Becca Wood Trunk

Nail and glue the 2x2 runners under the 1/4" bottom panel. The point of the runners is twofold: they raise the trunk off the floor so a spill can't wick into the plywood bottom, and they put the trunk's load directly over the joints, which tightens the whole base under weight instead of loosening it. Nothing fussy here — glue and brads hold it fine.

Glue and screw the four 3/4" plywood panels into a rectangle — ends inside the front and back, or however your cut list is laid out. Keep it square as you fasten; a box that racks now will fight the lid later.

Attach the box down onto the base, glue and screw (or nail) from inside. Don't worry that the fasteners are light — the weight of a loaded trunk presses the box onto the base and keeps it seated. The seam between the two gets buried under moulding in the next step anyway.

Set your miter saw to a 45° bevel and cut the base moulding to wrap the bottom. Cut each piece a hair long and creep up on the fit — trimming a whisker off a too-long miter gives a tight corner; a gap on a too-short one is permanent. Glue and brad it on, choosing a nail length that reaches through the moulding and bites the 3/4" plywood behind it. Wider moulding works too if you want a beefier base.

Build the lid from the 1x6 boards laid across, then edge boards to finish it off. The planked layout adds character and, more usefully, caps every raw plywood edge on the lid so no end grain shows.

Mount the lid with exterior-style trunk hinges. If a child will use this trunk, add a lid-support stay so the heavy lid can't slam shut on fingers — it's the only genuinely dangerous part of the build and the cheapest to solve.