I followed the instructions in my Constructing and Covering Boxes book and lo, I have constructed and covered a box:
Is it perfect? No–I messed up the measurements somehow so the fore edge of the lid is a lot longer in front, and there may be some glue spots here and there. But do I love it? Oh yes. Fancy little boxes are deeply satisfying to Past Me, who used a fountain pen in eighth grade, who worked at a stationery store for six years, who still thinks about “the writing desk facing the windows of azaleas” scene in Rebecca.
In fact, the hand-marbled Italian paper I used for this first box was from my time at the stationery store (which ended in 2006, so…). Finally I have a reason for moving it from apartment to apartment to house for years!