Template maker: Free custom box-making templates
November 25, 2015 4:30 AM Subscribe
Need to wrap an odd-shaped gift? Create a box for it! Measure it up, choose a template and print it. This page is a resource for DIY artists, graphics designers and everyone who likes paper crafts. It contains an ever-growing number of templates for gift boxes and increasingly more other interesting things that can be made out of paper. What makes this site special is that the templates are all dynamic: you can customize almost all dimensions. All templates are free, no login is required.
templates include:
templates include:
- multi-sheet box
- gift box
- box with lid
- decorative star
- envelope
- (truncated) cone
- sphere
- polygon-shaped box
- cylinder with mitered ends
- mailer
- heart-shaped box
- pyramid
- milk carton
- coffin
- match box
- round box (hat box)
- passe-partout (aka shadowbox or picture-frame
- bag
- parallelepiped
- card box
- cake slice box
- counter display
- pillow pack
This looks super useful... for people with more patience, and more skill with scissors than me.
(forwarding to friends and family!)
posted by DigDoug at 5:32 AM on November 25, 2015
(forwarding to friends and family!)
posted by DigDoug at 5:32 AM on November 25, 2015
I have been using this site for the last week to make boxes for my handmade ornaments. It is so great! I have been experimenting with different methods and cardstock.
I got 60 lb cardstock at Michaels for $2 a pack of 50 on sale, and it worked ok, but the boxes were a little weak so I started gluing 2 sheets together to make them stronger. The only problem is it is tough to glue the sheets together. I ended up using gluesticks and they work pretty well except that the edges tend to come apart after you put the box together.
Next, I went to Staples and got 110 lb cardstock, 250 sheets for $17. You might expect the cardstock to be twice as thick as the 60 lb but it's not. I was kind of disappointed. But then I put a box together and it was significantly stronger.
I use a bone folder and a ruler to make the folds and a gel glue pen to glue the tabs. Inside the lid I put a stamp that says "Handmade by" and then I sign my name. On the outside of the lid I decorate it with other stamps. I take two sheets of tissue paper cut down to a bit bigger than the box and I crumple it up and then glue each sheet to the center of the box with a glue stick. Then I just nestle my ornaments in the tissue paper and there's no shifting around.
posted by jenjenc at 5:41 AM on November 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
I got 60 lb cardstock at Michaels for $2 a pack of 50 on sale, and it worked ok, but the boxes were a little weak so I started gluing 2 sheets together to make them stronger. The only problem is it is tough to glue the sheets together. I ended up using gluesticks and they work pretty well except that the edges tend to come apart after you put the box together.
Next, I went to Staples and got 110 lb cardstock, 250 sheets for $17. You might expect the cardstock to be twice as thick as the 60 lb but it's not. I was kind of disappointed. But then I put a box together and it was significantly stronger.
I use a bone folder and a ruler to make the folds and a gel glue pen to glue the tabs. Inside the lid I put a stamp that says "Handmade by" and then I sign my name. On the outside of the lid I decorate it with other stamps. I take two sheets of tissue paper cut down to a bit bigger than the box and I crumple it up and then glue each sheet to the center of the box with a glue stick. Then I just nestle my ornaments in the tissue paper and there's no shifting around.
posted by jenjenc at 5:41 AM on November 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
Whoa, I was going to post this later! I used it to make part of my SQ gift wrapping. It's rare to find such a great source that isn't click-baity or bait-and-switch. Yay boxes!
On preview, instead of a bone folder I use the edge of the metal ruler or straight edge, perhaps with a piece of scrap paper on top to protect delicate papers. It saves lots of time by not having to switch tools constantly. I figured this out around month nine of my 365 paper craft project, d'oh.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:47 AM on November 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
On preview, instead of a bone folder I use the edge of the metal ruler or straight edge, perhaps with a piece of scrap paper on top to protect delicate papers. It saves lots of time by not having to switch tools constantly. I figured this out around month nine of my 365 paper craft project, d'oh.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:47 AM on November 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
This s a great find! Now I just need to what the heaviest card stock my printer will handle is. Might also be interesting to print these out on graph paper then scale them up arbitrarily large. With Xmas coming up there are sure to be plenty of big boxes for material. A life sized cardboard coffin for next Halloween!
posted by TedW at 6:14 AM on November 25, 2015
posted by TedW at 6:14 AM on November 25, 2015
It's good to have options. In the past I've modified this origami tower box (PDF). Using 1 sheet of paper for the lid and 2 for the middle to make gift boxes.
posted by zinon at 7:13 AM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by zinon at 7:13 AM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
You might expect the cardstock to be twice as thick as the 60 lb but it's not.
Ah, good old U.S. basis paper weights. Michael's 65# cardstock is 'Cover' paper and 176 g/m2. Staples 110# cardstock is 'Index' paper, and 200 g/m2, so it's only about 13% heavier.
This site is great!
posted by MtDewd at 7:17 AM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Ah, good old U.S. basis paper weights. Michael's 65# cardstock is 'Cover' paper and 176 g/m2. Staples 110# cardstock is 'Index' paper, and 200 g/m2, so it's only about 13% heavier.
This site is great!
posted by MtDewd at 7:17 AM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Rad! I'm making stuff out of foamcore all the time. This will save me figuring out the shape. Thanks!
posted by Bunglegirl at 9:27 AM on November 25, 2015
posted by Bunglegirl at 9:27 AM on November 25, 2015
This is absolutely the best! Working out nets for boxes is hard, and this site takes away the drudge work. It kind of reminds me of a program a friend wrote for his Atari ST in the 1980s to design custom box cuts (which ultimately became a rather successful company, Boxshop).
I can be all smug now since I've still got a large format plotter that will print on pretty much any stock that's thin enough to fit under the pen head. Well, any stock that's flat enough that the elderly electrostatic hold-down circuits can still clamp to the plotter bed, but that's a minor detail ...
posted by scruss at 9:43 AM on November 25, 2015
I can be all smug now since I've still got a large format plotter that will print on pretty much any stock that's thin enough to fit under the pen head. Well, any stock that's flat enough that the elderly electrostatic hold-down circuits can still clamp to the plotter bed, but that's a minor detail ...
posted by scruss at 9:43 AM on November 25, 2015
Holy fucking gods this site is so fucking baller. Thank you!
Yeah, that times ten!
posted by TDavis at 10:09 AM on November 25, 2015
Yeah, that times ten!
posted by TDavis at 10:09 AM on November 25, 2015
I have one of these and this site is perfect for it!
posted by Lucinda at 5:17 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Lucinda at 5:17 PM on November 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Thanks for this.
Also, skull-shaped box please.
posted by bonobothegreat at 2:32 PM on November 26, 2015
Also, skull-shaped box please.
posted by bonobothegreat at 2:32 PM on November 26, 2015
I have a few large pieces of leather, and now I kind of want to make some bags/satchels/containers based on these templates -- bonus if I can do a stitchless one!
posted by wenestvedt at 11:00 AM on December 2, 2015
posted by wenestvedt at 11:00 AM on December 2, 2015
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posted by Skybly at 4:48 AM on November 25, 2015