DIY Montana Mother’s Day Gift Boxes

It's the personal touches that add warmth to any Montana gift you could give. Perhaps you're getting mama a new set of earrings, or perhaps you've found Grandma the perfect packets of tea and heirloom flower seeds - all gifts bursting with heart already - but having a handmade method of presentation is sure to earn you an extra bright smile.

This pattern for an origami gift box is simple to make and easy to customize. Because it uses paper, your options for using colorful paper, stickers, hand-written notes, stamps, and any number of other artistic touches are as limitless as your imagination. Varying the paper size and the pattern proportions offer you any number of differently sized and shapes boxes - don't be afraid to experiment with this one!

What You'll Need:

Start with two square pieces of paper. For the basic box, you’ll want these to be the same size.

Making the Base

Step 1:

Fold one piece in half along the diagonal line. Try to get your folds as even as possible! 

Step 2:

Unfold your paper, and make another crease across the other diagonal line to mark the middle of the paper.

Step 3:

Unfold again, and fold the corners of the paper to the middle mark. Use the crease lines from steps 1 and 2 to keep your folds even.

 Step 4:

The paper should be square shaped once all four corners are folded in.

Step 5:

 Next, fold two of the sides in again to the middle. Crease hard and unfold.

 Step 6:

Repeat step 5 with the other sides of the paper. Leave these folded.

Step 7:

 Unfold the flaps from step 6 enough to pull out the other corners from the center point, then fold the flaps back down. The model should look like this image with the inside of the paper somewhat visible.

Step 8:

Turn your model 90 degrees and pull the flaps from step 6 open so they are standing upward perpendicular to the rest of the paper. Fold the top corner downwards along the crease you made in step 5. The extra paper at the corners should naturally try to fold in. You'll need to even these out by squashing the extra paper into little triangles. The model should become 3D at this step.

Step 9:

Pull the point from step 8 down to meet in the middle mark of the paper. The folds you made in steps 4 and 5 should let the box keep its 3D shape. 

Step 10:

Repeat steps 8 and 9 with the bottom point, and you've got the finished box base! 

To Make the Lid:

To make the lid, with your second sheet of paper, fold the edges slightly before the middle mark at steps 5 and 6. Otherwise, follow the same steps for the base.

The Finished Box:

With a bit of experimentation and love, this gift box can become as ornate or simple as you want!

If you're stuck with finding treasures to fill your box with, check out some of our own favorite little goodies.

We've got Huckleberry products galore! Huckleberry lip balm, candy and mints, miniature containers of jam and lotion, and soap are just some potential options for a memorable Mother's Day gift from Montana.

Earrings, necklaces, and any number of other Montana Made gift ideas are near-to-hand on our store - we've even got a special blog showcasing our favorite local jewelry products!

You're sure to find something in our store no matter what sorts of precious presents your mother prefers!

Here's Wishing All Mothers and Grandmothers a 

Happy Mother's Day From the Montana Gift Corral Team!

- We appreciate all you do

-by Emma Katherine Roberts

Edited by: Cassi Miller