Custom Sliding Drawer Boxes with Ribbon or Tab Pulls

Who uses sliding drawer boxes?

Jewellers like the drawer because the piece appears gradually, framed by the tray walls. Accessory labels use it for cufflinks, pocket squares and leather card holders. Skincare and tea brands use it for sample sets laid out in a row.

It also suits anything you want to keep closed without a lid. The tray cannot fall off the way a lid can, and there is no flap to catch on a bag lining.

Subscription brands like it too. A drawer slipped into a mailer feels like a small present inside the parcel, and the sleeve can carry the month or the edition.

How does a drawer box open?

The customer holds the sleeve and pulls the ribbon or tab. The tray slides out on a friction fit. It stays put when the box is tilted, yet moves with one finger.

Our photos show three pull styles. The grey box with the yellow tray uses a short black ribbon loop. The charcoal box uses a small wrapped tab. The cream printed box has a ribbon tucked low on the tray end.

A push-through thumb hole on the opposite end of the sleeve is another option. It lets people slide the tray out from behind instead of pulling.

What size drawer box fits my product?

Measure the product and add 3 to 4 mm on length and width for the tray. The sleeve is then made a touch larger than the tray outside size, so the two parts slide without binding.

Height is where people go wrong. The tray walls should be at least as tall as the item, or the item scrapes on the sleeve roof as it slides. Our guide on measuring and sizing a rigid box has the clearance numbers worked through.

Send us one finished product if you can. Measuring the real item avoids surprises from rounded corners or clasps that stick out.

Which inserts work in a drawer tray?

The tray is shallow and open, so inserts sit flat and are seen the moment it slides out. A slit card insert holds earrings or rings. A foam pad with cut cavities holds sample vials upright. A satin-lined base suits a bracelet laid in a curve.

For a set of small items, ask for a divided card insert. It stops pieces sliding to one end when the tray is pulled.

Tell us what each piece weighs. Heavier items need a firmer insert so they stay in their slot as the tray moves.

How do drawer boxes compare with other rigid styles?

Drawer boxes are often weighed up against hinged and lift-off boxes for small, valuable items. The table sets out the differences people ask about.

Print and finish options

The sleeve top is your main panel. Add foil, a raised or pressed logo, or a patch of spot UV there as options. The charcoal box in our photos has a small gold foil triangle on both sleeve and tray. The two marks line up when the drawer is shut.

Soft touch lamination suits a sleeve that will be handled a lot, because the drawer is gripped every time it opens. Matt or gloss lamination are the other choices.

Keeping the box after the gift

Drawer boxes have a long life on dressing tables. People use them for rings, hair clips, keys and spare buttons. A printed sleeve with your name keeps working for you in that second life.

Printing the tray floor is worth considering here. Once the product is gone, the floor is what shows each time the drawer is opened.

Corporate buyers notice this as well. A drawer of business cards or pin badges can sit on a desk for months. A clean sleeve with a small logo is often enough.

Sending drawer boxes by post

A drawer can creep open if the parcel is dropped on its end. A paper band or a small sticker across the sleeve and tray holds it shut, and the customer breaks it on opening.

Then pack the box in a corrugated shipper with a little void fill. If a band or seal is new to you, our guide comparing card, foam and satin inserts also covers how to stop contents moving.

Mailer boxes with a snug fit suit drawer boxes well. Leave about 10 mm around the sleeve and fill the gap with crinkle paper.