Pillow Box Folding Carton | Curved Favour & Jewellery Boxes, MOQ 100
- Material: 250-350gsm SBS / FBB / kraft board, grain running across the curve
- Structure: Pillow box, arched fold-in ends, no glue or tape required
- MOQ: 100 pcs
- Lead time: 7-10 working days | Free dieline
Custom pillow boxes with curved arched ends that close without glue or tape. Ideal for jewellery, wedding favours, samples and confectionery under 200g. 250-350gsm board, MOQ 100 pcs, free dieline.
Our Advantages
No Die and Plate Charges For Digital Samples
High quality printing
Quick Turn Around
Starting from 500pcs
Custom size and style
Competitive Price
Free Design Support
To door delivery
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COMPANY SERVICES
| Bigger Discounts Offer for large orders | Bigger Discounts Offer for large orders Prices are negotiable based on your purchase volume and Fixated prices can be offered based on frequency of the order. |
| After-service | Sample cost is refundable if it's not good quality as we promised!We will refund you the defected goods values as contract listed,if the defective goods are beyond as we contracted.Our goal is to have no bad feedback and keep doing business in the future! |
| Risk Free, Quality Assurance | We've Sate of the art production facility and all printed jobs are run through our strict quality assurance department, so there are no quality complaints. |
| Printed Method | We use Off-set printing to achieve excellent printing results. However, Digital and screen printing is also available depending on box requirements. |
| About Us | Guangzhou Ecopaperbox established in 2011 is undoubtedly an accredited manufacturer of custom boxes which are exactly according to the needs and desires of the clients. Our top priority is meeting the needs and requirements of our customers. Custom Packaging and printing are provided to the customers with excellent quality on the regular basis so that maximum benefit can be achieved in the minimum amount of time. All boxes that made of paperboard, we can produce. You are welcome to make inquiry via info@ecopaperbox.com and contact us at +8619927709433. |
What Is a Pillow Box?
A pillow box is a curved carton with two arched ends that fold in on themselves to close. It is die-cut from a single blank, ships completely flat, and needs no glue and no tape - it snaps into its pillow shape when you press the ends. For small, light, giftable items it is the fastest and cheapest way to make something look considered.
Its real advantage is perceived value against material cost. A pillow box uses less board than a tuck end carton of comparable capacity, yet reads as a deliberate gift format rather than a container. That is why it dominates wedding favours, retail add-ons, jewellery gifting and promotional inserts.
The limits are equally clear. The curved profile means internal volume is smaller than the outer dimensions suggest, the closure is friction-only, and anything heavy will force the arched ends open. Keep contents under roughly 200g and reasonably flat, and the format performs perfectly.
Which Industries Use This Box, and How It Is Specified
Small, light and gift-oriented. Beyond that, the format struggles.
| Industry / use case | How we normally spec it |
|---|---|
| Jewellery and accessories | Earrings, thin bracelets, hair accessories. 300gsm board with a foil-stamped logo; often paired with a tissue wrap inside. |
| Wedding and event favours | Sweets, small candles, seed packets. Kraft board with a die-cut window or ribbon slot; typically 100-500 pcs, which suits the MOQ exactly. |
| Cosmetics samples and travel sizes | Sachets, mini tubes, single-use masks. Light 250-300gsm because the contents weigh almost nothing. |
| Confectionery and chocolate | Truffles, bonbons, macarons. Food-contact grade board or an inner glassine liner. |
| Retail add-ons and gift cards | Gift cards, vouchers, small tech accessories at the till point. |
| Promotional and PR kits | Lightweight inserts inside a larger mailer, adding a second layer of unboxing without adding weight. |
If the item is over roughly 200g or has hard corners, the arched ends will not stay shut. A 1-2-3 bottom carton or a small tuck end carton is the safer structure.
Material Specification
Board choice is about spring. The stock has to be flexible enough to curve without cracking and springy enough to hold the arch closed.
| Component / stock | Specification |
|---|---|
| SBS / C1S folding boxboard | 300-400gsm virgin bleached board, one side coated. The default for retail cartons that need clean CMYK and a bright white face. |
| FBB (GC1 folding boxboard) | 230-400gsm multi-ply with a bulky middle layer. Same print quality as SBS but stiffer at equal weight, so it is often the cheaper way to hit a target rigidity. |
| CCNB / recycled duplex board | 300-450gsm coated white face over a grey recycled back. 80-100% recycled fibre and the lowest-carbon option when the inside of the carton is not seen. |
| Kraft board | 300-400gsm unbleached brown board for a visible natural look. Prints best with 1-2 spot colours rather than full CMYK. |
| E-flute microflute | 1.5mm laminated litho board used when the carton has to carry weight or survive e-commerce transit on its own. |
| Coatings and inks | Water-based aqueous varnish, matte or gloss BOPP film, soy-based inks. Aqueous keeps the carton kerbside-recyclable; film lamination does not. |
Sustainability notes
- Folding cartons are the most widely recycled retail pack in the world - a plain aqueous-varnished carton goes straight into the kerbside paper stream.
- CCNB and recycled duplex board carry 80-100% recycled fibre and cost less than virgin SBS, so the greener stock is often the cheaper stock.
- We default to water-based aqueous varnish instead of BOPP film lamination. Film adds a plastic layer that has to be separated at the mill.
- Soy-based and vegetable inks as standard, no solvent-based inks.
