While giving gifts is an undeniably positive experience, bulky, cumbersome boxes can eat up valuable space and cause a massive headache. Imagine you’re going to visit your family for the holidays and you end up spending the whole morning trying to cram every present into the trunk of your car like a game of Tetris…
Sure, the obvious solution may be to use smaller boxes. But not everyone has that option readily available, and we often have to make do with whatever boxes we have on hand. But there is some good news — you may have materials lying around that you can repurpose into smaller boxes that are perfect for those tinier gifts.
How To Repurpose Shirt Boxes
Many people stock up on shirt boxes with lids around the holidays because they’re useful for wrapping clothing items, accessories, small electronics, gift sets, and more. But unless you spring for an assorted pack, you may end up with shirt boxes that are simply too big for smaller gifts. Fortunately, there’s a clever trick that allows you to create a smaller box from a single panel — meaning you can keep the lid for future gifts.
TikTok creator @dallinxbella introduced us to this hack, and it’s saved us countless trips to the store for more wrapping supplies. All you need is a pair of scissors and some basic folding skills, and you’ll end up with smaller gift boxes galore. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Lay the gift box on a flat surface, positioning it horizontally and putting aside the lid. Grab the left side and fold it over so it lines up with the border of the right side. Unfold the box to reveal a crease.
Step 2: Repeat step one with the other side of the box.
Step 3: By now you’ll have created two vertical creases and the shape of your gift box will resemble a bound book. Take a pair of scissors and carefully cut along all four of those creases on only the top layer (aka the border), leaving a small amount of space between your cut and the edge. It’s important to cut away from the center of the box and to leave the bottom layer of the box intact.
Step 4: Fold the left side of the box over the right side, ensuring the cut flaps are tucked inside. Just like that, you have a homemade gift box that’s half its original size.
If you don’t have any shirt boxes lying around, you can purchase them here or hold onto the box the next time you receive a dress shirt as a gift. These boxes fold up flat, so you can easily store them in a drawer or the back of a closet to prepare for any future gifting occasions.
Try Custom Wrapping Paper
Looking to make your gift stand out under the tree? Purchase some custom wrapping paper to set your present apart from the rest. Custom wrapping paper allows you to upload a unique design that you won’t find in stores, whether it’s a special message or a funny image of someone’s face. It’ll make your gift all the more special!
