How to Make a Gift Box

Co-authored by Amy Guerrero

Last Updated: October 14, 2022

Wrapping a gift is an art. The easiest and most convenient way to do it, however, is to simply buy ready-made bags and boxes that are available almost anywhere. But how about setting aside some minutes in making your own box to place your gifts in? Not only will the receiver appreciate it because of the time and effort you put into making it, but it bears a personal touch, too. We'll discuss three different methods: using cardstock, felt, or greeting cards. All are cheap, easy to do, and can result in a gift box you may not even want to give away.

Printable Gift Box Template

Printable Gift Box

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Cardstock

1
Clear out a workspace and grab the materials you need. Grab some lemonade and clear off the table. Here’s what else you’ll need:
- Two 12” by 12” pieces of thick scrapbook paper
- Glue – Mod Podge, glue stick, etc.
- Scissors
- Foam paintbrush
- Ruler
- Paper slicer
2
Draw an X from corner to corner on the back of your paper. These are the fold lines – make sure they’re on the back side (the uglier side) of your paper. Also, make sure to get them exactly center. If they’re not, the folds you make will be uneven and your box will be a bit wonky.

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3
Fold the corners into the center of the X. Position the paper into a diamond shape in front of you, and then fold each corner into the center of the X. Again, make sure they meet perfectly for your box to turn out exactly symmetrical.
- Having it in a diamond shape in front of you is important for the purposes of this tutorial. Corners will be referred to as “top,” “bottom,” “left,” and “right.” Keep the paper in front of you in this shape to make it easier to follow along.
4
Fold in the sides. Open up the top and bottom flaps, leaving the two side flaps tucked into the center. Then, fold each one into the center again, the straight vertical line of the edges matching the straight vertical line of the center.
- You should be looking at an oblong shape with a point at the top and a point at the bottom.
5
Open the sides up and fold down the top and bottom triangle flaps. You should see a diamond shape in front of you with vertical lines every couple of inches. Leave the top and bottom triangle flaps (two of the first folds you made) pointing towards the center. You need to now cut these flaps.
- Fold lines should be going down the center of the right and left sides of each triangle. Cut the triangles on these lines until the triangle stops (when the pretty paper ends). This forms two new triangles on the sides of each main triangle (what is now a house shape).
6
Open up the paper and fold the tips of the top and bottom flaps in. You know those two main triangles you just snipped on either side? Take the base of both (the house-shaped part) and fold the tips (the roof) in.
- Fold it into the original fold line, where the flaps first met the center. You’re essentially taking the “house” and separating the “roof” from the base with a fold.
7
Fold the side triangles in and fold the top smaller triangles over them. Take the two intact triangles on the sides and fold them in. Then take the smaller triangles (on the sides of the folded-over houses – the ones that came from the snips you made) and fold them over the larger triangles. They should be folded all the way until the cut stops.
- You can see now that these are the creases of your box – the sides are starting to form.
8
Glue down the tips of the side flaps. The side flaps have a fold in the center that turns them into a triangle and a square, if that fold were to separate them. Just glue down the triangular tip into the center of the original X.
- You can use Mod Podge, a glue stick, or regular white school glue – just make sure you don’t get it all over the place and wind up with a sticky mess.
9
Lift the sides up and wrap the top and bottom over. Where the tips are glued down, lift the sides up – you’ll see that they form the sides of the box (because they’re glued, they’ll kind of be coming up on their own anyway). Once those are up, take the top and bottom flaps and wrap them over, their tips meeting the center as well.
- Wrapping the top and bottom over the sides and having their points meet in the center will form all 4 sides of the box – now it all just needs to be adhered together.
10
Glue the sides in their upright position to the bottom of the box. Everything that rests on the bottom of the box – in the triangles between the lines of the original X – should be glued down. This will form a square bottom and 4 upright sides. In other words, half of a gift box.
11
Repeat the same steps for making the bottom of the box, but cut off ⅛” off the height and width of the paper first. What you just did was the top half of the box, and naturally it needs to be a bit bigger than the bottom. Take the same size paper you just worked with and cut off ⅛” length-wise and width-wise.
- Then, all you need to do is repeat. The two sides, when finished, will fit snugly together into a beautiful, sturdy gift box.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Felt

