DIY Gift Box in Cute Shape (Not Origami Method)

Hello!

Gifting season is coming up! I guess most of you have been searching for gift ideas and buying gifts! For complement your gift, why not making the gift box by yourself instead of buying it? It will make your gift has a more personal touch to it. When you receive a gift, isn't it sweet to know that the person who gives the gift, made an effort to handmade the part of gift like the gift box itself? Right?

So, let's grab the materials and let's making a mess in your space to make this cute gift box! I will show you how I made this cute gift box.

First of all, I want to add a note. This gift box wasn't made with origami or any geometric method. So, the result doesn't has a professional look into it. Kind of obvious that it's handmade. But I think that is the nice part of it.

This gift box is actually pretty easy to make. When you can make one shape, then you can make any shape that you want! Maybe as long as it's not a burst shape hehe. In this tutorial, I will show you how I made the heart shape for the basic shape. Use the same method and you can make another shape. I hope you get the idea and inspiration to make another shape!

Anyway, it's recycling project. Good for our earth! Let's start!

The materials that we're going to need are:

- Cereal boxes (or any product box that is made with carton paper material).

- Wrapping paper (for covering the box as decoration).

- Hot glue.

- Paper glue / PVA glue / Mod podge.

- Scissors.

- Pencil, eraser, ruler

1. First draw the heart shape on the cereal box carton paper. Cut it. This is for the box where you put the object. Then trace this heart to another cereal box paper, adding a few along the line for allowance. This bigger heart will make the lid to close your heart box.
2. After that make four long of strips. The measurement is up to you. It depends on how big your heart shape was. Consider the depth of the box that you want, that is the width of the strips. Make two type of strips, one is for the box, and one for the lid. Make the strips for the lid with smaller width. (Imagine when you close a box, the lid has a depth that is shorter than the box itself, right? You get the idea). For the length of the strips, just make it as long as you can with the remaining cereal box paper. I also didn’t have exact measurement for these. If we need more strips, don’t worry. We’ll cover that later.

After you have all the templates. Now trace each of those on wrapping paper that you want to use for decoration. Add a few centimeters along the line of each traces. Like a seam allowance, but it’s not a seam allowance hehe. After you have finished the tracing, cut all of these.

1. Grab the heart shape (In my case here, I make the lid first, so grab the heart lid). Hot glue on the edge of the line. Then grab the lid strip and stick it upright to that edge.
2. Do this gluing the strip to the heart all along the edges with hot glue. Cover all the line of heart with the strip.
3. If we run out of strip or there is a gap, cut another small strip and stick it to cover the gap. No need perfection. After the lid is done, do this for the box itself.

1. Spread paper glue on the heart. Grab the heart shaped wrapping paper and stick onto it.
2. Remember the allowance? Yep, it meant to be folded to the strip and glued as well. But before that, make some small snips around, so we it’s easier to fold.
3. Then fold and stick it with paper glue.
4. For the strip, grab the right wrapping paper piece. Fold the allowance inside, except on the width side (see picture above).
5. Next, apply paper glue on the strip.
6. And stick the wrapping paper onto it. For the other wrapping paper strip piece, fold on all allowance then stick it as well covering all the strip. Do these for all lid and box.

I trace the heart shape onto cotton fabric, cut it, then place it inside the box. It looks nicer than seeing a hot glue marks everywhere inside hehe.

Then put your gift / object inside. Close the box. And you're done! Yeay!

Some of you maybe want a clearer explanation. I also made a video tutorial about this DIY. Watching the process directly through a video is far more understandable than only see pictures. So, check it out for clearer instruction :)

If you want to make another shape, actually the method is the same. The only difference is the shape tempate. For example in my case here is I wanted to make bunny shape. Then I drew bunny shape templates in the cereal box. After that, I just using the same steps, prepare the wrapping paper, building the box by hot gluing, decorating with the wrapping paper, and done! Yeay!

For this bunny box decoration, I use white paper for its face and drew the eyes, mouth and ears with markers.

So, that is it for the tutorial!

It's pretty simple to customize, right? Just draw another shape and you can make another shaped box!

Use this box for a gift box, or use it on your own to store your stuff. If you want to make a bigger box, please use sturdier material like cardboard. Cardboard will do to hold your bigger object (I made one).

I hope you enjoy this tutorial and get inspired!

If you have suggestion or method that will improve this tutorial and make the box nicer, do not hesitate to share it in the comment section! Anyone would love to know too! Sharing is good~

Speaking of sharing, if you like this DIY, share this instructable to your friends! More people know, more people can get the idea of how to make their own shaped box, and more people also can improve the tutorial and sharing their idea as well! Sharing is good~ hehe I can have a dream, right? :3

I hope you have a nice day and enjoy your every moment!