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How to Make DIY Christmas Gift Card Boxes

December 13, 2017

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The other day I was finishing up my Christmas shopping with my Mom.  Some sparkly gift card boxes caught my eye and I put them in my cart.  They would be perfect for Dominic’s teacher appreciation gifts.

“What are you buying those for?” my Mom asked.  “Don’t you remember when we used to make those boxes out of old cards?  Put those back.  We’ll make some boxes and it will make a great blog post.”

Looks like your Mom is always right.

Learn how to make DIY Christmas gift boxes on a budget. This fun craft is the perfect packaging for your stocking stuffers and gift cards--especially the teacher appreciation ones, (hint hint)! Make as many as you want for the holidays! It's budget friendly, zero waste, and really easy! #christmas #holiday #christmasdiy #holidaydiy #teachergift #giftcardholder #tutorial #stepbystep #crafting #giftcard

Start by going through last year’s Christmas cards and picking ones you like.  Good candidates have a central image and no writing or writing that’s on the side.

Most of the cards in the image below are good candidates.  The white one with Santa in the corner is not.  The Rejoice one with the angel would be good for a necklace or jewelry, but too narrow for a gift card.

Learn how to make DIY Christmas gift boxes on a budget. This fun craft is the perfect packaging for your stocking stuffers and gift cards--especially the teacher appreciation ones, (hint hint)! Make as many as you want for the holidays! It's budget friendly, zero waste, and really easy! #christmas #holiday #christmasdiy #holidaydiy #teachergift #giftcardholder #tutorial #stepbystep #crafting #giftcard

DIY Gift Card Boxes. . . the Pretty Way

When I started to make the gift boxes, I actually couldn’t 100% remember how we used to make them.  The way I’m going to show you is the way I like to make them so I can be in control of how the picture looks on the front of the box.  Further down the post, I have instructions for the easy, no-measuring way that my Mom reminded me of.  Choose whatever seems easiest to you.

DIY Christmas gift card boxes. Easy, cheap, and zero waste!Click To Tweet

Start by cutting your card in half.  Trim the bottom piece 3 millimetres or 1/8 inch on one horizontal and one vertical edge.  This ensures that your box will close nicely.

Learn how to make DIY Christmas gift boxes on a budget. This fun craft is the perfect packaging for your stocking stuffers and gift cards--especially the teacher appreciation ones, (hint hint)! Make as many as you want for the holidays! It's budget friendly, zero waste, and really easy! #christmas #holiday #christmasdiy #holidaydiy #teachergift #giftcardholder #tutorial #stepbystep #crafting #giftcard

Draw four lines an equal distance around the inside of your card.  I like to look at the front of my card and pick the width based on how I want the picture to look on the front of the box.

Learn how to make DIY Christmas gift boxes on a budget. This fun craft is the perfect packaging for your stocking stuffers and gift cards--especially the teacher appreciation ones, (hint hint)! Make as many as you want for the holidays! It's budget friendly, zero waste, and really easy! #christmas #holiday #christmasdiy #holidaydiy #teachergift #giftcardholder #tutorial #stepbystep #crafting #giftcard

Cut the card like in the picture above.  Fold all the edges in.  Add glue dots or double sided tape and fold the tabs inside.

Learn how to make DIY Christmas gift boxes on a budget. This fun craft is the perfect packaging for your stocking stuffers and gift cards--especially the teacher appreciation ones, (hint hint)! Make as many as you want for the holidays! It's budget friendly, zero waste, and really easy! #christmas #holiday #christmasdiy #holidaydiy #teachergift #giftcardholder #tutorial #stepbystep #crafting #giftcard

If you’ve centered the card nicely, the recipient will get a lovely message at the bottom.

Looking for more cheap and easy Christmas crafts?  Check out DIY Sparkly Twigs and this Rustic and Minimalist Christmas Wreath.

Learn how to make DIY Christmas gift boxes on a budget. This fun craft is the perfect packaging for your stocking stuffers and gift cards--especially the teacher appreciation ones, (hint hint)! Make as many as you want for the holidays! It's budget friendly, zero waste, and really easy! #christmas #holiday #christmasdiy #holidaydiy #teachergift #giftcardholder #tutorial #stepbystep #crafting #giftcard

Ta-da! Super cute boxes to put your gift cards in.  Bonus: the cheapness, up-cycling, and zero waste factor.

The Kid-Friendly No Measuring Method

This way of making boxes is actually easier, but you have less control over how the picture looks on the front of the box.  I can tell you from experience that it rarely lines up perfectly unless the subject is dead centre.

But!  This way is so quick, and will keep my 8-year-old-self your crafty kid occupied for hours.

Learn how to make DIY Christmas gift boxes on a budget. This fun craft is the perfect packaging for your stocking stuffers and gift cards--especially the teacher appreciation ones, (hint hint)! Make as many as you want for the holidays! It's budget friendly, zero waste, and really easy! #christmas #holiday #christmasdiy #holidaydiy #teachergift #giftcardholder #tutorial #stepbystep #crafting #giftcard

Start by making an X on each side of a cut card.  Fold each side to the centre.  Cut out tabs as shown in the last example.

Fold the tabs in, fold the long bit over, and tape to secure.

No matter which method you choose, you’re sure to have a beautiful box.

You've got to check out this neat way to upcycle last year's Christmas cards!  You can DIY your own gift card holder with this simple recycled craft.  So easy even your kids can do it! #Christmas #giftcard #christmascard #upcycle #recycle

Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

7 Comments
Filed Under: Christmas, DIY Tagged: budget, Cheap, Christmas, Christmas card, craft, DIY, gift card holder, Holiday, zero waste

About Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

Comments

  1. Yolanda says

    December 16, 2017 at 6:54 am

    I love this so much. I have always used my older Christmas cards as gift tags on presents (punched a hole and put ribbon through), however, I am definitely going to add this to the mix. I think it looks so eclectic and it is WAY better for the environment. Thanks for the amazing idea Kristen!
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      December 17, 2017 at 7:10 am

      You're welcome! I like your idea with the gift tags too!
      Reply
  2. Suzanne says

    December 12, 2018 at 1:48 pm

    Great idea!
    Reply
  3. Joelle says

    April 27, 2020 at 9:06 am

    Kristen!!! This is so fantastic! Darren’s Ukrainian grandma used to make these little boxes all the time. I wanted to show the kids how to do it but Darren couldn’t remember. I searched all over YouTube and no one was doing it this way. Finally you have reminded us how!!! Thank you so much!! She did the no measuring method. You should make a YouTube video about this! 👍🏻
    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. DIY Christmas Gifts Your Friends & Family Will Love - PutTheKettleOn.ca says:
    October 29, 2018 at 6:28 pm
    […] 12. DIY Christmas Gift Card Boxes […]
    Reply
  2. 14 DIY Christmas Card For Gifts - Creative Christmas Card Tutorials says:
    September 3, 2019 at 10:41 pm
    […] Instruction: shiftingroots […]
    Reply
  3. Best 20 Diy Gift Card Box - Best DIY Ideas and Craft Collections says:
    December 8, 2019 at 5:15 pm
    […] Best DIY Gift Card Box from How to Make DIY Christmas Gift Card Boxes. Source Image: www.shiftingroots.com. Visit this site for details: www.shiftingroots.com […]
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Welcome!

Hi, I'm Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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