How to Make a Gift Box With Cricut (Easy Cardstock Boxes)
To make a gift box with Cricut, upload a box SVG that has cut and score lines, cut it from 67 lb smooth cardstock, and score every fold before you fold it. Then fold on the score lines and close the tabs with double sided tape. The template does the hard part. Your job is clean scores and good tape.
Paper gift boxes are one of my favorite things to make, because the box becomes part of the gift. A handful of candy in a box someone's name is on feels a lot more special than candy in a bag. Here's exactly how I make mine, plus the box files I keep coming back to.
Shop SVG Files · Shop Smooth Cardstock · Shop Double Sided Tape
What cardstock is best for a Cricut gift box?
I use 67 lb (about 180 gsm) smooth solid-core cardstock for gift boxes. It's sturdy enough to hold its shape with something inside, and it still scores and folds without cracking. Solid-core means the color goes all the way through, so your folds don't show a white line.
Save glitter and mirror cardstock for the flat pieces you glue on top, like a name, a bow, or a roof. The box itself folds a lot, and smooth cardstock is made for that.
What you'll need
- A gift box SVG with score lines (ideas below)
- Smooth 67 lb cardstock in your colors
- A Cricut with a scoring stylus or scoring wheel
- Double sided craft tape for the tabs
- Optional: glitter cardstock for accents and clear acetate for a window
How to make a gift box with Cricut: step by step
Step 1: Upload your box file
In Design Space, click Upload, choose your SVG, and add it to your canvas. A good box file comes in with the cut lines and score lines already in place.
Step 2: Check the score lines
Click on the fold lines and make sure they're set to Score, not Cut. If a fold line comes in as a cut, your box will cut apart on the fold. Then select the box and its score lines together and click Attach, so the scores stay right where they belong.
Step 3: Size it
Resize the whole box with the lock on so it stays in proportion. If the box has separate decoration layers, resize everything together.
Step 4: Cut and score
Click Make It, choose your cardstock setting, and load your scoring tool when Design Space asks for it. The machine scores first, then cuts.
Step 5: Fold every score line
Before you tape anything, fold each score line once and run your fingernail along it. A box that's pre-folded goes together square.
Step 6: Tape the tabs
Put a strip of double sided tape on each tab and close the box one side at a time. Tape grabs right away and doesn't warp the cardstock the way wet glue can.
Gift box ideas to try
- Happy Meal box: the boxes in the photo at the top are my Happy Meal Box SVG, about 4" x 4" x 5" at default size. Fill them with candy or a little toy for birthday favors.
- Gingerbread house box: the Gingerbread House Gift Box is a milk carton box dressed up as a tiny house, about 4" tall at default size. Perfect for truffles, cookies, or a gift card.
- Printed gable box: my Canva Frame Gable Box lets you design the box wrap in Canva, print it, then cut and fold.
- Clear treat boxes: pillow boxes and heart treat boxes cut from acetate show off what's inside. See my clear acetate projects post.
How to make a gift box with a Cricut Maker
The steps are the same on a Maker. The difference is the scoring tool: the Maker can use the scoring wheel, which presses a deeper score line than the stylus. Either one works for 67 lb cardstock. On a Cricut Explore, the scoring stylus goes in the accessory clamp.
How to make a small gift box with Cricut
Shrink the box with the size lock on. Just keep an eye on the tabs. When a box gets really small, the tabs get too thin to hold tape, and scoring lines sit very close together. If the tabs look tiny on screen, size the box back up a little.
How to make a gift bag with Cricut
A gift bag works the same way as a box: cut, score, fold, and tape. The bag just leaves the top open. My Halloween boo bags are a good example of a cardstock treat bag you can make start to finish on a Cricut.
Frequently asked questions
What cardstock do I use for a Cricut gift box?
I use 67 lb smooth solid-core cardstock. It holds its shape with a gift inside and still scores and folds cleanly.
Do I really need to score a gift box?
Yes. Without a score line, cardstock creases unevenly and the box won't sit square. A scoring stylus or scoring wheel makes clean, straight folds.
Why did my gift box cut apart on the fold?
The fold line was set to Cut instead of Score. Select it in Design Space, change it to Score, and attach it to the box before you cut.
Can I make a gift box with a Cricut Joy?
You can cut a small box on a Joy, but the Joy doesn't score. Fold along a ruler with a scoring tool by hand after you cut.
What do I use to glue a cardstock gift box?
Double sided craft tape. It holds right away, and it doesn't warp the cardstock the way wet glue can.
Wrap it up
Shop SVG Files · Shop Smooth Cardstock · Shop Double Sided Tape
If you make one, tag me at @ashleeyfalco. I want to see it.
xo, Ashlee