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How to Fold a Paper Box

Two Parts:Making Structural FoldsCreating the Walls of the BoxCommunity Q&A


Part 1
Making Structural Folds

  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.
  2. 2
    Fold the paper in half. Crease the fold with your finger then open the piece of paper.
  3. 3
    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]
  4. 4
    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.[2]
  5. 5
    Fold the top and bottom edges to the center of the square. Crease the edges of both folds to secure them.
  6. 6
    Unfold the square along one side. Unfold the halfway folds and the triangles beneath those folds. Leave the side triangles folded in.
  7. 7
    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.

Part 2
Creating the Walls of the Box

  1. 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 foot diamond to the top of the foot diamond. Crease along the long sides to solidify the folds.
  2. 2
    Create the side walls of the box. Pull up the flaps along the long side to create the side walls of the box.
  3. 3
    With the side walls assembled, construct the head wall. 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.
  4. 4
    Repeat the process for the opposite end or the foot wall. Try to make sure the folds are clean and not crinkly.
  5. 5

Community Q&A

Add New Question
  • Are there certain measurements for square paper?
    wikiHow Contributor
    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.
  • How can I make a bigger box?
    wikiHow Contributor
    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.
  • How do you make the top?
    wikiHow Contributor
    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.
  • How do I determine what size paper I need for my box?
    wikiHow Contributor
    You can pick any size of paper you want! Make sure that it is a square, or it would not work out.
  • How can I make a lid for my box?
    wikiHow Contributor
    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.
  • Why did my box end up a rectangular shape?
    wikiHow Contributor
    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.
  • How do I make the box close?
    wikiHow Contributor
    You can make another box that is made of a 1'' bigger square paper to use as a lid.
  • I did everything right. Why am I getting this strange rectangle? I know my paper was a square.
    wikiHow Contributor
    Be sure that when on step 3, you fold the side in all the way, that might be the problem.
  • How can I make it smaller?
    wikiHow Contributor
    You can use a smaller piece of paper. The size of your box will depend on the size of the square you begin with.
  • How can I prevent the sides from unraveling?
    wikiHow Contributor
    Make sure the triangle shapes are big enough to hold the flaps; if that doesn't work, you could try some glue. Not liquid glue, though, as this will make your book wet.
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  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Use diagonal folds when you start, along with the straight folds. It will help a lot at the end.
  • If your paper is colored on one side, fold it so that the colored side faces down at first.
  • Make a lid by creating a second box the same way.


  • 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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Categories: Featured Articles | Origami

In other languages:

Español: hacer una caja de papel, Deutsch: Eine Papierschachtel falten, Português: Dobrar uma Caixinha de Papel, Italiano: Fare una Scatola di Carta, Nederlands: Een papieren doosje vouwen, Русский: сложить коробочку из бумаги, Français: faire une boîte en papier, Čeština: Jak složit krabičku z papíru, 中文: 折纸盒, Bahasa Indonesia: Membuat Kotak dari Kertas

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