Easy Paper Gift Box (No Tape or Glue!)

There are many ways to make paper boxes nowadays, but most of them are fragile and require tape, glue, or some other adhesive. Also, many are unable to hold items inside. The box I'm about to show you how to make is sturdy, fairly simple, and does not need any adhesive. Because of it's ability to contain large and heavy items, I have used this box many times as a gift box. The best part is that it is a blast to make!

Before we get started, I should inform you that all folds I am making are valley folds, and that I crease after each fold. I hope you find this craft useful and very fun.

The only supplies you'll need for this box are:

1. One sheet of paper (I used printing paper, but I find card stock to be better)
2. Scissors

To make this box, you will need a square sheet of paper. But if you're starting with a rectangle, you can easily make a square. Just valley fold one of the short edges diagonally so that it is flush with one of the long edges. After doing this, cut off the "rectangle" that is adjacent to the "triangle" you just made. When you unfold the "triangle" you should have a square piece of paper.

Take one corner of your square and fold it over to the opposite corner. Do the same with the two other corners. This should result in a large "X" on your square.

Next, take each corner and fold it over to the center of the X. You should now have a diamond around your X.

Then take each corner and fold it over to the center of the crease you just made for the opposite corner. Now you get a square with a bunch of little squares inside it.

For the final folds, take each corner and fold it over to the center of the crease that is directly above it, as shown in the fifth picture. The end product should look like the sixth picture, with lots of tiny squares and some triangles around the edges. On to the next step!

Cut out the triangles along the edges of your square. I have outlined them in the first picture. This will give you a "cross" with a small square in each corner. Refer to the second picture to see how this should turn out.

Next, cut one edge of each little square that reside in the corners of the cross. Cut each edge so that it is parallel to the edge next to it. This is illustrated in the third picture. Now you should have a four tabs that flap towards one of it's opposites, as shown in the last picture.

Now you will cut the tips of the "cross" so that they fit within each other. To do this, take one tip and cut a line along the middle of the crease that is closest to the tip. ONLY CUT about half way across. Do the same to the one of the tips next to the one you just cut, NOT the tip opposite to the one you just cut.

For the other two tips cut also along the crease closest to the tip. Cut two lines from the outside about halfway in towards the center, as shown in the sixth picture. I like to call the tips with the slit in the middle "hole tips" and the tips with the two slits on the sides "arrow tips".

Thankfully, that was the last of the cutting. Now we are ready to put our box together!

By now you are ready to assemble your box. Begin by folding both flaps of both your arrow tips inward to make an actual arrow. Now take your tips that don't have the tabs attached and pull them towards each other. Insert the arrow in the hole and pull the arrow all the way through. Unfold the arrow.

For the very last step, take the other two tips, the two with the tabs attached, and repeat the process you just did. Make sure you put the tabs inside the first box as shown in the fourth picture. I didn't put anything in my box, but if you want to, hide a treasure inside before attaching the last two tips together.

Congratulations!!! Now that your paper box is ready, you can decorate it and fill it with whatever you wish! Or, if you're like me, you can test yourself on how small a box you can make. The smallest one I ever made was about 1cm by 1cm by 1/2cm! If you break my record, let me know below and include a pic if you can! Have fun :) !