the way i did it was:
- first i cut the main branches one by one and trimmed all the leaves off (you can keep the small sugar leaves near the buds for making hash or butter)
- then i hung them to dry in a box like you're saying... mine took about 4-5 days, it'll depend on size. you want a crispy feel to the buds, but the stems still not snapping.
- then cut each bud off at the branch node, and put them in jars.
- you check the jars a few times a day at first to make sure the buds don't get soggy (if they do, take them out for a few hours until they're crispy again)
- then as the days go by, you check less and less often... after about 5 days from first jarring, i was leaving them in there for 1-2 days at a time.
hope this helps