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How to Make a Paper Gift Box

Want to create your own Flower Tab Paper Gift Box out of pretty scrapbook paper and add a handmade touch to your next Mother’s Day gift or party favor? Read on for the easy, breezy tutorial and access to the FREE printable download!

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Create your own Flower Tab Paper Gift Boxes! Perfect for adding a handmade touch to Mother's Day gifts or birthday party favors. FREE printable template by thinkingcloset.com!

One of the first Mother’s Day gifts I remember giving to my mom was a circular pin I painted for her in my kindergarten class.  I remember thinking it looked fierce…until it dried.  Then, the pink paint took on an orangey hue and my brushstrokes looked more splotchy than artful.  And yet, you know what silenced my perfectionist insecurities?  The fact that my mom wore that pin like it was her most prized possession.  That’s just the kind of woman she is.  She still wears it to this day.  And sent me a photo of it to share with you all, so you can see the kindergarten pin in all its glory:

The Kindergarten Pin

So, for old time’s sake, I’m giving my mom another piece of jewelry for Mother’s Day this year, but this time, I get to spoil her a bit more.  How?  Well, so, you know Blue Nile?  Well, I used to think they just sold bling-tastic diamonds; but having had the chance to work on a campaign with them, I’ve discovered that they have quite the assortment of jewelry for under $100.  And I was able to find two gorgeous sets of earrings for both my mom and my MIL for Mother’s Day this year.  Wanna see?  ‘Cause I wanna show you!

Blue Nile boasts a gorgeous assortment of jewelry for under $100, perfect for Mother's Day!
One of my favorite sets of earrings by Blue Nile: flat love knot stud earrings, perfect for Mother's Day via thinkingcloset.com

The nautical-lover in me was really drawn to the flat love-knot stud earrings.  Plus, it reminded me of one of my favorite wedding Bible verses: “A chord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Another gorgeous set of earrings by Blue Nile: ensemble links drop earrings, perfect for Mother's Day via thinkingcloset.com

And then these ensemble links drop earrings just exude elegance, don’t they?  They’re even more sparkly and brilliant in person if you can imagine!  Perfect for a night on the town.

Now, since my two mamas are getting a major sneak peek at their Mother’s Day gift through this post, I won’t share which set of earrings is going to which lovely lady, so there is some element of surprise.  Mom L. and Mama C., you’ll just have to wait to see which beauty is tucked away in your paper gift box!

And speaking of paper gift box…I have a lil DIY tutorial to share with you all today.

How to Make a Paper Gift Box

Create your own Flower Tab Paper Gift Boxes! Perfect for adding a handmade touch to Mother's Day gifts or birthday party favors. FREE printable template by thinkingcloset.com!

Now, I couldn’t leave you without sharing a tutorial for a fun Flower-Tab Paper Gift Box I made to accompany my Mother’s Day jewelry gifties.  Because as much as I love the little blue satchels, I’ve been wanting to try my hand at some DIY paper gift boxes…and this seemed like the perfect opportunity!

I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel; however, you know me: I can never take the easy road.  So, I took the concept from Carolina Gonzalez’s jewelry boxes and made adjustments in size, height, and tabs to better fit my gifts and the occasion!

So, I actually made y’all a 15 second Instagram video showing this whole process, start to finish.  You’ll be amazed at how easy it is.

Right?  I told you it was easy!  And I’m going to make it even easier for you by giving you a free template to use to make your own.  And you don’t even need a Silhouette machine!  Here’s the quick run-down in photo form:

Step 1.  Download the free paper gift box template and cut your design. 

First things first: paper.  I worked with two kinds of 12″ x 12″ paper: *very thin scrapbook paper (akin to printer paper in thickness) as well as heavier specialty paper closer to cardstock thickness.  The heavier paper definitely worked better.  It looked better, too, because it was double-sided.  But in a pinch, use what you’ve got!

Flower Tab Gift Box...made out of paper! FREE template available for download at thinkingcloset.com

FREE DOWNLOADS

Now, I have two FREE downloads in both PDF and Silhouette cut file forms, so we cover all our bases. They’re available for all of my email subscribers, so you can enter your email address below and then pop over to your inbox to download the PDF. I hope you can use them!

Having trouble with the form below? Click HERE. (Note: these files are for personal use only and not for commercial purposes.)

Now I have two FREE downloads for all subscribers of my email newsletter, so everyone gets to play: a free Silhouette cut file for those of you with a Silhouette or digital craft-cutter and a free PDF printable for everyone else!

