Custom Flower Boxes

Hat box or square: how flower boxes are made

Flower boxes are rigid boxes, either a round tube with a lid or a square box, with an open top for the flowers.

A round hat box is made from board wound or rolled into a tube, wrapped in paper and fitted with a base and a separate lid. A square or rectangular box uses the usual rigid build, with board joined at the corners and wrapped.

The flowers are arranged in the open box, often in a block of floral foam, so the heads sit just above the rim. The lid is put on for carrying and taken off for display, which is why the box is designed to be seen open.

• Round tube or square rigid build
• Flowers sit just above the rim
• Lid for carrying, off for display

Water, liners and vase inserts

Board does not hold water, so a fresh arrangement needs a liner or insert between the flowers and the box.

Wet floral foam will soften and stain a paper-wrapped box from the inside within hours. A plastic liner or a fitted plastic or glass vase insert keeps the water off the board. A coated or laminated inside slows water down but does not make a box waterproof.

Preserved and dried flowers need no water at all, which is why so many flower box designs use them. For fresh flowers, send us the size of your foam block or vase and we size the box and liner around it, so you can check the fit on the dieline and digital proof.

• Board is not waterproof
• Use a liner or vase insert for fresh flowers
• Preserved flowers need no liner

Round or square?

Round hat boxes show a domed arrangement well. Square boxes pack, stack and fit a wider range of designs.

A round box suits a tight, domed arrangement of roses or similar blooms seen from above. It reads as a classic flower box and stands out in a shop window. It is harder to pack into a delivery vehicle without gaps.

Square and rectangular boxes stack more neatly, fit drawer or window styles, and give flat panels for print. They also work for a row of blooms or a box that holds flowers alongside a small gift.

Sizing for the arrangement

Size the box for the arrangement as it will be made, including the foam or vase inside.

The inside depth must take the foam block or vase plus the length of stem that sits in it, while the flower heads stay just above the rim. A box that is too deep hides the flowers; one too shallow leaves stems unsupported.

Florists often offer a few sizes rather than one, such as a small, medium and large round box. Settling those sizes before ordering keeps foam blocks, liners and vase inserts standard across the range.

Print and finish

The outside of a flower box is on display the whole time, so the wrap needs to stay clean.

Dark wraps such as black, green or navy are popular for flower boxes and show every scuff and water mark. A coated or soft-touch wrap resists marks better than an uncoated one. A simple foil logo on the side or lid is the usual brand mark.

The inside rim is visible when the lid is off, so a contrasting colour or a printed band there adds to the display. Keep any print well clear of the base, where water from the arrangement is most likely to reach.

Flower box or long shipping box?

A rigid flower box is the right pick for arrangements shown in the shop and carried by hand. A long corrugated box is the right pick for fresh stems sent by courier.

Courier delivery of fresh flowers over long distances is usually done in long corrugated boxes, with water tubes or wrapped stems, where the box is about keeping the flowers cool and still. We make shipping boxes to the length of the stems for this job.

A rigid hat box filled with wet foam is heavy and does not suit rough handling. Long-stemmed bouquets do not fit either, since a flower box holds short-cut stems in an arrangement, so tall bouquets are better in a wrap, a sleeve or a vase.