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A small, oval-shaped box decorated in peach and marbled paper, open to reveal something with string tied on top of it.
A small, oval-shaped box decorated in peach and marbled paper, open to reveal something with string tied on top of it.

Make a custom box

that is not a rectangle - with a technique originally used for cylindrical cases to store scrolls.

Home Events Paper Unusually Shaped Boxes Workshop

Unusually Shaped Boxes Workshop

Learn how to make your own customized, non-rectangular boxes

On Mondays, November 6, 13 and 20, 2023, attend this three-day box making workshop (2 hours per session for a total of 6 hours) at Paperhouse Studio, located in Toronto at Artscape Youngplace. All materials will be included. This is a beginner-level class, with a limit of 6 participants.

There is an undeniable elegance in having a box sized exactly to fit the treasure it contains.

While creating rectangular boxes for regular items pretty much only requires accurate measurement, a different technique is needed to create boxes for irregularly shaped things. Over the course of three two-hour classes, students will learn a box making technique originally used for creating cylindrical cases meant for scroll storage – made of layered paper, and covered with leather and decorative paper – that can also be applied to make boxes of almost any shape. During the first class, students will make a hexagonal box; they’ll then be able to work on their own shapes on the following two evenings. Interesting objects (to put in the boxes) will be available, and students are welcome to bring their own too.

About Paperhouse Studio

Paperhouse Studio is an experimental arts studio and collective rooted in paper as the medium. They offer educational programs, artist projects, and community-based youth initiatives from their studio in Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood.

About James Spyker

A self-described work in progress, James Spyker is a Toronto-based bookbinder and box maker, the proprietor of 2×4 to the forehead, and a publisher of books and special things. He studied core curriculum at the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild (CBBAG), including bookbinding, paper treatments, finishing and repair (cloth and leather); and at Paperhouse Studio, including Western and Asian papermaking, sculptural papermaking and pulp painting. He’s been actively practicing bookbinding since 1997, and it’s the general focus of his art right now. He’s been an instructor for the Toronto District School Board and the CBBAG; and he’s also created how-to books for creating composition notebooks and miniature books.

Three small decorated boxes, including one oval-shaped and two hexagonal-shaped, covered with decorative, patterned paper.

An small, oval-shaped box decorated in peach and marbled paper, lying open on its side, with a pocket watch attached to a string resting between the base and the lid.

(Photo credits: Paperhouse Studio.)

 

Event details

Hosted by: Paperhouse Studio

Type of event: in-person custom box-making class

Instructor: James Spyker

Dates: Mondays, November 6, 13 & 20, 2023

Start time: 6:30 PM ET

Duration: 2 hours (total of 6 hours)

Number of sessions: 3

Cost: C$236.82

Location: Paperhouse Studio, Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw Street, Unit #102, Toronto, ON, M6J 2W5

Booking link: Book your spot here. Limited to 6 participants.

Contact Details: Paperhouse Studio, Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw Street, Unit #102, Toronto, ON, M6J 2W5, Canada; 416-546-7589, info@paperhousestudio.com, paperhousestudio.com

 

Accessibility: Read Artscape Youngplace’s accessibility info here.

COVID-19 policy: Read Paperhouse Studio’s COVID-19 policy here.

Class policies: Read their class policies, including payment and refund info.