1
Get one piece of 9” x 9” stiff craft felt and one piece of 6.25” x 6.25” stiff craft felt. Some craft felt is very, very expensive. You’d never think felt would cost a pretty penny, but it can. Skip that aisle and go for the stiffer, cheap version that most craft supply stores have, too. You need it to be stiff anyway.
- This shape of box has a taller bottom half and a shorter lid, hence the size discrepancy between the two sheets of felt. Of course, you can adjust these dimensions how you see fit.
2
Make a series of slits for the box bottom. The box bottom is the sheet that’s 9" x 9”. Grab that sheet and your scissors. When you’re finished, you’ll be left with a sort of plus-sign, with triangular tops and bottoms. Here’s how:
- Make cuts on the sides forming two 3” flaps that are 3” deep in the center of the paper. In other words, make a 3” inch cut at inch 3 and a 3” cut at inch 6 on either side.
- On the tops and bottom, make lines at 3” and at 6” going all the way down to the center, where the flaps you just cut stop. At this point, you’ll have a cross or a plus sign shape.
- At 1.5” inches on each side of the top and bottom lines, cut diagonally into the center, where the flaps stop. You now have a plus sign that looks triangular on the top and bottom.
3
Make a series of slits for the box top. Grab your other sheet of felt – the one that’s a bit smaller. This shape is similar, but has slight, important differences. With your scissors in hand, here’s what to do:
- On the sides, at 1.5 inches from the top and at 1.5 inches from the bottom, make a 1.5” deep cut.
- From the corners, cut diagonally until you meet the other cut you just made, removing little triangles from the edges of your square piece of felt.
- You’ll see a fatter plus sign (fatter than the one you just made, that is), also triangle-shaped at the top and bottom.
4
Crease the “tabs.” Everywhere you see a triangle shape is a tab. There are two on the top and two on the bottom. Crease it at its base to make it stiffer and easier to assemble.
- You’re essentially turning this odd shape into a plus sign, with little triangles on the left and right of each of the strips on the top and bottom.
5
Bring the sides of the box up with tabs on the inside. Take each “side” and fold it into the center. You’ll see how the very center of the felt sheet is a perfect square – that’s the bottom. You’ll also see that you now have 4 sides around the bottom – the sides of your box. Bring those up with the tabs on the inside.
- When you bring the sides of the box up, the top and bottom tabs should be on the inside of the right and left sides of the box. These are the connectors that will join the sides together.
6
Do the same for the box top. Take your smaller piece of felt and follow the same directions. Crease the “tabs” on the sides of the top and bottom of your felt. Do you see the shape of the box and how to do it? It’s the same idea, just a slightly different size.
- Fold the sides into the center, making the bottom distinct from the sides of the box.
- Lift up all the sides, making sure the tabs on the top and bottom are on the inside of the right and left sides.
7
Glue the tabs to the sides and voilà. You’re holding in your hands two box halves that are ready to go once you glue them together. You can use whatever you have on hand, though hot glue is easiest. Just dab a bit on the center of the tabs, making sure not to squeeze it outward and all over the sides of the box.
- Let it dry for a few minutes, holding the tabs to the sides of the box. Then place the box top over the base of the box and marvel at your handiwork.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using a Greeting Card

1
Cut the greeting card in half along the fold. For the purposes of this tutorial, we’ll be working with a standard, rectangular greeting card. A square card works, but different dimensions apply.
- If the card has writing on it that you want to cover up on the inside, simply glue down a piece of paper over it. It will be the bottom of your box that won’t be seen once filled.
2
Trim ⅛” along the short and long sides of one half of the card. This will be your box bottom. It needs to be just ever so slightly smaller than your box top as the box top needs to fits over it.
3
Score 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the edge on all sides. This makes a sort of tic-tac-toe shape, where the center row is wider than the top and bottom. Do this on both halves of your greeting card.
- If you don’t have a paper cutter, you can use a ruler and a bone cutter or even an empty ballpoint pen. Essentially this just ensures a perfectly even fold line.
4
Fold both in along the score lines. Rotating around and around, fold on each score line like it’s going to be a side of your box (which it will). Do this on both halves of the card.
- Do your best to fold perfectly straight along the lines. If the folds are off, your box won’t be even and it likely won’t fit together as well as you’d like.
5
On the short ends of the cards, make two small cuts. Since we’re dealing with a rectangle shape, place it in front of you the long way – you’ll then make cuts on the right and left. Make these cuts where the score lines intersect. Again, the cuts should be on the short end of the card halves.
- There should be two on each side – an inch from the bottom and an inch from the top. This calls for 8 cuts (4 for each half), which creates four “tabs.” These are how your box halves will fit together.
6
Put a small dab of glue on the outside of the newly formed tabs. Just a small dab will do it; too much and it’ll flow over the tab and into your box. Make sure it’s on the outside (the pretty side), as the outside will connect to the inside of the bigger flap. Do this on each card 4 times.
- Alternatively, you can use double-sided tape. Try to stay away from regular tape as this adds bulk to the sides of your card and can keep it from fitting together and looking clean and put-together.
7
Fold up the sides with the tabs on the inside. Along the creased score lines, fold up the sides of each half of the card. Make sure the tabs are on the inside of the box, with the glue between the tab and the other flap.
- Press the tabs into the side and hold them for a few seconds, holding them together. Make sure the tabs directly line up with the edge of newly-formed box.
8
Repeat for the other card half and you’re done. With glue on the tabs, fold up the sides, forming the box half. Press the tabs into the side of the box, securing them together with the glue.
- Place the box top over the box bottom; it should fit snugly. The only task left is to fill it!

Community Q&A

Question

Where can I get acardstock?

Community Answer

You can get cardstock from your local craft store or online.
Question

What types of papers are used for making gift boxes and greeting cards?

Community Answer

Cardstock is often used. This can be purchased at your local craft store, online or at some newsagents.
Question

What can I surprise my boyfriend with?

Community Answer

Think about the sorts of things he likes. What are some of his hobbies, interests, or favorite movies? If he prefers experiences, try tickets to a concert, convention, or play. You can also give him his favorite candy.