The box with lid template, flat and folded
What this template is for
Two nesting trays — a base and a slightly larger lid that slides over it. The classic gift and shirt box.
Also called two-piece box · base and lid box · lift-off lid box · shirt box — all the same shape, and this is it.
- Gift and shirt boxes
- Keepsake and photo boxes
- Hamper and subscription boxes
- Wedding favour boxes
How to use this template
All four downloads are the same box with lid at the same size — only the format changes.
- PDF printing at home
- Print at 100 per cent, or hand it to a print shop as "actual size, no scaling".
- PNG 300 dpi Canva, Photoshop, Procreate
- Upload, lock it in place and design your box with lid on top. Free plan and phone included. Full Canva walkthrough →
- SVG Cricut, Illustrator, Inkscape, Affinity
- Vector, with cuts, folds and labels on separate layers. Cricut and Silhouette walkthrough →
- DXF Silhouette, laser and vinyl cutters
- Two layers, CUT and FOLD — and the one free Silhouette Studio Basic will open.
Printing it
- Type your size above, then download the PDF.
- Print at 100% — never “fit to page”, or every measurement comes out wrong.
- Too big for the paper? Pick your paper size and leave Fit the pieces to the page ticked: each piece gets its own place on a sheet and the PDF comes out with every page in it, nothing cut in half and nothing to tape.
How to put it together
These pictures are the box with lid itself, not a generic diagram — change the measurements above and the template changes, but the three steps never do.
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Cut the solid lines
Every solid line is a cut. Do the inside shapes first, while the sheet is still whole and easy to hold.
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Score every dashed line
Dashed lines are folds. Score each one first — an empty ballpoint against a ruler — or the card cracks along the outside of the bend.
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Fold, glue and hold
Build both trays the same way. The lid is already enlarged by the material thickness plus the clearance you set. If you set a window border, cut the opening out before you fold anything, and tape a piece of acetate or cellophane over it on the inside — the frame is thin, and it tears far more easily once the box has been creased.
Glue: a glue stick for paper, white PVA on card — hold each seam thirty seconds, and let the box dry standing up.
Questions about the box with lid
- How much bigger is the lid?
- The lid is enlarged by twice the material thickness plus the clearance you set, so it slides on without forcing. Raise the clearance a little for thick or textured board.
- Why is the lid a separate piece?
- A two-piece box is stronger and looks tidier than a hinged one, and both parts print flat. If you want a hinged lid, use the shallow box instead.
- My lid is too tight. What do I change?
- Increase the lid clearance by half a millimetre at a time. Check that the material thickness you entered matches your actual board.
Print your own design on it
Add a logo, photo or pattern in the panel on the left and drag it onto the box with lid. It is trimmed to the cut outline, embedded properly in the PDF, and never leaves your computer — most free template sites hand you the outline and stop there. How printing your own design works.
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Collections: Wedding and party favour box templates · Christmas box templates · Food box templates