So, if you’d like to subscribe to receive more creative ideas right in your inbox along with this fab freebie, fill out your email in the nifty form below. Then hop over to your inbox to access your Flower Tab Gift Box downloads! {Fine print: this design is for personal use only and is not to be used for commercial purposes. Thanks!}


Silhouette users: the base of this paper gift box is approximately 2.75″ x 2.75″ and it’s about 2.75″ high; however you can resize it as needed.  Just remember to do a test-cut to confirm your blade settings are correct.  (Note: if using thinner paper, I recommend using an old mat that has lost a lot of its stickiness.)

Cutting the flower tab gift box templates...on a Silhouette machine or print-and-cut-with-scissors-style! via thinkingcloset.com

Printable instructions: the 2.2″ x 2.2″ base perfectly fits on one 8.5″ x 11″ sheet.  You can just print (with the printed lines on the inside of the paper gift box) and cut it out with a pair of scissors.  And the larger 2.75″ x 2.75″ size (featured in this tutorial) fits on 8.5″ x 11″ sheet in two parts.  So, you’ll just need to cut them out and tape them together as a stencil to trace onto a larger sheet.  An x-acto knife might be better suited to that task.

Step 2.  Fold the four edges of the paper gift box.  Simply fold up the four bottom edges of the paper gift box, aiming to perfectly align the folds with the cut edge so there are no gaps.

How to make a gift box out of paper via thinkingcloset.com

Step 3.  Curl in your four walls.  Just use your hands to gently curl and tuck the walls inward, the 2 opposite walls at the same time.  This will help your paper gift box ease into its snug curved position.  If using thinner paper, you may even find that it helps to fold the two edges on the flower tab sides about halfway up.  If using heavier paper, this won’t be necessary.

How to create flower-tab gift boxes...out of paper! via thinkingcloset.com

Step 4.  Place your gift item at the base of the paper gift box.  I wrapped the jewelry satchel in some tissue paper and placed it center stage.  That confetti-style stuffing would be fun to use, too!

How to create flower-tab gift boxes...out of paper! via thinkingcloset.com

Step 5.  Close your paper gift box!  First grab the flower tabs so they meet in the middle.  Then, one side at a time, carefully slide the slits over the flowers to seal up the paper gift box.  And voila: your flower-tab paper gift boxes are all ready to be gifted!

How to create flower-tab gift boxes...out of paper! via thinkingcloset.com
Create your own Flower Tab Paper Gift Boxes! Perfect for adding a handmade touch to Mother's Day gifts or birthday party favors. FREE printable template by thinkingcloset.com!
Create your own Flower Tab Paper Gift Boxes! Perfect for adding a handmade touch to Mother's Day gifts or birthday party favors. FREE printable template by thinkingcloset.com!
Create your own Flower Tab Paper Gift Boxes! Perfect for adding a handmade touch to Mother's Day gifts or birthday party favors. FREE printable template by thinkingcloset.com!

You can even tie a tag through the center of the flower, so you know who’s paper gift box belongs to whom!

Create your own Flower Tab Paper Gift Boxes! Perfect for adding a handmade touch to Mother's Day gifts or birthday party favors. FREE printable template by thinkingcloset.com!
Create your own Flower Tab Paper Gift Boxes! Perfect for adding a handmade touch to Mother's Day gifts or birthday party favors. FREE printable template by thinkingcloset.com!

Create your own Flower Tab Paper Gift Boxes! Perfect for adding a handmade touch to Mother's Day gifts or birthday party favors. FREE printable template by thinkingcloset.com!

Can’t wait to send these goodies off to my mama and my MIL!  And to keep up with my tradition of gifting jewelry on Mother’s Day…upping the ante a bit thanks to Blue Nile while keeping that handmade touch I love so much.

WHERE TO NEXT?

This box became so popular, with thousands of downloads, I decided to create its Christmas-counterpart and offer that up as a freebie, as well! Go check out my equally popular Christmas Tree Gift Box HERE.

Create your own Christmas Tree Gift Boxes out of paper! Perfect for stocking stuffers, co-worker gifts, jewelry, or even a gift at each place setting for Christmas dinner. Grab your FREE printable template at thinkingcloset.com
Click HERE to check out the post!
This is Lauren, signing off.

Full Disclosure: I received free product from Blue Nile to facilitate this review and was compensated for my time; however, you can bet your bottom dollar that all opinions are 100% my own!  That’s how I roll.  Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase after clicking through, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  For more policy information, click here.

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42 Comments

  1. I loved the earrings you sent me four years ago. I wear them for special occasions and wore them again last night at the DeLucia’s anniversary and birthday party!

  2. Gorgeous box to accompany a gorgeous story :D! I was wondering if there was any way to change the flower to a heart. My daughter;s birthday is before valentines day and we are doing a valentines day theme. These would be perfect!

  3. I clicked as fast as I could when I saw you over at “LiveLaughRowe” linkup. Some might say I am paper freak (in the nicest way possible) and definitely a letter loving gal, so your cute little paper boxes had me from the word ‘paper.’ Lovely. Just lovely. Thanks for sharing.

