Custom Foldable Gift Boxes
Rigid magnetic gift boxes that arrive flat and stand up in a few seconds. You get the feel of a hard box with a fraction of the storage space.
From £0.25 a boxexact price on your quote£0.25 is the folding card starting price; rigid styles are quoted higher.
- 1Free design proof before anything is printed
- 2Quote within one working day of your enquiry
- 3Made in 8–10 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 | One-piece rigid box with hinged walls that fold flat and stand up |
|---|---|
| Board | Greyboard panels covered in printed or coloured paper, hinged at the folds |
| Closure | Flap lid with hidden magnets; a ribbon pull is an option |
| Supplied | Flat, with the lid and walls folded down |
| Inserts | Card, foam or pulp inserts dropped in after assembly |
| Lead time | 8–10 working days after proof approval |
| 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 foldable gift boxes?
Foldable gift boxes are rigid greyboard boxes, wrapped in printed paper, that fold flat for delivery and storage. The walls fold up when you need one, and a flap lid closes with hidden magnets. They are also called collapsible gift boxes.
| Typical size | Inside L × W × H (mm) | Often used for |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 160 × 120 × 60 | Cosmetics, candles |
| Medium | 240 × 180 × 80 | Gift sets, wallets |
| Large | 320 × 240 × 100 | Clothing, shoes |
| Extra large | 380 × 280 × 120 | Hampers, knitwear |
What are foldable gift boxes and why choose them?
A foldable gift box is a rigid box that folds flat. It looks and feels like a fixed magnetic box once it is standing, but it ships and stores like a sheet of board.
Buyers choose them when storage is short. A clothing brand with a small stock room, an HR team sending gifts in batches or a subscription business packing monthly can keep hundreds flat on one shelf.
They sit in our range of rigid gift boxes because the walls are greyboard, not folding card.
How does a foldable box go from flat to standing?
The second and third photos show the box lying open and flat. Putting one up takes a few seconds:
- Lay the box flat with the printed outside facing down.
- Lift the two long walls so they stand upright.
- Fold the short end walls in. Small side flaps tuck behind them and are held in place.
- Drop in any insert and the product.
- Bring the lid over and let the front flap meet the magnets.
Your team learns it after one or two boxes. For a big batch, set up a simple line: one person folds, one fills, one closes and adds the sticker or ribbon. It folds back down the same way, so a customer can store it flat too.
How does the magnetic lid close?
Magnets sit hidden under the paper wrap in the front flap and in the front wall. When the flap swings down, they catch with a soft click and keep the lid shut.
A ribbon pull is fixed under the lid edge, as on the white sample. It gives a clean place to lift from and stops fingers marking the print.
If you never need flat storage, a fixed box may suit better. Compare it with our magnetic lid gift boxes, which arrive made up.
What size foldable box fits clothing or a beauty set?
Sizes are made to your product, inside, in millimetres. Use these as starting sizes only.
| Size | Inside, in mm (L × W × H) | Common contents |
|---|---|---|
| Small | about 160 × 120 × 60 | Nail polish or skincare set, a candle and matches |
| Medium | about 240 × 180 × 80 | A folded T-shirt, a scarf, a bath set |
| Large | about 320 × 240 × 100 | A folded shirt or jumper, a staff welcome kit |
| Extra large | about 380 × 280 × 120 | Knitwear, a hamper of jars, a dressing gown |
Garments fold to different sizes, so fold the piece as you will pack it and measure that. More garment sizes are on our clothing gift boxes page.
Why use rigid board in a box that folds?
The hinges are made in the paper wrap between the greyboard panels. The panels stay stiff, and the box bends only along the lines meant to bend.
So once standing, the walls do not bow in when the box is carried. That is what a folding card carton cannot give you. It also means the box can be handed over, kept on a dressing table and used again for months, which is a large part of why brands pick it.
Rigid boxes are quoted higher than our folding card styles, which start from £0.25 a box. Your quote shows the exact figure for your size and finish.
Can a foldable box be printed inside and out?
Yes. The outside wrap and the inside lining are printed separately. Many buyers put a short note inside the lid, so it is the first thing read when the flap opens.
The striped sample shows a bold outside with a mustard lining and coloured inner walls. The brown sample keeps the outside plain and puts a foil logo inside the lid.
