Caotan Pham: Laser Cut Box

I have a cat at home that sleeps in a small bed at the end of my desk. Sometimes, when she is careless, she will slide the bed in her sleep and it will tip over the side. She may not be as social as a dog, but she is a constant companion nonetheless, and I decided to make a box to prevent her sliding around.

I chose a 12x6x3 inch box from boxmaker.

Here is the finished design in Illustrator. I made a kitten, a cat, a ball of yarn, and a mouse to put onto the sides. I also cut out a large portion of the lid, because even though the notches look good, I thought that my cat may be annoyed by the feel of it, so I opted for the lid, while keeping the open top idea. The bottom has several strips cut out to allow for airflow to prevent moisture from possibly getting trapped under the bed, preventing mold and other growth.

Here are two walls getting glued together. I made this out of the same material as the smash plaque: 2.7mm hardwood plywood.

She let me keep the cutout parts.

Here is the finished product. The burnt edges give it a rustic look, and even the thin tails of the cats, mice, and yarn came out nicely. Assembly went mostly as planned, except that one side I could not fit the burned part facing out. All the other sides, including the top and bottom, could, but not that one side. This is why the long sides have the same shape if you look through them.

Unfortunately, I measured improperly, and the box is too small for her bed. Alternate uses for this box can be for new kittens. The box can be lined with blankets for the kitten to feel warm and secure, and will stay dry because of the slots on the bottom.