- Cartons ship flat, so a pallet holds several times more units than an assembled rigid box - a real reduction in freight emissions per unit.
- Pillow boxes need no glue, no tape and no plastic closure, so a kraft pillow box finished with aqueous varnish is a genuinely single-material pack.
Structure and Size Options
Small format, but more options than most people expect.
| Option | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Board weight | 250-350gsm. Below 250gsm the arch will not hold; above 350gsm the board cracks along the curve unless it is scored carefully. |
| Grain direction | Runs across the curve, not along it. Wrong grain is the single most common cause of cracking on this structure - we set it on the dieline. |
| Window | Die-cut aperture with PET, PLA or cellulose film, or left open as a shaped cut-out for dry contents. |
| Ribbon slot | Twin die-cut slots so a ribbon can be threaded through, common on favours and jewellery. |
| Hang hole | Punched into one arched end for peg display. |
| Size range | From roughly 60x50x20mm up to 250x180x50mm. Larger sizes lose closure tension and are not recommended. |
Cracking along the curve is the defect to watch for. It comes from wrong grain direction, board that is too heavy, or laminate applied over an unscored fold. We score the curve and set grain direction on the dieline before printing.
Printing and Finishing
- Offset CMYK - photographic artwork, gradients and product imagery.
- Pantone spot colour - exact brand colour matching, up to 6 colours plus varnish.
- Digital printing - the reason we can hold MOQ at 100; no plate cost on short runs.
- Hot foil stamping - gold, silver, rose gold, holographic. The most requested logo finish.
- Emboss / deboss - raised or recessed logo, with or without foil.
- Spot UV - gloss varnish over a matte laminate to pick out a logo or pattern.
- Finishes - matte, gloss, soft-touch, anti-scratch lamination or aqueous varnish.
Ordering: MOQ, Dieline and Lead Time
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| MOQ | 100 pcs per size and per design |
| Dieline | Free. We send a print-ready structural dieline to your designer before you commit to anything. |
| Pre-production sample | Plain structural sample in 3-5 days, printed sample in 5-7 days. Sample cost is credited against the bulk order. |
| Production lead time | 7-10 working days after artwork and sample sign-off |
| Artwork format | AI or PDF, CMYK, 300dpi, 3mm bleed, fonts outlined, placed on our dieline |
| Shipping | Ships completely flat as die-cut blanks. Extremely low freight volume per unit. |
This structure needs no gluing, so it is one of the fastest items we produce. Short-run digital printing means a 100-piece favour order is a normal job for us, not an exception.
Related Packaging
Same family - other folding carton structures
Sleeve Carton | Straight Tuck End Carton | 1-2-3 Bottom Carton | Four Corner Tray
Gifting formats brands pair with pillow boxes
Jewellery Boxes | Kraft Gift Boxes | Christmas Gift Boxes | Rigid Gift Boxes
Surface Choice
Packing Method For Corrugated Packaging:
Generally no need to put the PE bags inside of the cartons. Since the boxes are glued a layer of cardboard, generally production time is not long enough to dry the paper box. If you tie the PE bags, the steamed water pearl will be produced inside of the bags.
Product Details
- Custom sizes & shape – made to your exact dimensions, flute and box style.
- Eco-friendly board – recyclable corrugated / kraft material with low-migration inks on request.
- Secure closure – self-locking or magnetic options keep contents safe in transit.
- Full-surface printing – CMYK, Pantone, foil, emboss and spot UV available.
- Low MOQ & fast turnaround – start from 100–500 pcs with 7–15 day lead time.
Customer Reviews
The Pillow Folding Carton Box arrived exactly as proofed. Print quality is sharp and the structure is sturdy - our customers loved the unboxing.
Fast turnaround and helpful dieline support. The Pillow Folding Carton Box fits our product perfectly and the price was fair at our MOQ.
Clean printing on eco-friendly board and smooth communication. We will reorder the Pillow Folding Carton Box for our next campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much weight can a pillow box hold?
Keep it under about 200g. The arched ends close by friction and spring tension only, so a heavier item will gradually force them open in transit. Flat, light contents such as jewellery, sachets, gift cards and confectionery are what the format is designed for.
Why do pillow boxes crack along the curve?
Almost always grain direction. The board grain must run across the curve, not along it. Board that is too heavy, or a film laminate applied over an unscored fold, will do the same thing. We set grain direction and score the curve on the dieline, which removes the problem before it reaches production.
What size pillow boxes can you make?
From roughly 60x50x20mm up to about 250x180x50mm. Beyond that the arched ends lose closure tension and the box will not stay shut reliably. If you need a larger gift format we would move you to a tuck end carton or a rigid box.
Can I get a window in a pillow box?
Yes. We die-cut the aperture and patch it with PET, PLA or cellulose film, or leave it open as a shaped cut-out if the contents are dry and packaged. Keep the window away from the curved score so the patch does not crease when the box is formed.
What is the minimum order for custom pillow boxes?
100 pcs per design. Wedding favour and event orders often sit in the 100-500 range, which is exactly where digital printing works best - no plate cost, and you can run several colourways in the same order.
Are pillow boxes food safe?
They can be. We supply direct food-contact grade board, or you can use an inner glassine or grease-resistant liner for chocolates, truffles and baked items. Tell us the product and we will confirm which route your local regulations require.
