'Shaker', is one of the wodworking styles. It is based on the furniture and other things made by the 'Shakers', who settled in New England in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The style is marked by sturdy, well-made and highly functional, yet unadorned. These boxes were made as gifts. They are made be first planing the wood very thin (1/16in thick) and then boiled or steamed to make it flexible. Once soft, the wood is wrapped around an oval form and tacked in place. More information and all the supplies to make them is available at the Home Shop.
Heres a tip: Don't try to use steel tacks. They aren't soft enough to bend over the sharp points on the inside of the box.
This simple box is made from the wood of a discarded shipping pallet. Notably, wooden shipping pallets are often made from hardwood, such as Oak. Salvaging the wood is often difficult because the nails holding th epallet together are usually very long, causing the wood to splinter when the separating the boards. The box features splines in the corners to improve strength and the lid is held in place with a rabbet joint.