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Home Β» Blog Β» Cupcake Decorating

DIY Cupcake Box Inserts

Published: Jan 11, 2018 Β· Updated: Oct 20, 2022 by Kara Β· This post may contain affiliate links Β· This blog generates income via ads

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Traveling with cupcakes just got easier. and these DIY Cupcake Box Inserts are super easy to make. If you ever have trouble transporting cupcakes, these inserts will keep them from toppling over and you can use any box you have.

DIY Cupcake Box Inserts Pinterest Graphic 1

I don’t know about you, but I can never find cupcake box inserts at any of my local stores. Sometimes my Walmart has boxes with the inserts included, but they can get a little pricey, so I figured out a way I could make my own on the cheap.

DIY Cupcake Box Inserts Graphic

You can always order these things online, but honestly sometimes, I just don’t think ahead and I need them in a pinch. The great thing about this tutorial is that you can make the inserts to fit any sized cake or cupcake box that you have on hand. Really it’ll work for any type of box you’ve got.

With these inserts, there’s no more worrying about your cupcakes toppling over when you’re traveling. And even if you don’t plan on traveling with them, it’s a handy way to keep your cupcakes covered and fresh. No more plastic wrap messing up your cupcakes!

DIY cupcake inserts open box

Okay, since you’ll be using plain poster board, this project is fairly cheap to do AND you can probably get a couple sets out of just one poster board.

DIY cupcake box inserts with cupcakes

Alright, let’s get to the tutorial. I’ve included some screenshots of the whole process with notes, but don’t forget to check out the video below that to see it coming together.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Supplies You’ll Need for the DIY Cupcake Box Inserts:

  • Poster Board (any color you want)
  • The box you plan to use (you can use whatever size you want)
  • Round Circle Cutter (you’ll use this to trace around) I used a 2 Β½ inch round circle cutter, which is a good size for a standard cupcake. You can grab a circle cutter set here: Circle Cutter Set
  • Exacto Knife
  • Ruler (I used an acrylic ruler because it’s see-through, large and really handy to have.) You can grab one like mine here: Acrylic Ruler
  • Scissors

Making the DIY Cupcake Box Inserts:

First you’ll need to find a box. You can use any box you’ve got. I used a cake/cupcake box I’d bought from Michael’s craft store.

cupcake box

Take your poster board and set the box on top of it. Trace around the box onto the poster board.

tracing around the box

Now take your ruler and mark one inch around the line you just traced.

marking one inch around the raced line of the cupcake box

Make sure to do this all the way around.

mark one inch around the line you traced

Now use your ruler to make a straight line where you just marked.

drawing a straight line on poster board

Cut around the outside line.

cutting around the outside line that was traced on cupcake insert box

Cut on that outside line on all four sides.

cutting around the outside line of the poster board for cupcake box inserts

Cut out each corner.

cut out the corners of the poster board for the cupcake inserts
cut out all four corners of poster board for the cupcake inserts

Take your circle cutter and trace around it as many times as will fit, or for the amount of cupcakes you’re needing to box up.

trace around circle cutter to make the cupcake inserts

Take your exacto knife and cut slits into each circle. I cut mine like a pie.

cut slits into the circles for the cupcake box inserts

Take the ends of your insert and fold them in along that inside line you made when you traced around the box.

fold along the first line of the cupcake box insert

Now, fold back the areas you cut in each circle.

fold back cuts in circles for the cupcake box insert
fold back cut outs in each circle of the cupcake box insert

Turn it over and make sure everything looks good and that it’s not folded too wonky.

DIY cupcake insert

Now, just add it to your box. It’ll be snug, but you’ll need to push down the corners of your insert, down into the box.

adding the cupcake box insert into the box
adding the cupcake box insert into the box

I like to go ahead and add my cupcakes before icing them.

adding cupcakes to a cupcake box

Then just pipe on your buttercream.

piping onto cupcakes in a box

Pop the lid on and you’re ready to go!

packing cupcakes in a box

Ok, there you have it! Now you can make cupcake inserts for any box you’ve got!

