How to Make a Gift Box
Clear out a workspace and grab the materials you need., Draw an X from corner to corner on the back of your paper., Fold the corners into the center of the X., Fold in the sides., Open the sides up and fold down the top and bottom triangle flaps...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 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 , 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. , 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. , 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. , 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). , 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. , 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. , 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. , 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. , 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. , 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. -
Step 2: Draw an X from corner to corner on the back of your paper.
-
Step 3: Fold the corners into the center of the X.
-
Step 4: Fold in the sides.
-
Step 5: Open the sides up and fold down the top and bottom triangle flaps.
-
Step 6: Open up the paper and fold the tips of the top and bottom flaps in.
-
Step 7: Fold the side triangles in and fold the top smaller triangles over them.
-
Step 8: Glue down the tips of the side flaps.
-
Step 9: Lift the sides up and wrap the top and bottom over.
-
Step 10: Glue the sides in their upright position to the bottom of the box.
-
Step 11: Repeat the same steps for making the bottom of the box
-
Step 12: but cut off ⅛” off the height and width of the paper first.
Detailed Guide
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 , 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. , 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. , 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. , 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). , 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. , 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. , 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. , 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. , 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. , 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.
About the Author
Joseph Ross
Writer and educator with a focus on practical lifestyle knowledge.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: