Marquetry Tutorial

Choosing a Design

Design transfer
I find the easiest way to make a design for a jewelry box is to make the box first. By doing so I have the exact size of all sides, making sure that my design will fit the box exactly. The same applies when doing Marquetry for tables and large pieces of furniture. Be sure to indicate grain direction if this is of importance. I often make rough sketches of what I have in mind for the design and then make a full scale drawing either on paper or transparent plastic. To transfer the pieces of the design cut directly through the paper or plastic.  By doing so the pattern may eventually fall to pieces, so be sure to make a few copies before starting to cut the design out.

The design
As far as what the design is, well, that's totally up to your creativity and imagination.  The simpler the design, of course, the easier it will be to make.  I suggest starting with a sample piece with no more than 3 elements, like a butterfly, with wings, a body and a background.  Do not attempt a Celtic knot if this is your first attempt at Marquetry.  Once you have a feel for how accurate you need to be you can move onto more intricate designs.
Stain glass window designs, coloring books and clipart work well as designs.

Matching colors
Contrast between one wood species and another is what makes each piece stand out.  If you are doing a geometrical design like a compass rose, place red next to green, next to light next to dark.  This way each piece of veneer will stand out.  When doing landscapes you will have to find veneer to match the color and texture of the element in the picture, which is more difficult than an abstract piece.

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