How to Make a Paper Box Easy Steps

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A folded paper origami box, also called a masu box, is beautiful in its functional simplicity. All you need is a piece of square paper. The finished box makes a great hiding place for small treasures. With a pair of boxes, you can use one as the box and the other as a lid to wrap small gifts. Read on to learn how to make a folded paper box. Become an absolute expert. Take our wikiHow Origami Bootcamp!

1. 1

   Begin with a piece of square paper. You can use origami paper or fold any piece of paper diagonally from the corner to the opposite edge and trim off the excess. It is important that the paper is square since you are creating a box. A trick is to fold your paper like a sail on a boat and cut the excess.

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   Fold the paper in half. Crease the fold with your finger then open the piece of paper.

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   Fold the paper in half along the other side. Use your finger to crease the fold, then open the paper again. You should now have two creases that intersect at the center of the square.^[1]

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   Fold the corners to the center. Bring each corner to the center, so that the points are all touching. Crease the folds with your finger. Rotate the paper so it sits squarely in front of you, but don't unfold it this time.

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   Fold the top and bottom edges to the center of the square. Crease the edges of both folds to secure them.

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   Unfold the square along one side. Unfold the halfway folds and the triangles beneath those folds. Leave the side triangles folded in.

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   Fold the long edges to the center. Fold over the bottom of the still folded triangles. Crease the bottom edge. You should have what looks like a necktie with two points.

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   1

   Reinforce the creases. For the purposes of the guide, the diamond furthest away from you formed by the "necktie" folds will be the "head" and the diamond closest to you will be the "foot." Match the bottom tip of the foot diamond to the bottom of the head diamond. Then, match the top tip of the head diamond to the top of the foot diamond. Crease along the long sides to solidify the folds.

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   Create the side walls of the box. Pull up the flaps along the long side to create the side walls of the box.

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   Construct the head wall when the side walls are assembled. As you lift the head wall flap, the creases from previous folds should form two triangle shaped flaps that you will want to fold inwards. Be sure these triangles are folded inwards before proceeding. The head wall will fold over these triangle corners and the top triangle of the head wall will fit neatly into the bottom of the box where you will want to crease it snugly against the sides to keep the box together. After creasing, you should see a triangle on the bottom of the box.

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   Repeat the process for the opposite end or the foot wall. Try to make sure the folds are clean and not crinkly.

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   Finished.

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Add New Question

• Question

  How do you make the top?

  

  Simply follow the same steps as above, but make the box roughly 1" bigger in every direction. This top will fit right over the bottom you made earlier.

• Question

  How can I make a bigger box?

  

  Use a bigger, square-shaped sheet of paper. If the sheet is a rectangle, fold it diagonally from the top corner to the opposite edge, trim off the excess along the bottom, then follow the article. A sheet of poster paper may work, but keep in mind that the larger the paper is, the more difficult it will be to work with.

• Question

  Are there certain measurements for square paper?

  

  No, but the size of the paper determines the size of the box, so you should have bigger paper for a bigger box and smaller paper for a smaller box.

• Question

  How do I determine what size paper I need for my box?

  

  You can pick any size of paper you want! Make sure that it is a square, or it would not work out.

• Question

  I did everything right. Why am I getting this strange rectangle? I know my paper was a square.

  

  Be sure that when on step 3, you fold the side in all the way, that might be the problem.

• Question

  How can I make a lid for my box?

  

  Simply follow the same steps as above, but make the box roughly 1" bigger in every direction and a lot shallower (as it is going to serve as a lid, not be another box). This top will fit right over the bottom you made earlier.

• Question

  Why did my box end up a rectangular shape?

  

  Maybe because you used the wrong size and shape of the origami paper. If you use rectangular shape of origami paper then you will get a rectangular box.

• Question

  How can I make it smaller?

  

  You can use a smaller piece of paper. The size of your box will depend on the size of the square you begin with.

• Question

  How do I make the box close?

  

  You can make another box that is made of a 1'' bigger square paper to use as a lid.

• Question

  Can you color it with nail polish?

  

  Nail polish may be too heavy and warp your box. Try colored pencils or markers instead.

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VideoRead Video Transcript

• You might want to dab some glue on the bottom of the triangular flaps in order to make them stay down, or you can use tape.

• For best results, fold neatly. For each fold, carefully align the edge or corner with whatever edge, crease, or other feature it should meet, then crease the paper firmly.

• Use diagonal folds when you start, along with the straight folds. It will help a lot at the end.

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

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• Don't put anything too heavy in the box, or it will collapse. Remember, it is paper.

• Watch out for paper cuts.

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About This Article

Article Summary X

"To fold a paper box, start by folding a square pieces of paper in half both horizontally and vertically to create two creases. Then, fold each corner to the center so that the points are touching. When all points are in the center, fold the top and bottom edges to the center and crease them. Next, fold the edges and the triangles beneath them so they're out to the sides. Bring the top and bottom edges to the center, then make them stand up vertically. Finally, construct the other two walls by folding the triangles inwards. "

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