On any occasion, you will find one item everywhere: a cardstock box. Cardstock boxes are an eco-friendly craft that is super easy to make. And these little boxes can be used as packaging, or you can even give them to your loved ones as a gift.
You can make different sized boxes from cardstock; square-shaped, triangle-shaped, heart-shaped, etc. All you need is cardstock paper and some careful folding. Once you get the process, you can create as many as you like.
But, how can you make a box out of cardstock? Is it easy? If you find it’s complex to make a box out of cardstock, don’t think twice to read this article. We are going to discover all the instructions to make one, be it a square-shaped box, a cupcake box, or a shadow box for decorating art. So let’s get into it.
Table of Contents
What is Cardstock
Cardstock is a kind of paper that is more durable, thicker, and sturdier than standard paper. Don’t confuse it with cardboard, which is heavy and thick and usually used in heavy projects like making walls and ceilings. Cardstock comes in different colors, varying in shades and textures. And they are available in different thicknesses.
For these reasons, cardstock is popular among crafters. It is also widely used in different industries. You can fold it and roll up the cardstock the way you need. People love making handmade postcards, gift cards, playing cards, etc., with cardstock. This is also ideal for practical purposes, like business cards or light book covers.
Is Cardstock Good for Making Boxes
Cardstock comes in different colors. So if you want to make colorful boxes, cardstock is an ideal material. But you may wonder how a crumby and weak thing like paper can make boxes.
Even though cardstock is a kind of paper, it is more rigid and strong while being bendable and flexible. And it is not as crumby as paper.
But in order to make boxes with cardstock, you have to use thicker ones. For cardmaking and heavy crafts, 280 gsm cardstock is widely used. I would suggest using 300 gsm or above for creating boxes with cardstock. GSM stands for Grams per Square Meter.
How to Make a Triangle Box Out of a Cardstock
People love handmade gifts. They resemble our efforts towards them. And if it’s a triangle box made from cardstock, I am sure it will put a big smile on the recipient’s face.
Making a small triangle box is easy. All you need is cardstock and some careful folding. Follow these steps to make one.
- Make strips out of your cardstock. Snip 2 x 12-inch strips for the large triangular boxes and 1.5 x 12-inch pieces for the mini triangular boxes.
- At one end of the strip, bend it into a tiny triangular shape.
- Construct an origami by bending triangles back and forth.
- Refold the strip in reverse with all the straight folds to wrap the cardstock strip around.
- To make the pyramid shape, fold the cardstock strip around. It will resemble two pyramids joined together.
- Continue folding until you have a square at the top of your pyramid. To make a triangle, simply trim away the excess material.
- To complete the triangle cardstock box, tuck the ends in.
How to Make a Square Box From Cardstock
Having a square box on the desk is nice to put small things in. This way, you can get those tiny pieces whenever you need them, and they won’t mess around on your desk.
What you will need
You can make these tiny boxes from cardstock with glue, scissors, and a ruler.
Take the cardstock and scissors, and snip a 6-inch square from the cardstock.
The making process
- Make a line with a pencil on cardstock 2 inches inward from the edge of the cardstock. Do the same with the other three sides.
- Place the ruler on every line and fold the cardstock to score it. You can fold the cardstock more easily if the ruler has a metal edge.
- With the ruler, crimp the straight lines.
- Slash all along the fold from the left corner to the fold going the other way. A 2-inch incision and tab will result. Do the same to create slits on all four sides.
- Put adhesive on the backside of the tab you’ve created. You can put paper clips, so the corners hold until the glue dries completely.
- Fold the left edge of the card toward the center and push the left tab to the card’s interior to begin forming a box shape. Do the same with the other three corners. Wait for the complete drying of the glue.
How To Make Cupcake Box From Cardstock
Don’t put those yummy cupcakes into those ugly sandwich bags. Instead, you can make little cupcake boxes from cardstock easily. Follow the steps to make your mini cupcake boxes.
- Draw lines across the bottom and top of the cardstock the width of a ruler.
- Make straight lines the breadth of a ruler along the page’s two sides (left and right) again. The height of these four sections determines the height of the box.
- Bend all four drawn lines inwards. To guarantee a crisp and equal fold, use a scoring instrument such as the backside of a carving knife. Then, towards the page’s top, bend the bottom folded part up to the edge of the fold.
- To create a decent fold, use the same scoring instrument once more. Let the folding expand before tracing a line over the folding lines you made.
- Then, fold the top folding piece of the cardstock down to the border of the fold towards the page’s bottom in the same way.
- Let the folding area reopen, and trace a line over the folded line you just made.
- Next, snip into short straight lines on the right and left sides of the paper with scissors. Each side should include a total of four short lines.
