Choosing a Kraft Box for What You Ship

Where should you start when choosing a kraft box?

Start with the journey, not the shape. A box that sits on a market stall has a very different job from one that rides in a delivery van with forty other parcels.

Then think about the moment it is opened. A candle gift wants a lid that lifts, and a clothing order wants a tray that unfolds. A cake wants a window so nobody has to peek.

Cost and packing time matter too. A mailer folds up in moments at a busy packing bench. A two-piece lidded box takes longer to pack but feels more like a present.

Only after those two questions does the style become obvious. The rest of this guide works through the products we see most often.

Which kraft box suits which product?

The table gives a usual first choice for common products, with a typical inside size to start from. Every box is made to your own product, so treat the sizes as guidance.

What box works for candles?

Jar candles are heavy for their size and the glass dislikes knocks. A close-fitting tuck carton or candle box with a fitted card insert keeps the jar upright and stops it spinning.

If the candle travels alone through the post, put that carton inside a corrugated mailer, or choose a corrugated box with an insert. Tealight and taper sets suit a flatter box with a tray or sleeve.

Pillar candles have no glass to protect, so a lidded gift box or a round box suits them well. A ribbon or wax seal on brown kraft looks deliberate rather than plain.

Size to the lid rather than the glass, as lids are often a few millimetres wider. Our kraft candle boxes for jar candles are drawn around the lid and checked on the proof.

What about soap, balms and skincare?

Soap bars sit happily in a small tuck carton, a sleeve or a pillow box. A die-cut window or a vent pattern lets customers see the bar and catch the scent on the shelf.

Balms and solid sticks often go in a push-up tube or a small round box. Serums, oils and dropper bottles suit a slim tuck carton, with a card insert if the bottle is narrower than the box.

If you sell several of these, it is worth keeping them in one family of boxes. Our kraft soap, candle and cosmetic range shows how the styles sit together on a counter.

Which box suits clothing and accessories?

Folded clothing wants a flat, wide box so the fold stays crisp. A shallow clothing box or mailer around 50 to 100 mm deep usually suits shirts, T-shirts and knitwear.

Accessories such as scarves, socks or jewellery suit smaller lidded gift boxes or paper tubes. Shoes need a deeper lidded box that takes the pair with its tissue.

Clothing labels like a printed lid lining, because the logo greets the customer as the box opens. A sticker or tear strip on the front adds a neat seal for the journey.

Allow room for tissue, as fabric springs back once it is boxed. Our kraft clothing boxes for shirts and knitwear come in shallow formats that post as a single parcel.

How do you choose a box for bakes and treats?

Bakers usually want a box that opens wide, so a cake or tray of pastries can slide in without touching the sides. A lid that folds back fully makes that easy.

A window on top lets customers see the bake without opening the box. Cupcakes often go in a box with an insert that holds each cake upright, and sweets or chocolates suit a shallow box with dividers.

Height catches bakers out more than width. Measure the tallest point, including piped icing or a topper, and leave about 10 mm above it so the lid never touches the decoration.

Tell us what will touch the board and how long it stays there, so we can talk through liner and board options on request. Our kraft bakery boxes with a window are a common start for cakes and pastries.

What box works for bottles and jars?

Single bottles of oil, sauce or drink suit a tall tuck carton. Two or more bottles usually need a box with dividers so the glass never touches glass.

For carrying, a bottle carrier with a handle works well at a shop counter or a market. For posting, a corrugated box with a divider insert does the work.

Gift sets of jars, such as honey, jam or bath salts, look smart in a lidded box with a card divider. A window over the set lets the labels show without opening it.

Measure each bottle at its widest point, often the shoulder or the cap. Taper and neck shape matter less than that widest point.

Jars and bottles in transit are covered in more detail on our kraft bottle and jar packs page.

How do you narrow it down in six steps?

1. Write down what goes in, including its size in millimetres and whether it is fragile.
2. Decide whether the box travels alone, sits on a shelf or goes inside another carton.
3. Pick the opening that suits the product: a tuck end, a fold-over lid, a fitted lid or a wide tray.
4. Add only the extras that solve a real problem, such as an insert for glass or a window for bakes.
5. Choose a print plan, from plain kraft to one colour, two colours or full colour.
6. Send the details for a written quote and check everything again on the free proof.

What questions should you answer before you order?

• Will a customer see the box on a shelf, in a parcel or as a gift?
• Does the product need to stay upright, and will it rattle if it can?
• Is anything inside glass, liquid or easily bent?
• Do you need the product on show through a window?
• Will the box be carried by hand, posted alone or packed in an outer?
• Do you sell several sizes that could share one box with an insert?
• Will printing sit outside only, or inside as well?

Prints and posters are the exception, since a flat box can bend them. Our kraft shipping tubes for rolled artwork keep artwork rolled from studio to wall.

How do you turn your choice into a quote?

Send the product, the inside size you need and how the box travels, plus a photo and your logo if you have them. If you are torn between two styles, say so and we can quote both.

A written quote follows, priced from £0.25 per unit and shaped by your size, inks and order size. Next comes a free proof with your artwork set on the dieline and as many edits as you need.

Allow 4–6 business days to make the boxes once the proof is signed, plus 2–3 business days for free tracked UK delivery. Before you pick a size, our guide to measuring a kraft box covers clearance in millimetres.