How to Make a DIY Gift Box of Any Size

You have made the perfect gift for your loved one, and now it’s time to box it. This part can be a bit overwhelming, as you know that it will be the first thing they will look at. Depending on the gift, a store-bought gift box may not work out.

What’s more, sometimes as you browse for the perfect gift box, they may begin to become way too expensive. How can you spend almost as much on the gift as on the box?

We know it can get really crazy. But an easy solution is to simply— build your own gift box!

Not only will you now have the option of customizing your gift box, but you’ll also avoid hefty prices so that you can pour the lion’s share of your dimes on your beloved’s gift.

This guide will give you step-by-step instructions on how to make a DIY gift box, and we’ll also show you how to make it fit a gift of any shape or size!  

As we promised, making a DIY box is cheap . So, how cheap? Let’s take a look at the materials you will need to give you an idea:

Among the mentioned materials, you might be wondering what’s the best glue for this and if it will hold. Our recommendation is white glue, let’s briefly talk about it.

White glue is a famous name most people know it by, but its scientific name is Polyvinyl Acetate(PVC). It’s a DIY go-to glue because it’s water-based, non-toxic, and dries clear which makes it good for DIY projects such as paper crafts and woodworking.

When PVA glue dries, it forms a strong, flexible bond that works well with porous materials like paper and cardboard, plus when it dries it leaves a clear residue. Therefore, this glue is the best because it will give your gift box flexibility, and not leave a visible residue that distracts from the design. To get yourself one of these, visit your local craft store or order one from an online craft or general store.

To begin creating your gift box, first, you need to have the following:

Take your pen and worksheet so as to record the gift size as you measure them. Use your ruler to measure your gift’s length, width, and height as box height and record them. Then add ¼ inches to the width and length that you have recorded—to make sure your gifts fit in perfectly.

Add the width(with the added ¼ in.) to the height(x2) of the gift and record it as box width. Then, add the length(with the added ¼ in.) to the height(x2) of the gift and record it as box length.

Take your paper trimmer and cardstock. Cut the cardstock’s width based on the box width value, and the cardstock‘s length based on the box length value.

Take a ruler and from each edge of the cardstock, measure the box height you recorded and make a small mark along the 4 edges.

Then hold your ruler along the two marks that are directly opposite each other, pick up the edge of the cardstock, and slightly press the bottom of the cardstock back to create a crease mark—do this on all 4 pairs of marks.

Then fold the creased parts inward and use your ruler to crease the back of the cardstock.

On the width sides and using your scissors, cut along the vertical creased mark up to the point it meets the horizontal mark—do this for all marks on the width side to create small tabs on each edge. 

Then on each small tab, diagonally cut a little part out from each side—the cut part should come out in triangular shapes.

Take one of the small tabs, fold it inward, and apply glue on its entire backside.

While holding the small tab, fold the large tab that it’s attached to inward and bring the other large tab beside it inward. Firmly, attach the back of the small tab that has glue to the inner part of the large tab—to approximately form a 90 degrees angle. Do the same for the other small tabs to create a complete open box.

Now, that you have successfully created the bottom part of your gift box, you figure creating the top part will be easy and you are right! It maintains the same steps(steps 1-4) we have gone through but with changes for the dimensions you will use. 

For the box width and box length values you used earlier, you will need to add ⅛ inches to it, so that the gift box cover can easily close the bottom part of the box. For the box height value, measure the bottom part’s height depending on how long you want the top part to cover the bottom part of the box—must be less than the bottom part of the box’s height.

After creating the gift box’s cover, it should close the gift box accordingly.

To make the bottom and top parts of your gift box more stable, you need to attach a thinner cardstock on the inside part of your gift box. Measure your gift box’s width, length, and height—for all the 4 sides of the gift box, and the floor of the gift box.

Then reduce each of their measurement by a ¼ inch and cut according to these values—so as to make sure they rightfully fit on the inside part of your gift box. Evenly apply glue on the thinner cardstock you have cut.

Then carefully attach the thinner cardstock to the required part on the inside part of your gift box and use a ruler to furnish it. 

And now, your gift box is ready, put your gifts in, and neatly tie it using a ribbon to create a nice bow on top of it.

You can decorate your gift boxes in various creative ways and the items to use can be found at home or in local and online craft stores. Let’s look at 3 ways you can decorate your gift boxes:

You can create simple and creative fabric knots using soft ribbons, lightweight cotton strips, or decorative fabrics . You can wrap the gift box and tie elegant knots around the box’s edges or center. Adding fabric to your DIY gift box, makes your box feel warm and handcrafted—your recipient will feel more special.

So, what theme does your recipient fancy? Using the theme they love, or the theme of the event, you can design and create your own stickers and add them to the gift box . You can go a step further and make holographic stickers to spruce up your gift box even further. Place the stickers along the box’s edges, and corners, or be creative and create a collage-like of stickers for a more vibrant look.

Washi tapes come in beautiful arrays of colors and patterns. You can create geometric designs, create border effects, cover entire box sections, or use them to seal box edges with style . Their semi-transparent nature will level up your creativity as you can layer them and create intricate visual effects. Another exciting thing about them is that they're easily repositionable—making experimentation fun and stress-free!