Paper Gift Box

Lately I've taken to folding up paper to make stuff. This cube is one thing that I have stumbled across in my explorations of paper folding.

It's pretty structural as far as paper cubes go and can hold a fair amount of stuff (which would make it ideal as a small gift box).

You will need:

A ruler
A cutting mat
An 11" x 17" piece of paper
A craft knife
A pencil
An eraser

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Cut your sheet of paper into two 6" x 6" squares.

Trace the fold lines on your squares.

The fold lines should be 1 3/4" in from each border. This will leave a 2 1/2" square in the center.

Fold along the fold lines you have just traced. First fold the paper so that when you fold it you can see the line that you are folding upon. This will create straight creases.

Once done, you are going to want to fold the paper back in the opposite direction so that when you actually make the cube, the pencil lines will be on the inside.

At the end of both sets of folding, go back and erase the pencil lines as best you can.

Fold in corners so that they line up to the outside of the nearest fold lines in the paper (see picture).

Start the box by taking one of the folded corners and bending it forward in until the edges of the box meet and it forms a small loop. Once the edges are aligned properly, flatten the loop by creasing it (for a clearer explanation, see the comments on the images below).

Do this for every corner until you have half a cube.

Take both halves and squeeze them into a box-like formation. Making sure the triangle creases line up flatly, slide one half of the box into the crease of the other. They should fit snuggly (see pictures).

Shove your small gift carefully inside the half-finished box. Remember to continue holding the box together while you do this.

You can close your gift box using the same method by which you slid the bottom together. However, sliding the top in place is a tab bit trickier since you will have to bend one of the flaps a little so that it can neatly slide under the other. Be careful not to crease either of them.

Decorate your gift box as you see fit.