Boxes are versatile things - perfect for packing, perfect for storage. In thrift and in auction-hopping, you get very up-close and personal with boxes. But….what do you do when you’re got an irregularly-shaped item that you need to send out, and you don’t exactly feel like dropping money on a custom box?

I’ve been in that situation more than once - here’s my guide on making a custom shaped box out of a standard one. In this example, I’m cutting a square box down to a triangle-shaped one, to better send a saw.

Materials:

 - Large box (we’ll be cutting it down anyway)

- Box cutter

- Tape

1) Mark the item’s dimensions on the box prior to cutting - make sure the item will have room to move. Cut away any extra cardboard that you don’t need.


 

2) Lay the box on its side.


 

3) Cut along corner to make a roughly triangular shape.


 

4) Cut across the top diagonally - you can start to see the triangle shape already.


 

5) Cut away the flap pieces so you can fold the box into the triangular shape.


 

6) Remove all excess cardboard, and tape accordingly.


 

And now you’ve got the perfect triangular box for your strangely-shaped item. This trick can be replicated with any shape, for any item - the trick is to just mark on the box and make sure you have a rough idea of what shape it is you’re going for.