Custom Clear Lid Gift Boxes
A printed card or kraft base with a clear lid on top, so the gift is on show before anyone opens it. Sized to your product in millimetres and quoted within one working day.
From £0.25 a boxexact price on your quote
- 1Free design proof before anything is printed
- 2Quote within one working day of your enquiry
- 3Made in 4–6 working days after you approve the proof
- 4Free tracked UK mainland delivery in 2–3 working days
- 5Misprints or damage within 10 days reprinted or refunded
Specification
| Construction | Folded card tray with a separate clear lid, or a tray that slides into a clear sleeve |
|---|---|
| Board | White folding boxboard or brown kraft board for the base |
| Lid | Clear lift-off lid, or a frosted sleeve open at both ends |
| Full colour on the outer walls and on the inside floor, which shows through the lid | |
| Inserts | Card inserts with cut-outs that hold each item in its place |
| Lead time | 4–6 working days after you approve the proof |
| Sizes | Made to your length, width and height in mm |
| Full colour, Pantone matching on request, outside and inside | |
| Minimum order | Low, quoted per job |
What are clear lid gift boxes?
Clear lid gift boxes are a folding card or kraft tray with a see-through lid that lifts off or slides on. The product sits on show inside, and the base carries your print. They suit small items that look good as they are, such as chocolates, soaps, candles and jewellery.
| Typical size | Inside L × W × H (mm) | Often used for |
|---|---|---|
| Favour | 80 × 80 × 50 | Sweets, a candle |
| Small | 150 × 150 × 60 | Biscuits, soaps |
| Medium | 220 × 160 × 80 | Cake slices, sets |
| Large | 300 × 220 × 100 | Hampers, flowers |
What are clear lid gift boxes and who buys them?
A clear lid gift box is a printed card tray with a see-through top. The customer sees the product before lifting the lid, so the item does the selling.
Most of our buyers are small makers. Chocolatiers, soap makers, candle studios and jewellery sellers use them for gift sets and shop counters. Event planners order the smallest size as favours.
If your product is the main attraction, this style shows it off with very little print. If the gift should stay hidden until it is opened, compare our other gift box styles first.
How does the clear lid open and close?
We make three builds, and the photos on this page show each of them.
- Lift-off lid: a clear lid sits over a card tray, like a shoebox lid. It lifts straight up and drops back on.
- Slide-on sleeve: the card tray slides into a frosted or clear sleeve that is open at both ends. You push the tray out from one side.
- Angled base: the card walls slope down at the front and a tall clear lid covers the open face. Taller items stand facing the shopper.
Lift-off lids are the most common choice. Sleeves suit slim, flat items such as soap bars or a single row of truffles.
What size clear lid box fits my product?
Every box is made to the inside size of your product, in millimetres, length by width by height. These four sizes are common starting points only, not stock sizes.
| Size | Inside size (mm, L × W × H) | Typical contents |
|---|---|---|
| Favour | about 80 × 80 × 50 | Two or four chocolates, a ring dish, a wedding favour |
| Small | about 150 × 150 × 60 | A soap bar beside a candle tin, a row of macarons |
| Medium | about 220 × 160 × 80 | A small candle with matches, a tea tin with a cup |
| Large | about 300 × 220 × 100 | Three or four items on a fitted insert |
Allow a few millimetres of room on each side. Under a clear lid any gap shows, so measure the product as it will sit. Our guide on how to measure a gift box walks through it.
Should the base be white card or kraft?
White folding boxboard gives the brightest print. Colours come out clean, and a white floor makes small items stand out under the lid.
Kraft board is brown with a plain, natural look. It suits handmade soap, baked treats and simple branding in one or two dark inks. Pale inks sink into kraft and lose their strength.
You can mix the two, with a white printed outside and a kraft inside, as in the third photo. Tell us which look you want and we set it on the proof. If you are unsure, ask for both on the same proof and compare them side by side.
What gets printed when the lid is see-through?
The inside floor shows through the lid, so print it. A pattern, a short line of text or your logo sits behind the product and fills the space around it.
Print the outer walls in full colour, with Pantone matching if your brand colour must be exact. Matt, gloss or soft-touch lamination protects the card, and foil or spot UV can pick out a logo on the walls.
The lid itself stays clear. To brand it, add a printed belly band or a round sticker on top. Read how matt, gloss and foil finishes differ before you choose.
How do I stop the product sliding about under the lid?
Loose items slide to one corner the first time the box tips. With a clear lid, everyone sees it happen.
