Gable box maker
Gable box template
A tube of four walls with a peaked roof and a handle on top. The bottom closes with a tuck; the roof closes when the two handles meet.
How to fold it
Print at 100% on cardstock and cut out, including the two oval handle holes.
Crease every dashed line, including the two across each roof panel.
Fold the walls into a tube and glue the grey tab inside the far side wall.
Close the bottom: dust flaps in, then the lid with its tuck flap.
Fill the box. Fold both roof panels in until their top edges meet; the handle panels stand up back to back.
Glue the handles together, or thread a ribbon through the holes so it opens again.
How the template is drawn
Height and peak
The height you type is the wall height inside. The peak adds a roof 23 mm (0.91 in) high (60% of the depth) and a handle 18 mm (0.71 in) tall.
Gable ends
Each side wall ends in a triangle that closes the gable. Each roof panel is 30 mm (1.18 in) long: exactly the slope from the wall top to the ridge.
Roof angle
The roofs lean in by 39.8° from upright, and the handles fold back by the same angle so they stand straight.
Matching holes
Both handle holes sit at the same place on their panels, so they line up when the handles meet.
Tuck bottom
The bottom closes like a tuck end box: dust flaps on the side walls and a lid with a tuck flap on the front wall.
Party favors and treat boxes
A gable box carries cupcakes, cookies and party favors by the handle. For a wider treat box, raise the width and depth; the roof and handle follow. For flat gifts a pillow box is quicker to make.
Something that must ship flat and arrive closed is better in a mailer box; something that stands on a shelf, in a tuck end box. A cube makes a plain small gift box.
Grip the handle with your hand through both holes, the way you would hold a bag of bread: the weight rests on the card around the holes, so the handle carries the box rather than the flaps. For a sturdier grip, glue the two handles back to back; they become double thick and hold their shape. The roof panels close over whatever is inside, so a cookie or a small loaf stays put when the box is carried from the shop to the car. Bakers and hosts use it for treats and small gifts, and a ribbon tied through the handle makes a finishing touch.
