Quick answer: A pillow box is a small curved box that folds shut without glue or tape. People use them for jewelry, candles, soap and little gifts. At Packaging Ship, we make them in kraft, white or printed cardstock. You can order as few as 50, we’ll help with the design for free, and shipping anywhere in the US is on us.
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Picture a tiny pillow made of cards. That’s basically it. The two curved ends fold in and hold themselves closed, so there’s no tape to pull and no glue to wait on when you’re packing orders.
We cut every one of our custom pillow boxes to your measurements. If your soap bar is 3.5 inches, you don’t have to squeeze it into a 4 inch box and stuff the gap with tissue. You can go with kraft paper, plain white card, or full color print.
Most of the pillow boxes we make are somewhere between 3 and 9 inches long. We use 300 to 400 GSM boards for them. It’s stiff enough that the box doesn’t get crushed in the mail, but it’s still light, so it won’t push your postage up. You tell us the size and we’ll make the dieline around it.
Mostly small things that would look lost in a regular shipping box.
Jewelry sellers like them because a single bracelet or pair of earrings sits nicely inside. Candle and soap makers use them for samples and travel sizes. We’ve had bakeries order them for one macaron or a couple of truffles. Wedding planners usually buy a few hundred at a time for favors.
Because the box isn’t much bigger than what’s in it, you use less material. In a lot of cases that makes each one cheaper than a regular folding carton.
The material you pick changes how the box looks and feels, so it’s worth thinking about what your customers expect.
You can also add matte or gloss lamination, foil stamping or a little window cut into the box. None of that changes the minimum order.
| Material | Typical Weight | Good For | Starting Price |
| Kraft paper | 300 GSM | Soap, candles, eco brands | $0.50 per unit |
| White cardstock | 350 GSM | Cosmetics, jewelry, bright print | $0.52 per unit |
| Printed and laminated stock | 400 GSM | Gift sets, shelf display | $0.55 per unit |
Paperboard boxes have had a bumpy few years, but people keep coming back to them. The Paperboard Packaging Council has a 2025-2026 outlook report, and it found that folding carton shipments rose 11.6% between 2019 and 2022. Things slowed down after that. Still, the council expects demand to pick up again starting in 2026, as Supply Chain Dive reported.
Sustainability is part of it too. The Forest Stewardship Council runs a labeling system that shows where the paper in a product came from. So a brand can actually prove its claim, rather than just printing “eco friendly” on the side. More buyers check that kind of thing now. If your customers care about it, go with kraft and mention it on the box.
And then there’s the photo factor. When someone gets a nice box with your logo on it, there’s a fair chance it ends up on Instagram. You didn’t pay for that post, but you got it.
Prices start at about 50 cents a box. What you end up paying depends on the size, the paper, how complex the print is and how many you order.
If you order fewer than 500, we print digitally, so there are no plate charges. Above 500 we switch to offset printing, and the price per box drops the more you order.
We don’t charge for dies or plates, and there’s no minimum order. Start with 50, see how they sell, then order more. Production takes 7 to 10 business days once you sign off on the proof, and shipping is free in the continental US.
Need a different shape? Take a look at our custom display boxes for countertops and shelves, or our custom gable boxes if you want a box with a handle for gift sets or takeout.
| Question | Answer |
| What is a pillow box used for? | Small items like jewelry, candles, soap and party favors. |
| Are pillow boxes eco friendly? | They can be, if you use FSC certified kraft or recycled board with water based inks. |
| What size do I need? | Most are 3 to 9 inches long. Send us your product size and we’ll tell you. |
| Can I put my logo on it? | Yes. Full color print, foil and embossing are all available, with no extra minimum. |
| How many do I have to order? | As few as 50. There’s no minimum. |
| How long does it take? | 7 to 10 business days to make, then free shipping across the US. |
You don’t need finished artwork or a designer. Just send your logo, your product size and the material you like. We’ll send a free digital proof back in 24 to 48 hours. Get a free quote to see your exact price before you order anything.
The box is usually the first thing a customer touches, before they ever see what’s inside. A good one tells them you care about the details. Pillow boxes are an easy way for a small brand to protect a product, put a logo in front of people and give customers something they’ll want to share, without the big minimums most manufacturers ask for. Whether you go kraft or white, we’ll make it to your specs and ship it free.
