Gift box template for empty bathroom spools (aka toilet paper tubes)

Stop flushing your money down the drain for gift bags. Finally, a use for that cardboard tube when you've finished the paperwork after your porcelain cruise. Just a handy little template I came up with while farting around wrapping some stocking stuffers. These little boxes are also convenient to contain small parts clogging up your workspace surfaces.

This quick print (~15 min) uses minimal filament (~5g per guide). There are two sizes of guides depending on how flattened you want the box to be. I may make additional sizes if there are any requests, but these have worked well for me.

Printing Recommendations

Just use sensible defaults

• Supports: No
• Infill: 0-100% (it doesn't matter)
• Material: PLA, PETG… anything that won't spontaneously explode if it touches cardboard.
• Walls: Yes

How to Use

The attached pictures show key steps, but if you're not into that whole brevity thing, here are some words:

1. Flatten the tube. 
2. Use the guide's convex side to mark a curve tangent to the end of the tube.
3. Cut on that line (you should have a tube with two rounded flaps).
4. OPTIONAL - use the slot to mark where you can cut a finger hole in one of the flaps. This makes it slightly easier to open the box.
5. Use the guide's concave side to mark a mirror of the cut on both sides.
6. Score along that line (I always use the guide with my bone folding tool to make the mark, but you do you).
7. Push the flaps in and pinch the creases slightly to make them crisper.
8. Repeat steps 2-7 on the other end.

At this point, you have converted a toilet paper tube into a nugget-sized container. You can glue some decorative paper to the outside, paint it, or whatever you feel is appropriate. You can even wrap a ribbon lengthwise to make it look nice and keep the ends from dumping out the contents unexpectedly.

Good luck, happy wrapping, and please wash your hands.