How to Fold a Moving Box in 5 Easy Steps

When packing up for a move, assembling moving boxes is one of the most important (and helpful!) skills you can learn. Fortunately, we’re here to teach you how to fold a corrugated cardboard box the correct way. When obtaining moving supplies, we recommend that the majority of your cardboard boxes be on the smaller side to avoid over-packing (and breaking) your items. Small cardboard boxes typically measure around 16 inches long. You’ll also need plenty of medium size boxes (usually around 18 inches long) and several large boxes measuring 20 inches or more. While small and medium boxes are the best option for the majority of belongings, large boxes will be needed to carry bedding, pillows and other lightweight (yet big) items. Here are instructions for how to fold a box in 5 easy steps.

What You’ll Need

When assembling cardboard moving boxes, you will need several items – the first and most important of which is packing tape. We recommend purchasing several rolls of heavy duty, weather-resistant packing tape along with a dispenser, which makes it easy to apply the tape to the box. If your dispenser doesn’t include a sharp edge for ripping the tape, you’ll need a pair of scissors on-hand. Given that folding boxes takes time, we also suggest finding a comfortable place on the floor where you can spread out and get to work. Finally, you’re going to need a good deal of patience. While folding boxes certainly isn’t fun, there are ways to make it more bearable. Play your favorite play list or listen to a podcast while folding. This will make the time go by faster and the packing experience more enjoyable.

How to Fold a Box in 5 Easy Steps

  1. Step One: Whether purchasing cardboard boxes online or from a brick-and-mortar store such as Office Depot, your boxes will likely come in a flattened position. To begin assembling your box, first sit the flattened box upright and fold the top four flaps all the way down so that they touch the outside of the box.
  2. Step Two: Next, move the flattened cardboard box slightly and position it into a 3D rectangular shape.
  3. Step Three: Once the cardboard box is in a rectangular shape, flip the box over so that the four folded flaps are on the bottom. The top of the box should have four additional flaps extending towards the ceiling.
  4. Step Four: To begin closing up the box, fold the small flaps in. Then fold the larger flaps on top.
  5. Step Five: Grab your packing tape and tape over the middle to secure the flaps in place. Add another layer of tape on both sides of the middle crease for extra security. Once the flaps are secured, flip the box over and begin packing. After you’ve packed and labeled your boxes, repeat this step to close your boxes.

How to Pack Moving Boxes

Believe it or not, there is an art to packing moving boxes. If you just willy-nilly throw items into your cardboard moving boxes, you’ll likely end up with damaged belongings and possibly broken boxes as well. To help you strategically plan for packing, we’ve compiled a few helpful tips for how to pack moving boxes for your upcoming relocation.

  1. Figure out the correct number of boxes needed before packing – To calculate the number of boxes your move requires, try our free and easy-to-use packing calculator. All you have to do is enter basic information about your move, and we’ll provide an estimate for how many cardboard boxes you’re going to need.
  2. Protect items with packing paper and plastic wrap – Make sure you’ve gathered enough protective packing materials to cover your fragile and valuable items prior to boxing up your home. In addition to packing paper and plastic wrap, you may need moving blankets, peanuts, dividers and packing foam pouches.
  3. Place heaviest items in small boxes – Heavy items such as books, kitchen appliances and fragile items should be placed inside smaller boxes to prevent them from shifting while in transit. Small boxes will also prevent you from over-packing a cardboard box. Lighter items such as utensils and pillows should go inside larger boxes.
  4. Insert glass divider kits inside several cardboard boxes – To prevent breaking your dinnerware, glasses and china, we strongly recommend inserting glass divider kits inside several of your boxes. Once the dividers are in the boxes, wrap items in packing paper and place them inside.
  5. Pack non-essentials first and essentials last – When packing up your home, we suggest going room by room to box up your belongings. Start by boxing up non-essentials first. These are items that you likely won’t need in the weeks leading up to your move (think: books, artwork, picture frames, baskets, seasonal clothing, etc). Pack essentials last. These might include your kitchen items such as dinnerware and utensils. Other essentials may include bedding, clothing and electronics.
  6. Label and color code boxes – Labeling your boxes with a sharpie marker is an absolute must when moving. Otherwise, you’ll waste precious time searching for everything from your toothbrush to your pillows. In addition to labeling boxes, we suggest taking it one step further by color coding them. This will make it easier for you and/or your movers to place boxes in the correct corresponding room. Color coded labels can be found at a number of retailers. You can also make up your own color coded system by using colored tape and assigning a room to each color. For instance, all kitchen boxes will have green tape on them, master bedroom boxes will have red on them, etc.

Where to Find Free Moving Boxes

Those on a budget will be happy to know there are multiple places where you can find free cardboard boxes. Besides being a budget-friendly option, these pre-owned boxes typically come pre-assembled. Here are five places where you can find free moving boxes. For more information about free moving boxes, check here.

  • U-Haul Box Exchange – The truck rental company’s Customer Connect Box Exchange allows people from all over the U.S. to connect and find moving supplies. Just enter your location and/or “Free Boxes” in the keyword section to find someone nearby who is giving away moving boxes.
  • Online community groups – Look into your local online community groups such as Nextdoor.com and Facebook Marketplace to find free boxes in your neighborhood.
  • Recycling drop-off points – Most cities have multiple recycling drop-off points, so chances are, there’s one near your home. Check it out on a weekend, and you’re sure to hit the cardboard box jackpot.
  • Craigslist – Head to Craigslist’s “Free” section to find all sorts of free items up for grabs. You’ll likely find someone trying to ditch their mountain of moving boxes. If not, you can always post your own ad asking for free boxes and supplies.
  • Freecycle – The Freecycle networkis an excellent way to find moving supplies (and other free household items!) in your community. Similar to Craigslist, if you can’t find boxes, simply post an ad letting people know that you need them.

Ready to move?

Of course, you can always purchase moving boxes and packing supplies directly through Moving.com. For additional help getting organized before a move, try our comprehensive Move Planner. We provide you with a customizable moving checklist, personal tasks list, helpful recommendations, email reminders and plenty of coupons to get you organized. Best of luck and happy moving!