Materials and Tools:

two cups of flour
one cup of salt
one cup of water
paste food coloring
food processor
rolling pin
spatula
sturdy drinking straw
metallic ribbon or raffia
ceramic glue

1. If you want to color your dough, add paste food coloring to the water before adding the water to the salt and flour.

2. Place the salt and flour in the bowl of a food processor and pulse it for a few seconds. Add the water in a steady stream while the food processor continues to pulse, until the mixture is the consistency of pie dough.

3. Make the dough into a ball and let it rest on a flat surface for 15 minutes or so. Cover it with a piece of plastic wrap so it doesn't get all dried out.

4. Remove the plastic and dust the top of the dough with flour to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin.

5. Roll out the dough like a pie crust until it's about three-eighths of an inch thick.

6. Cut some paper squares the same size as the sides of the box you wish to make, to use as templates when you cut the dough. Squares that are three and a half inches on each side are a good size if you don't have something else in mind.

7. Using the paper templates as guides, cut five squares of dough with a sharp knife -- four for the sides, one for the bottom.

8. Poke holes alongside two opposing edges of each side square using a sturdy plastic drinking straw. When they dry, you'll use them shoelace-style to tie the sides of your salt-dough box together.

9. Line a cookie sheet with parchment, and then remove the squares of dough to the cookie sheet using a spatula.

10. Bake the squares in a 250-degree oven for 5-1/2 hours.

11. When they're done, lace the four sides together with gold raffia, knotting the ends.

12. Glue the bottom of the box to the sides.