Free Printable Paper Box Template

A box unfolds into its floor, walls and flaps, so the sheet limits how big a one-page box can be. On 65 lb card stock, the largest square boxes on one Letter page are, inside, 2.44 × 2.44 × 1.52 in for a box with lid shaped like the mini gift box, with its 0.625 in lid, 2.12 in on each side for a tuck box and 2.41 × 2.41 × 0.96 in for a drawer box.

A4 is narrower than Letter (210 vs 215.9 mm) but taller (297 vs 279.4 mm), so on A4 the tuck and drawer boxes come out a little smaller and the box with lid a little bigger. A two-piece paper box template a little bigger than that still needs no tape: the small gift box and the square drawer box print each piece whole on its own page. Past about 3 in square, depending on the depth, the pieces are split over pages you tape together; the page count next to the size tells you which.

A box with lid is two shallow trays. Each has a floor and four walls, with corner flaps glued inside the end walls, like the ECMA B40.20.00.00 tray. The lid is built the same way as the base, only shallower and a little wider.

The inside of the lid is the outside of the base plus 2 mm (about 5/64 in) of clearance, so it slips on without forcing, and the thickness of the card is counted in every panel. Each preset sets its lid depth, which stays as set when you change the size; change it under Lid and fit. The small gift box, 3 × 3 × 2 in inside with a 1 in lid, measures 3.15 × 3.11 × 2.02 in closed.

Cut on the solid lines. Score the dashed lines with a bone folder or an empty ballpoint pen against a ruler and fold them away from the printed side. For a box with lid, fold up the walls of each piece, glue the corner flaps inside the end walls and put the lid on once both are dry.

The tuck box needs glue only on its side seam: glue it into a tube, then tuck in the bottom and the top. For the drawer box, glue the sleeve into a tube, fold up the tray, glue its corner flaps and slide it in. Page 1 draws each step, and the 3D view folds the box before you print.

Use 65 lb cover card stock, about 176 gsm and 8.5 pt thick. Most home printers feed it, it folds cleanly and every size here is drawn for it.

Plain 20 to 24 lb printer paper works for a small tuck box but is too soft for a box with lid. Heavier 80 to 110 lb card stock is sturdier if your printer takes it: choose it under Board so the sizes allow for its thickness.

Print at 100%, Actual size or No scaling, never Fit to page. Page 1 has the instructions, a 1 in square and a 25 mm square to check the scale, the folding steps and a map of the pages.

Cut lines are solid and fold lines are dashed. A two-piece box too big for one page prints like the square drawer box, the tray whole on one page and the sleeve on the next, as long as each piece fits a page. For a print shop or a cutting table, download the production PDF, SVG or DXF, with cut, crease, bleed and safe lines on their own layers.

You need scissors, a ruler, an empty ballpoint pen or a bone folder to score the dashed lines, and a glue stick. The mini gift box and the square tuck box each print on one page, a good size for small hands, and an adult can cut the slits of the tuck box. For a closed cube to color and glue, try the cube template.

A small gift box holds jewelry, candy, a gift card or a folded note. The tuck box makes a party favor or a box of holiday treats, and the drawer box suits a ring that slides out.

For a box that slides open like a matchbox, use the matchbox template. An origami box is folded from a square sheet with no template, so it is not what this page makes. More shapes are in all box templates, and any size and style is in the dieline generator.