  4. I love your sweet Kindergarten pin. As a former Kinder teacher, it brought back memories of all of the gifts my kiddos made for mom for her special day. Your teacher did a nice job of picking a project a 5 year old could make into something beautiful. I love your box printable. I have pinned it. I want to try making a box like this for my little Christmas shop on Etsy. Thank you for sharing.
    Kathi

    1. Oh, I LOVE hearing your thoughts on the pin from the perspective of a Kinder teacher! You’re right: it was definitely a project that was do-able for us at the time and something that our Moms could really appreciate and use. Thanks for the Pinterest pin, too! Oh, and you could totally adapt this project for Christmas boxes. In fact, that gives me an idea for a future post…. Thanks, Kathi!

  5. There really isn’t anything you can’t do with your Silhouette! The gift boxes are adorable, and you picked some beautiful pieces for your mom and MIL! Also, how cute are the Blue Nile bags? It’s just a bundle of beauty 🙂

  6. Oh my gosh that kindergarten pin is AWESOME and I especially love how your mom still has it! On top of that with the pretty earrings, awesome giveaway and FREE printable, this post rocks! Thanks for sharing at The Makers! Pinned and about to go enter the other giveaway {fingers crossed} 🙂

    ~Katie

  7. Such cute gift boxes! I did not KNOW Blue Nile had other jewelry. Love the choices you made for your Moms… I adore that your Mom still has the one you made her. My step Mom still has a pencil holder next to her home phone that I made in 3rd grade. Now I’m not going to give my age..but I will share that I’m a grandmom! LOL

  8. Lauren, I loved how you began with your precious kindergarten-mother’s day gift pin to reveal your 25- years-later mother’s day gift! You know I treasure that pin and always thought it was so artistic! I loved wearing it on my trendy (at the time) peach top and now wear it with blue colors. For instance, I think today is the perfect day to wear it!

    I am excited, along with Mom L., to see which of the beautiful earrings arrive in the adorable box that truly looks professional! I pinned this tutorial and already printed the pdf since I’m not a Silhouette owner yet. Thanks for sharing the printables and explaining about describing the thickness of the paper. The double-sided thicker paper looks great. The little Instagram video is so sweet and is reinforcement for us visual learners. Sending much love and gratefulness, Mama xxoo
    PS: Interested, along with your dad, to hear about the music you used in the video. Also I did write this (or something very similar) yesterday but I obviously failed to post it!

    1. I just made a little box (using your printable template) for a piece of handmade jewelry I made for Mor Mor for Mother’s day! The box is SO cute. I took a picture and will send you soon.
      The jewelry was made from white polymer clay…a small oval with my fingerprint on it…then the clay is baked for 15 minutes at 275 degrees after putting a hole in the top of the oval to insert the string for the necklace. If you want I can send you the link to the tutorial for the necklace. We used it today with my Toddler class, of course! Next week they’ll have a little giftie for their mommies. Not sure I’ll have time to make all of them one of your boxes, but at least Mor Mor is getting one! xxoo

  9. Love the cute little boxes but love what is in them even more! I haven”t had something just for myself in a long, long time. Single mom and all!

  10. What perfectly unique little packages. I can’t wait till one arrives at our house to see which is which. What’s the music behind the little video? You knew I’d ask, right?
    Love,
    Dad

  11. I love your mum! When my mum passed away I found a lace and pipecleaner butterfly I had made for her about 35 years before in her jewellery box. It was all yellow from the glue and the safety pin had fallen off the back but it was a lovely thing to find.
    Those little boxes are lovely. I am so pleased you have made a PDF for us Silhouette free crafters!
    Thanks so much, straight onto pinterest it goes!

    1. Julie, I am sorry your mum passed away. You obviously both loved each other very much! That lace and pipe-cleaner butterfly pin sounds amazing and what a gift back to you to find it in her jewelry box so many years later. We moms do treasure those gifts that are handmade by our children! I’ll have to think about how to recreate your butterfly pin with my pre-school Sunday School class as a craft project.

  12. Hi,
    Absolutely love your blog and all the posts.
    And those gift boxes are just sooo cute.
    Cant wait to try them out

  13. Holy cuteness, Lauren!! Perfect little packages for perfect little treasures!! And the Kindergarten pin??? You have me tearing up over her, missy. What a sweet story and a wonderful way to remember why we love those momma’s so much. xoxo

  14. I’m very excited to see what comes in that beautiful little package! What a cute idea for wrapping, and so easy! Thanking you in advance …. 😉

  15. Lauren those are BEAUTIFUL!!! I would love to win. I really like the knots. I think they look like flowers. I love flowers! Have a great day! HUGS!

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