- Curl the six little panels you made by cutting them into short straight lines. Then, apply adhesive to the folded-in panels with a glue stick.
- Curl the paper’s bottom upward and begin gluing the boxes altogether, using the glued flap as guidance for assembly.
- Use paper clips to hold the glued part before the glue completely dries.
- To make the box lid, repeat the process at the paper’s top.
How to Make a Gift Box From Cardstock
Handmade things are always appealing. While you can buy a ready-made gift box to give something to your friends and family, a handmade DIY gift box will surely add more warmth to your gift.
What you will need
You can easily make a gift box from cardstock. All you need is:
- Some cardstock
- Tape or glue
- Scissors
- A ruler
The making process
Let’s get into the procedures:
- Cut a 9-inch square for the box’s bottom. On the cardstock, draw lines from corner to corner (diagonally). Cut a 9 ½ inch square to make the box top. To make the gift box more solid, choose a thicker cardstock (250 GSM or more), particularly for making the bottom part.
- Now you have to fold each corner of the cardstock toward the center. Then firmly crease them with your fingernail.
- Fold the cardstock in half and firmly crease it while all the corners of the cardstock are still folded in the center. Then undo the folding. Now you have to fold the cardstock in half on the other side. Crease it firmly.
- Reverse all the folds. Then, cut two creases oppositely from both edges of the corner. Bend one of the cardstock’s uncut corners into the center and up the sides, then do the same on the opposite side.
- Pull in the little sides to fix the previous foldings. The bottom of the gift box is now complete. You could wish to bind the bottom with a piece of tape to make it secure.
- Simply repeat the instructions from above with a 9 ½ inch piece of cardstock to make the top of the gift box.
How to Make a Shadow Box From Cardstock
A shadow box is a wonderful craft for decoration. And it can be lighted by an LED strip on the back of it to make it more appealing. You can make different designs according to your needs by drawing and cutting the cardstock.
What you will need:
- Cardboard
- A sharp knife and scissors
- A pencil
- A printer
- White glue
- White cardstock paper
- Printer paper
- An LED strip
The making Process
First, you need to select your design. Then, you can either draw it or print it. Printing it will give a more accurate design. You can add multiple layers. But never have a flying object. All things should be attached together.
- After you have finished printing or drawing the layers, cut the outlines of the objects with a sharp knife. Do it slowly and accurately.
- Be careful when cutting on narrow edges, as you might end up breaking the boundaries.
Now make some strips from cardboard to insert between each layer. These strips are needed so light can go through them.
- Start by cutting each strip the same length as the sides of the layers and as large as the width of the frame.
- Begin by attaching the initial pieces to the backside of the first layer. After that, attach the second layer on top of the first layer (with the front facing toward the cardboard frame). Then, do the same for all the layers.
Now you will need a box to place the scenery in.
- Take a piece of cardboard and make four long strips from it.
- The strips should have a width a little more than the wideness of the scenery. And two of them will have the length of the scenery, and the other two will have the same length as the scenery’s breadth.
- Put some adhesive on the end of the strip of cardboard and place another strip to attach them both. Do it repeatedly to make a rectangle box. After that, you will need a back frame.
- Cut a cardboard rectangle frame the same size as the box. Glue the frame to the box.
- Put some white glue all around the cardboard box. Then slowly place your scenery into it. Keep some distance between the frame and the first layer.
- Now, we have to place the LED lights. First, calculate the interior of the box. After that, cut an LED strip that is the same length. Adhere the strip to the box’s interior, right near the slit. Then, connect it to a supply line.
- Finally, place the box back against the layers, with the white side facing out.
What Type of Glue is Best for Cardstock Boxes
Keep in mind some factors before putting your glue on cardstock boxes. First, you want something that holds up for a long time. So a permanent glue is better.
And no one likes a cardstock box that has colored spots and lines. That’s why you should make sure you are using an adhesive that dries clear. Cardstock is a hydrophilic material. Using water-based glue will make it soak up the water and crumble later. So stay away from water-based glue.
A clear drying PVA glue fulfills all these criteria. Moreover, PVA glue is cheap and handy. You can also buy craft glue.
I recommend using Zip dry glue if you want something more affordable with a great quantity. It is a rubber cement that will hold your cardstock box strongly. Even though it is a little smelly, it will not make any ripples on cardstock like other rubber cement.
Can You Make A Box From Cardstock?
Yes, you can make a box from cardstock. This article has instructions for making different types of boxes from cardstock. You can find them above.
Final thoughts
DIY ideas are always amazing for making gifts for our friends and family. This is because they resemble our efforts towards them. Also, creating something with our own hands gives us a sense of accomplishment, which converts to a happy feeling.
I hope this article has provided you with all the required instructions for making a box out of cardstock. The rest is up to you.