Choose matt, gloss or soft-touch lamination, foil, embossing or spot UV. Our guide to matt, gloss, soft-touch and foil finishes shows how each behaves.
Which inserts and extras work with foldable boxes?
Inserts are separate pieces, so they go in after the box is standing and do not stop it folding flat.
- Card inserts with cut-outs for bottles, jars or a perfume and lotion pair
- Foam inserts for glass, ceramics and anything that rattles
- Pulp trays for a natural look with kraft-style branding
- Tissue wrapped around clothing, sealed with a printed sticker
- A ribbon pull or a full ribbon tie around the box
Our article on choosing inserts for gift sets explains which material holds what.
Who uses foldable gift boxes?
Fashion and knitwear labels use the larger sizes for online orders and shop gifts. Beauty brands use the small size for nail, lip and skincare sets.
HR and office teams like them for new starter kits, because a box can be folded up on the day the kit is packed. Events teams take flat boxes to a venue in one carton and build them on site. Gift shops keep a few sizes flat under the counter and fold one up when a customer asks. See our corporate gift boxes for staff and clients for team orders.
How are foldable boxes delivered and stored?
They arrive flat, stacked in cartons. A flat box is only a few board thicknesses deep, so a full order fits in far less space than made-up rigid boxes.
We send them free with tracking to any UK mainland address, and they take 2–3 working days to arrive. Store the flat boxes lying down, away from damp, so the board stays flat.
For posting a filled box, put it in a plain outer carton. The magnets keep the lid closed in the carton but are not a seal. A printed sticker across the flap shows the box has not been opened on the way.
What mistakes do people make with foldable boxes?
- Sizing the box to the product with no room for tissue, so the flap will not close
- Storing flat boxes on their edge, which can bend the panels
- Putting artwork over the hinge lines, where a crease runs through it
- Choosing a fixed foam insert that is taller than the walls
- Forgetting to plan who will fold the boxes up and how long it takes
Our designers mark the hinge lines on your proof, so you can see where artwork should stop.
How do I order foldable gift boxes?
Send us the inside size, quantity and any insert, and we come back with a quote within one working day. Minimums are low and quoted per job.
Our designers then place your artwork on the box layout and send a free proof. You can ask for edits until you approve it. The boxes are made in 8–10 working days after approval and delivered flat. Get a quote for foldable boxes to begin.
Design Your Foldable Gift Box
Add your logo and see it on the box. We send a free design proof before anything is printed.
Foldable Gift box questions
Still unsure? Ask us on WhatsApp or call +44 7578 382054.
How long does it take to fold up a foldable gift box?
A few seconds once you have done one or two. Lift the long walls, fold in the short ends and close the lid onto the magnets.
Can a foldable gift box be folded flat again after use?
Yes. The end walls release and the box lies flat again, so a customer can store it or reuse it later.
Are foldable boxes as stiff as fixed rigid boxes?
The panels are the same greyboard, so the walls are stiff once standing. The difference is the hinges, which let it fold flat when empty.
Where are the magnets in a foldable box?
They are hidden under the paper wrap, one set in the front flap of the lid and one in the front wall. You feel the catch but do not see them.
Can I have a ribbon pull on a foldable box?
Yes. A ribbon pull fixed under the lid edge gives a neat place to open from. A full ribbon tie around the box is also possible.
Will an insert stop the box folding flat?
No. Inserts are separate pieces placed in after assembly, so you take them out before folding the box down.
What is the difference between foldable and collapsible gift boxes?
They are two names for the same style. Both mean a rigid box with hinged walls that ships flat and folds up with a magnetic lid.
Can foldable boxes hold a folded shirt?
Yes. The large size, about 320 × 240 × 100 mm inside, suits most folded shirts with tissue. We adjust it to your folded garment.
How much storage space do flat foldable boxes save?
A flat box is only a few board thicknesses deep, so many fit in the space of one made-up box. Ask us for carton sizes on your quote.
How long do foldable gift boxes take to make?
Production is 8–10 working days after proof approval, as with our other rigid boxes, then 2–3 working days for free tracked UK mainland delivery.
Can the inside of a foldable box be printed?
Yes. The lining is printed separately from the outside wrap, so the inner walls and the inside of the lid can carry their own colour or message.
Can I see my logo on a foldable box before I commit?
Use Design Your Gift Box to place your logo, then our designers send a free proof on your real box layout.
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.