Custom Magnetic Lid Gift Boxes

What is a magnetic lid gift box?

It is a box built from rigid greyboard, wrapped in paper, with a lid that never comes off. The lid is hinged at the back, and its front edge drops over the face of the box, where magnets hold it closed.

Brands choose it when the box will be kept: skincare sets, candles, perfume, chocolates, watches and gift sets that end up on a shelf. Corporate teams pick it for welcome packs and client gifts. It is one of eight styles in our rigid gift boxes range.

How does the magnetic closure work?

Two flat magnets, or a magnet and a thin steel plate, are set into the board before the paper goes on. One sits behind the front flap of the lid and one behind the front wall of the base. You cannot see them, and the print runs over them without a bump.

When the lid comes down, the flap meets the front wall and pulls itself shut. Opening it takes a light lift at the front edge. The hinge is a paper-wrapped joint rather than a crease in card, so it keeps opening cleanly long after the gift has gone.

Some buyers add a ribbon pull to the front edge so there is something to pinch. The blue patterned sample in our photos has one.

What size magnetic box fits your product?

We make every box to your product, quoted as an inside size in millimetres, length × width × height. The sizes below are common starting points, not stock sizes.

Measure the product at its widest points, then add room for any insert or tissue. Our guide on how to measure a gift box walks through it with worked examples.

Why build it from rigid greyboard?

Greyboard is a dense, stiff board that does not flex when you hold the box by its sides. Wrapped in printed paper, it gives sharp corners and clean edges that folding card cannot match.

The stiffness is also what makes the magnets work. A soft lid would bow and leave a gap at the front. Rigid styles take 8–10 working days after you approve the proof, and they are quoted higher than the folding card boxes that start from £0.25 a box.

Which print and finishes suit a flap lid?

The wrap paper is printed in full colour before it goes round the board, so a pattern can run unbroken over the lid, down the front and round the sides. Pantone matching is available when your brand colour has to be exact.

Print the inside too. The underside of the lid is the first thing seen when the box opens, which makes it a good place for a short line of text or your logo in one colour.

Soft-touch lamination gives a dry, velvety feel under the fingers. Gold, silver or rose gold foil on the lid catches the light as the box is turned. Embossing raises a logo you can feel. See matt, gloss, soft-touch and foil compared before you choose.

Inserts, ribbons and other extras

An empty magnetic box lets products slide and knock together. An insert holds each item in its own cut-out, so the set arrives exactly as you packed it.

• Card inserts with cut-outs for bottles, jars or bars
• Foam inserts for glass, watches or anything that must not move
• Pulp inserts moulded around the product shape
• A ribbon pull on the lid edge for an easy first lift
• Tissue folded round the contents, held with a printed belly band
• A clear window in the lid, if you want the product seen before opening

Our page on card, foam and pulp inserts explains which suits which product.

Which gifts and occasions suit magnetic boxes?

Magnetic boxes suit anything that will be opened slowly and then kept. Beauty and fragrance brands use them for launch sets. Tea and chocolate makers use them for tasting boxes. HR teams fill them with welcome items for new starters.

They also work for bridal party gifts at weddings, birthday presents, Valentine's Day sets and Mother's Day hampers. If you need boxes stored flat until packing day, our foldable gift boxes that arrive flat fold up into a magnetic box instead.

How do you post a magnetic gift box?

The box is stiff, but it is not a shipping carton. If you are sending gifts on to customers, put each one in an outer mailer with a little padding on the lid side.

We deliver your order free and tracked to UK mainland addresses in 2–3 working days. Boxes come fully made up and packed in cartons, so plan some storage space before they arrive. If any turn up misprinted or damaged, send photos within 10 days and we reprint or refund them.

Mistakes to avoid when ordering

Most problems come from sizing or artwork, not from the box itself. These are the ones we see most often.

Giving us the size of your product but forgetting the insert. A foam insert takes up room on every side, so tell us about it before the size is set.

Putting fine text right on the front edge. That is where the lid flap meets the base, and small type there can sit across the join.

Choosing gloss on a dark lid that will be handled a lot. Fingerprints show on it. Matt or soft-touch hides them better.

Leaving the inside blank by default. Inside print is a simple option on the quote, and it is the side people look at longest.

How to order magnetic lid gift boxes

Ordering takes a few emails or a single phone call.

1. Send your product size in mm, the quantity and any finishes through the quote form.
2. Get a quote back within one working day.
3. Upload your logo or artwork, or start a layout on Design Your Gift Box.
4. Check the free proof. Our designers place your artwork on the box layout and change it until you approve.
5. We make the boxes in 8–10 working days and deliver them free to your UK mainland address.

Start with a quote for magnetic boxes, or call +44 7578 382054, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5.30 pm UK time.