Package Templates

Of recent, whenever I go out around Toronto to do some shopping or other usual activities, I look out for any unique product packaging.  In some cases, it's usually soiled food containers; paper, card stock or cardboard materials that have grease, crumbs or condiment stains or dirt smudges or dog-eared wear.  I know it sounds like I'm picking up garbage from the streets, not that it isn't a good thing to do for the environment, people really do need to be more responsible with tossing out their wastes.

It's actually going back since I've been doing origami, the Japanese art of paper folding where I make little paper boxes and other containers.  Found cardboard were too big for the small things I had.  I've been collecting and saving any packages that looks interesting and looks simple enough to replicate at home.  I don't normally keep the soiled packages but instead remake its template design onto my sheets of card stock.  

Here's a recent package I found and a bit of my process of replicating it:

An interesting food package unfolded.  Measurement were marked down in Imperial Inches with a black Sharpie marker.

The package is from a restaurant called Dirty Bird.  I didn't buy the packaging with the fried chicken, just found it in a trash bin (should've been thrown into the recycling being cardboard)

The whole layout was larger than a letter-size card stock sheet so I rebuild the box template in Adobe Illustrator.  I did the original measurements in one layer, then copied and downsized the template to fit within the letter-sized format (11"W x 8.5"H). 

After printing out the template onto card stock, I cut away the excess with a metal ruler and utility knife. I folded the lined guides and glued its flap to fully assembled the mini-box here.

This version is about half the original size of the greased cardboard packaging.

Here's a small fries paper dish template.  One all assembled and an unused cut template. 

Here's a template of a McDonald's fries cup (or was it Wendy's?).  One assembled, one unused but slightly creased.  To help make neater folds, I made some paper scores for straight lines and dotted cut lines for the curves.

Here's my version of a 500mL milk carton drink, figured that it could be use for promotional work. I made it to be reusable once opened up.

I suppose when I get in the right mood, I could design my own package templates.  Well, that's it for now.