How does the bottom lock?

In three moves, numbered on the flaps. Fold both side flaps (1) in. Fold the front flap (2) in. Fold the back flap (3) over it and push its tongue up through the slit in flap 2. Each of the two big flaps reaches past the middle, so each one’s tip rests on the other, and the tongue stops the back flap dropping. Weight inside pushes them together harder, not apart.

Where does the slit go?

Exactly where the back flap’s tip lands. The back flap reaches half the depth plus the overlap from the back, so its tip is half the depth less the overlap from the front — and that is how far along the front flap the slit is cut. Change the overlap and both move together.

How is it different from the card box?

The card box closes its bottom with a tuck flap, which can push open under weight. The snap-lock bottom interlocks and takes a heavier load, and it is still quick to put together by hand — it is the bottom most retail cartons for candles and jars use.

Will it print on one sheet?

Yes, at the size it opens with — 60 × 40 × 100 mm inside comes to about 217 × 171 mm, which fits A4 and US Letter turned sideways.

Snap Lock Bottom Box Template — 1-2-3 Carton

The snap-lock bottom box template, flat and folded

Snap-lock bottom box template — free printable dieline with cut and fold lines, any size — The printable dieline at its standard size. Type your own size above for yours.

Snap-lock bottom box folded up from the template — the finished box — The box it folds into.

What this template is for

A card box whose bottom locks itself in three moves — no glue, no tape underneath — with a tuck top. Candles, cosmetics, soap, tea, jars and anything a little heavy.

Also called 1-2-3 bottom box · lock bottom carton · snap lock box · auto lock bottom box — all the same shape, and this is it.

Candles and jars
Cosmetics, soap and skincare
Tea, coffee and spice tins
Product boxes for heavier items

How to use this template

All four downloads are the same snap-lock bottom box 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 snap-lock bottom box 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.

Getting it printed properly →

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? Tick Split across several sheets: it tiles across as many as it needs, with overlaps and matching letters to tape together.

How to put it together

These pictures are the snap-lock bottom box itself, not a generic diagram — change the measurements above and the template changes, but the three steps never do.

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.
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.
Fold, glue and hold
Glue the side seam to make a tube. Turn it upside down and close the bottom in order: fold both flaps marked 1 in, then flap 2, then bring flap 3 over it and push its tongue up through the slit in flap 2. Press the middle down firmly. Fill from the top and tuck the lid in.

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 snap-lock bottom box

How does the bottom lock?: In three moves, numbered on the flaps. Fold both side flaps (1) in. Fold the front flap (2) in. Fold the back flap (3) over it and push its tongue up through the slit in flap 2. Each of the two big flaps reaches past the middle, so each one’s tip rests on the other, and the tongue stops the back flap dropping. Weight inside pushes them together harder, not apart.
Where does the slit go?: Exactly where the back flap’s tip lands. The back flap reaches half the depth plus the overlap from the back, so its tip is half the depth less the overlap from the front — and that is how far along the front flap the slit is cut. Change the overlap and both move together.
How is it different from the card box?: The card box closes its bottom with a tuck flap, which can push open under weight. The snap-lock bottom interlocks and takes a heavier load, and it is still quick to put together by hand — it is the bottom most retail cartons for candles and jars use.
Will it print on one sheet?: Yes, at the size it opens with — 60 × 40 × 100 mm inside comes to about 217 × 171 mm, which fits A4 and US Letter turned sideways.

Print your own design on it

Add a logo, photo or pattern in the panel on the left and drag it onto the snap-lock bottom box. 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.

Templates like this one

See all 59 templates · For Canva · For Cricut · For Etsy sellers · Getting it printed

Collections: Wedding and party favour box templates · Christmas box templates · Food box templates