Leather Treasure Box

I wanted to create something for the leather contest that would use leather as a material for something rather untypical for its use. Pouches or bags or wallets or knife sheathes are common uses for the material but not a box so I tried (and failed at least partly) making a leather box.

I designed a paper model, I wanted it to be really small but big enough to fit a ring.

I thought it would be straightforward and simple, the base was a dice shape plus an extra flap to have a lid and some miniflaps to tuck in on top. I used the smallest hole of my hole punch and punched two holes per side. I then strung my thread through and pulled. I punched two etxra holes to attach my wooden pearl. (My lid fastener)
I then threaded another thread through the same holes but inside out. (see photo) The result was OK-ish but needed a lot of pulling and pushing to made it look boxlike, but I was not satisfied

This last box is in two pieces, a box and a top. It is farthest from what I had envisioned. The pearl is used as a handle not as a fastener. It is the most practical box to open.
I think I like box 2.0 best but there is room for improvement. I might continue this instructable with more models at a later time, maybe one of you has interesting ideas. . .

In this version I left sideflaps all around and cut thefoldlines slightly, so that I would get a more boxlike shape as opposed to rather ball-like. I punched four holes per side and handsewed the sides shut. I then turned the box inside out. The result is quite ok I think. The most boxlike looking of the three I made. But I still wasn't happy so I tried another version.