Making a Prototype Game Box (5" x 5" x 1.5")

Making a Prototype Game Box
Got a couple of board games as presents for my co-workers, both made of renewable bamboo resources. The games, I mean. Not the co-workers. The co-workers are made of meat.

The games' small form-factor was quite pleasant. 5"x5"1.5" kraft paper tuck boxes with real wood bits packed into a very compact package. I got to thinking this might be a package I could put together at home for my prototypes. Making a tuckbox with these dimensions would be impossible on an 8.5"x11" letter size sheet of paper.


Drew up some plans on some legal paper. (You can find a PDF of the finished template below.) Turns out I can make a top and bottom lid out of a letter-size sheet with extra room for bleed. Grabbed some scotch tape and scissors to see how this worked in three dimensions.


After cutting the outlines, I folded along the seams as shown above. If you're using thicker material, you should score along these edges so that you get clean folds.


And taped the tabs to the inside of each lid, as seen on the top left. Also taped the bleeds down over the tabs to keep them extra-secure and make a soft, rounded edge along the lip.


Here's what the lids looked like on the outside and inside. A little sloppy, but that's how prototypes tend to look.


And it fulfilled my initial goal, a 5"x5"x1.5" box that I could produce at home. I have more thoughts in mind as to how this form will work in actual practice. I'd use real card stock, use a more exact template, an x-acto blade and straight edge to get the dimensions more precise. To kick it all together, I'd probably wrap the whole box in a nice full-color sleeve, too.


Here's a more polished, vector version of the template for both lids.

» Download: 5" x 5" x 1.5" Game Box Template PDF
» Video: Making a Prototype Game Box

Comments

  1. GremlinLegionsDecember 27, 2010 at 10:49 AM

    Darn you mind-readers! I was just thinking a few days ago about making small boxes to put some of my projects in. Though, this will save me a lot of trouble. Originally, I was either going to have to do the measurements myself, or send printed sheets to a letterpress shop I know that has box-shaped die-cuts.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Daniel SolisDecember 27, 2010 at 11:31 AM

    I'm going to give this a shot with some more sturdy materials and report on the results. I think it has a lot of potential. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Matthew D. GandyDecember 27, 2010 at 4:54 PM

    Now I want vegetarian coworkers - coworkers made out of fruits and veggies!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gregor VugaDecember 27, 2010 at 6:43 PM

    Thank you Daniel, this is awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Daniel SolisDecember 28, 2010 at 10:19 AM

    » They sound delicious. :D

    » My pleasure! Check out the video, too.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Daniel SolisMay 8, 2011 at 9:18 AM

    » They sound delicious. :D

    » My pleasure! Check out the video, too.

    ReplyDelete
  7. stupidgremlinMay 8, 2011 at 9:18 AM

    Darn you mind-readers! I was just thinking a few days ago about making small boxes to put some of my projects in. Though, this will save me a lot of trouble. Originally, I was either going to have to do the measurements myself, or send printed sheets to a letterpress shop I know that has box-shaped die-cuts.

    ReplyDelete

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