Sketch out the idea

I like to use the top-down method since I know exactly what I want, so just need to figure out how and what tools are needed to build it.

So here are my thoughts process:

I figure that in general, you would need side walls and a base to build a box, and a lid. So I went ahead and sketch out an egg shape box, you can see clearly for sure that I need:

A Base and a Side Wall, and due to the rounded shape, the side wall needs to be bendable, I will try to use a living hinge to create flexibility, and will use finger joints to attach to the base, and I realized that a Top Ring will be needed to hold the wall together.

For the Lid, I just want a simple same egg shape, add a flange with the size of the inner edge of the top ring, so the lid would be able to close tight and stay in the box.

Once I sketched out all the pieces needed, everything become really clear, then all I needed to do is figured out how to draw out in the software, since XCS does not have all the functions I needed to complete the design at this point, I am showing you how to create the design in Silhouette Studio which it is the software I am more familiar with. But you can use any software you are familiar with to create the design.

Build the Base

1. Draw an egg shape with the size of your preference, the one I'm showing here is around 6x4.75"
2. Offset the egg shape 2 times by 0.15in, you will end up with 3 egg shapes,

So the outside shape is going to be the Base and the Lid (approximately 6.5"x5.5"), the middle shape is going the be the path for creating the finger joints, the outside and center shapes will create the Top Ring, and the center egg shape (original shape) is going to be the Lid Flange, but we will do all these later.

Finger Joint Part 1

1. Most of the time people create a rectangle shape for their finger joint, but since this is a rounded shape, I feel that a square will work better. And the size is determined by the thickness of your material, I am planning to use 3m basswood, after some testing, 0.131" seems to work well, so go ahead and insert a 0.131x0.131" square
2. Open the "Replicate" Panel
3. We are going to duplicate the square along the middle egg shape, so go ahead and move the other 2 egg shapes to the side, just work with the middle one, select the square, and go to the "Object to Path"
4. Click on the "Show Grab Handle", a circular symbol will appear on the square, check the "Perpendicular"
5. Move the square with the circular symbol onto the egg shape
6. Depending on the number shown in the "Number of Repeat", those squares will be placed along the egg shape, with equal distances apart, you can go ahead and "Increase" or "Decrease" the number to adjust to what you like, I ended up with 28 of them. You can also slide the squares back and forth to get them into the right location.
7. While the egg shape and the squares are still selected, pull down the "Object" Panel, and select "Convert to Path", this will make all the squares into real objects.

Now the holes of the finger joints are ready, we can go ahead to create the Base and the Top Ring.

*** This is just to show you what if you did not check "Perpendicular" ***

Base Layer

1. Go ahead and "Group" the squares and the egg shape together, so it will be easier for the next step
2. Move the outer egg shape back, and center align it with the square ring, and go ahead ungroup and delete the middle egg shape
3. Open the "Modify" panel, and perform a "subtract", then you will end up with a large egg shape with the square ring cut out, and that will be the box "Base".

Top Ring

1. Duplicate the Base and the small egg shape, center align both of them together
2. With "Subtract", cut out the small egg shape from the Base, and you will end up with the "Top Ring", which also has the square ring cut out

Lid & Lid Flange

1. Duplicate the Base
2. Select the duplicate, open the "Modify" panel, and use "Release Compound Path", it will turn all the squares cut out into squares and break away from the egg shape, so you can delete the square, and you will end up with just the egg shape. And this will be the "Lid"
3. "Lid Flange" will be the same as the small Egg Shape

Side & Finger Joint

There are a few measurements that can help to determine the measurement of the side.

1. The Length of the side. Since the square hole of the finger joins was based on the "Middle Egg Shape", so the circumference of that egg shape should be the length of the side. It measures around 17".
2. The number of the square (0,13x28=3.64"), plus the distance between two squares (0.473x28=13.16"), will be 16.8"

The 2 numbers are very close, I decided to make the side in 2 pieces, approximately 8.5" in length, then add the Finger Joints on all four sides. The two pieces will be identical.

The steps are:

1. Go ahead and draw a rectangle, the length is 1/2 of the egg shape's circumference, and the width is the depth of the box
2. Add the tabs on the 2 long sides, the tab size and spacing depend on the holes on the base and the top ring,
3. Add the tabs on the 2 short sides, the right side, and the left side will be offset to form the finger joints (see the drawing, the right side of pink and the left side of the blue)
4. Add Living Hinge cut lines
5. Save the design to SVG format, upload it to xTool Creative Space, then test cut and fit, and make adjustments accordingly.

(By the way, this method is the way I can think of, if there is any better or more precise method, please share it with me)

Once the design is finalized, go ahead and cut out all the pieces, color them, and assemble them. You can also add any decorative elements. I did a stain-glass inlay look for mine.