didn't have to store partial supplies.

Step 2:

If it is shaped like a box, the first place I head to online is Box Designer (boxdesigner.connectionlab.org). You just enter your desired dimensions and material thickness, and Box Designer will generate a PDF, SVG or DXF file you can use to cut a notched box on a laser-cutter.

I entered my dimensions and generated my box. Then I imported the SVG file into Corel Draw. Using the shape tool, I deleted nodes to angle the side pieces and shortened the top and front of the box. Then, I decided to get fancy. I've never cut a detailed design using the laser cutter before, so I decided this would make the box more appealing for kitchen counter use. It took several hours to perfect it, but I learned A LOT about what to not do and improved my Corel Draw skills greatly. I found some good, free designs at FreePatternsArea.com. I just took a screen shot of the desired pattern and then set about applying it to my box.

The first design was a complete failure. I didn't realize that the cut would result in a piece that would completely fall out of the box, but it did. Then, I tried another. This was better. I discovered the segment cut tool and wondered where it had been all of my laser-cutting life. Seriously, this was a great learning experience. If you are not up for such an experience, the finished box file (.SVG) is available here for download, as well as the CorelDraw (.CDR) file in case you want to modify it in some way.

Step 3: Fabricate: Laser Cutting

The file I created took about 15 minutes to vector cut.

Step 4: Sand, Stain & Glue

Sanding helps take off hard edges and prepare the surface for stain. I applied two coats of a light pecan stain to match my kitchen cabinets. I have learned the hard way to stain before glueing. Any glue residue prohibits the stain from absorbing into the wood and results in a less than desirable result.

Once the stain has dried, I used wood glue to assemble the parts.

Step 5: Stock and Display!

This is definitely an upgrade from the cardboard box! I'm very pleased with the final result. It is an aesthetic upgrade and functional storage container.