A card insert with cut-outs holds each piece where you placed it. For truffles, a cavity tray keeps the rows straight. For a candle and a soap together, a stepped insert lifts the smaller item so both stay visible.
Tissue under the product works well for soft goods like socks or scarves. Our notes on inserts for multi-item gift sets cover card, foam and pulp.
Which gifts suit a see-through lid?
Choose this box when the product looks good untouched. Good fits include:
- Handmade chocolates, fudge and macarons in neat rows
- Soap bars, bath bombs and small candles
- Earrings, bracelets and pin badges mounted on a printed card
- Wedding and christening favours
- Tea samplers, spice sets and small jars
- Staff welcome gifts where the item already carries the branding
For a party table, the small sizes sit well next to our printed birthday gift boxes.
Packing and posting clear lid boxes
Card bases can arrive flat or made up, as set out on your quote. Lift-off lids stack inside one another, so a few hundred take up little shelf space.
Ask us to pack lids and bases separately if your team will fill the trays before closing them.
If you send gifts by post, put the clear lid box inside a plain shipping carton with some padding. The lid is there for display, not for a sorting belt. Our free UK mainland delivery details explain how your order reaches you.
What mistakes should I avoid with a see-through box?
Most problems come from the clear lid showing more than the buyer expected.
- Leaving the inside floor blank, so bare board shows around the product
- Sizing the tray with no spare room, which makes the lid stiff to lift
- Choosing pale ink on kraft, where it fades into the brown
- Packing loose items without an insert, so they bunch at one end
- Putting a long message on a band across the lid, where it blocks the view
If a box arrives misprinted or damaged, send photos within 10 days and we will reprint or refund the affected boxes.
How do I order clear lid gift boxes?
Ordering is by quote, not a checkout. This is how it runs.
- Send your product size in millimetres, the build you want and a rough quantity.
- We reply with a price inside one working day. Clear lid boxes use folding card, so they start from £0.25 a box.
- Send your logo and artwork. Our designers place it on the box layout and send you a free proof.
- Ask for edits until the proof looks right, then approve it.
- We make the boxes in 4–6 working days and deliver free, tracked, to UK mainland addresses in 2–3 working days.
Minimums are low and quoted per job. Request a quote for clear lid boxes when your sizes are ready.
Design Your Clear Lid Gift Box
Add your logo and see it on the box. We send a free design proof before anything is printed.
Clear Lid Gift box questions
Still unsure? Ask us on WhatsApp or call +44 7578 382054.
Can you print a logo on the clear lid itself?
The lid stays clear so the product is on show. To brand it, add a printed belly band or a round sticker on top, which we can supply with the order.
Is the clear lid a separate piece or joined to the base?
On the lift-off build it is a separate piece that sits over the tray. On the sleeve build, the tray slides in and out of a clear sleeve.
Can I have a frosted lid instead of a fully clear one?
Yes. The slide-on sleeve can be frosted, which softens the view of the product inside. It suits soaps and items that look better slightly hidden.
Will chocolates stay in their rows under a clear lid?
Only with an insert. A card cavity tray holds each chocolate in its own pocket, so the rows stay neat when the box is carried.
Can the base be kraft on the inside and white on the outside?
Yes. We can print a white outside and leave a kraft inside, or the other way round. The proof shows exactly how it will look.
How tall should a clear lid box be for a candle?
Measure the candle with its own lid on and add a few millimetres. Tall jar candles suit the angled base build, which leaves more room at the front.
Do clear lid gift boxes arrive flat?
Card bases can be supplied flat or made up, and we state which on the quote. Lids come ready to use and nest inside each other.
Can I tie a ribbon around a clear lid box?
Yes. A ribbon around the box holds the lid down and adds a band of colour. Keep it away from the part of the product you want people to see.
Can a clear lid box go through the post on its own?
Treat it as a display box. For posting, pack it inside a plain carton with some padding so the lid does not get scuffed or cracked.
How quickly can I get clear lid boxes made?
After you approve the proof we make them in 4–6 working days. Free tracked delivery to UK mainland addresses then takes 2–3 working days.
What does a clear lid gift box cost?
A clear lid box with a printed card base starts from £0.25 a box. Size, quantity, print and extras set the final figure on your quote.
Can I try my logo on a clear lid box layout first?
Yes. Open Design Your Gift Box to place your logo, then send it to us for a free proof from our designers.
Send us your brief
Tell us what goes in the box, the size and how many you need. A quote comes back within one working day, and a free design proof follows before anything is printed.