Here’s the video for the DIY Cupcake Box Inserts:

Don’t Forget to Pin it Below!

DIY Cupcake Box Inserts Pinterest Graphic 3
DIY Cupcake Box Inserts Pinterest Graphic 2
« Common Cake Decorating Problems and How to Avoid Them
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Filed Under: Cupcake Decorating, Cupcakes, Recipes Tagged With: cake business tips, crafts

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tammy

    January 13, 2018 at 1:01 pm

    really liked this idea! i though it was simply & practical and really clearly explained. I think I will try this!! thanks!

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      January 13, 2018 at 4:46 pm

      Oh wonderful! I often wonder if I’m explaining things okay…thanks for letting me know! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. Linda

    January 14, 2018 at 10:20 pm

    Kara, what a great idea! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      January 15, 2018 at 12:04 pm

      Oh you’re so welcome! πŸ˜‰

      Reply
  3. ADDANKI

    January 24, 2018 at 6:57 am

    Amazing Kara. Thanks for posting a very useful tutorial with excellent illustrations and a video , It will surely help many. I was just imagining the hard work behind to this great job, Hats off to you. Also i saw your free ruffles cake course to learn to do ruffles on a fondant cake. great job again ,

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      January 24, 2018 at 1:10 pm

      You’re so welcome and I’m glad it was useful for you! It IS a lot of work, but I really have fun with it and enjoy it. πŸ˜‰ Thanks again for your sweet comment!

      Reply
  4. Sharee M.

    October 12, 2018 at 3:49 pm

    I feel like crying right now. Lol. OMG I seriously love you for this woman!!! I needed a cupcake box last minute and it was hard to find one that holds 48. Thanks for this!!!

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      October 12, 2018 at 6:47 pm

      LOL! Yay…I’m so glad it helped!

      Reply
  5. Mattie Scott

    March 27, 2019 at 4:12 pm

    Amazing! I love your Idea. next time I’m going to make my own box instead of buying it form the market. Thank you so much for the helpful post. πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      March 27, 2019 at 7:03 pm

      Hi Mattie, thanks so much and I’m so glad it was helpful!

      Reply
  6. Ash

    March 10, 2020 at 2:02 pm

    What size box did you use?This looks like a really good idea!

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      March 10, 2020 at 3:02 pm

      I can’t remember the size of the box. I think I just got one of the rectangle cupcake/cake boxes from Walmart. Maybe around 12×8? Somewhere around that size.

      Reply
  7. Arlette Hunnakko

    June 30, 2020 at 1:11 am

    Hi Kara,
    Thanks for that cupcake box tutorial. Just what I needed! My problem is how to lift them out gracefully without mushing the nice frosting…lol Maybe tongs?
    God bless!

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      June 30, 2020 at 2:57 pm

      Oh yes…that’s an age old problem. lol The only thing I know to do is chill them a bit in the fridge, so that the icing firms up just enough. That way, you’re less likely to mess up the icing too badly.

      Reply
  8. Sidra

    March 31, 2022 at 8:28 pm

    awesome DIY, we need to use this for parfait boxes as most boxes and inserts out there are for cup cakes but this can be really helpful for parfait boxes as well.

    Reply
    • Kara

      April 01, 2022 at 2:48 pm

      Oh yes! Great idea!

      Reply

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Hey there, I’m Kara!

Hi, I'm so glad you're here! Cake shows up at our most important and happiest moments in life, like birthdays, weddings, baby showers and holidays. It's also for those everyday moments...it makes them even better. Put simply, cake just makes us happy! I love trying out new cake flavor combinations and decorating ideas. Have a look around and I bet you can find a cake recipe or tutorial for any of life's big moments and those everyday moments too. Click here if you want to learn more about me!

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