Custom Candle Packaging Boxes: The Ultimate Design Guide

Why Your Candle Packaging Matters More Than Your Candle

I've watched a client spend six months perfecting their soy wax blend—twelve iterations, feedback from two hundred testers, fragrance notes that would make a perfumer weep. Then they slapped it in a generic white box from a bulk supplier and wondered why sales plateaued. (I've seen this exact scenario play out four times. Four. You'd think people would learn, but here we are.) Meanwhile, I visited another brand in Portland's Pearl District last fall whose entire product line lives inside hand-collaged boxes with hand-stamped wax seals, and they sell out monthly at $38 per candle.

The uncomfortable truth? Your custom candle packaging boxes do more selling work than your product. A 2022 study by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute found consumers form a purchasing judgment within 0.3 seconds of seeing packaging. Before they smell your cedar and sage blend, before they read your ingredient list, before they even touch the box—they've already decided. It's brutal, honestly. You can spend hundreds of hours perfecting your wick wicking (yes, that's a thing) only to lose at the checkout line because your box looked like it came from the same place as shipping materials for auto parts.

Your packaging operates as a silent salesperson, working around the clock. It appears on Instagram feeds, sits on retail shelves surrounded by competitors in Dallas and Atlanta boutique stores, travels through Amazon fulfillment centers in Kentucky and Tennessee, and arrives at someone's door as the physical representation of your brand promise.

Those 0.3 seconds of judgment happen everywhere your product exists. I learned this lesson while running Custom Logo Things. We had a client in Austin, Texas—lovely woman, great product, terrible packaging—whose candles tested beautifully in focus groups. She'd hand them out at craft fairs to glowing reviews. But her conversion rate at retail was abysmal. Customers picked up the box, turned it over, and put it back on the shelf. The packaging told them nothing about quality, didn't communicate the brand story, and looked cheap next to competitors using custom printed boxes with actual design thinking behind them. I genuinely felt bad watching it happen. She had a solid product buried under cardboard mediocrity.

What Exactly Are Custom Candle Packaging Boxes?

When I started in this industry in 2012, "custom packaging" meant picking from a catalog. You'd browse 47 shades of brown cardboard and maybe upgrade to a glossy finish if you were feeling fancy. That's not what we're talking about here. And honestly, if you're still working with that approach, we need to talk.

Custom candle packaging boxes are bespoke containers designed specifically for your product, your brand, and your customers. Every dimension, every material, every printed element is selected by you. This isn't about choosing from presets—it's about building packaging that fits your candle like it was made for it (because it was).

Common Materials for Custom candle packaging boxes include:

• Rigid chipboard: толщина от 1.5mm до 3mm, этот материал обеспечивает премиальное ощущение, которое идеально подходит для роскошных брендов. Brands like Boy Smells use 2mm rigid board with magnetic closures, and it screams quality before you even open it. The first time I held one of their boxes in their Los Angeles showroom, I understood why people were willing to pay $35+ for a candle. The packaging alone communicated "this is special."
• Paperboard: 300-400gsm options that work for budget-conscious brands or secondary packaging. Think of the kraft options from suppliers like International Paper's North Virginia mill—functional, not fancy, but still worlds better than generic brown boxes. (And please, if you're using generic brown boxes, stop reading this article, go change your packaging, and then come back. I'll wait.)
• Corrugated: For brands heavily reliant on e-commerce shipping. Double-wall corrugated (BC flute, 5mm combined thickness) with proper crush ratings protects candles through the absolute worst that FedEx and UPS can throw at them. I've seen candles arrive in pieces because someone cheaped out on corrugated grades. Don't be that person.

Three main printing paths exist for your custom candle packaging boxes:

Offset printing delivers the highest quality for large runs. During a visit to our partner facility in Dongguan, China, I watched a 20,000-unit order get printed on a Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106 that cost more than most houses. The color consistency was surgical—Pantone 187 C matched across every single box within 0.5 Delta E. For runs of 3,000+ custom candle packaging boxes, offset is worth the setup cost. That machine was hypnotizing to watch, honestly. Like a printing press from the future.

Digital printing works beautifully for shorter runs and variable data. Want to print each box with a different scent name? Want to include personalized messages? HP Indigo and Xeikon digital presses handle that without breaking a sweat. Setup costs are minimal, which is why many suppliers have MOQs as low as 100 units for digitally printed work. I've used digital printing for limited edition runs at our Portland studio, and it's fantastic for testing market response without committing to massive inventory.

Flexographic printing sits in the middle—good quality, moderate setup costs, excellent for high-volume simple designs. It's the workhorse of packaging for a reason. Not glamorous, but reliable. Like a Honda Civic. (Wait, is that insulting to flexo printing? I don't mean it to be. Flexo gets the job done, and that's valuable.)

Finishes transform your custom candle packaging boxes from "nice" to "can't stop touching":

• Soft-touch lamination: That velvety texture that makes people stroke boxes like cats. Adds about $0.08-0.15 per unit but creates an immediate premium impression. One of my clients in Brooklyn literally had customers ask if they could keep the empty box. That's when you know you've nailed it.
• Spot UV: Want certain elements to shine while others stay matte? Spot UV is your friend. I used it on a client's logo in Denver—glossy on matte looks incredibly sophisticated. it creates this subtle play of light that photographs beautifully for Instagram, which matters more than we want to admit.
• Foil stamping: Metallic accents that catch light. Gold, silver, rose gold, holographic—your brand voice determines the choice. One client spent $1,200 extra on foil stamping and increased their perceived value by $15 per candle. ROI like that makes you wonder why everyone isn't doing this.
• Embossing/debossing: Dimensional elements that create texture. Embossed logos on candle boxes make them feel crafted rather than manufactured. There's something almost primal about running your fingers over raised lettering—it feels special, intentional, made by human hands even when it wasn't.
• Spot coating: A way to add sheen to specific areas without full lamination costs. The middle child of finishing options—useful, often overlooked, and criminally underused.

Designing Your Custom Candle Boxes for Maximum Impact

Let me tell you about the worst packaging design decision I ever witnessed in my 12-year career. A client in Seattle insisted their candle boxes should be square because "squares are modern." Their candle was 4 inches tall and 3 inches in diameter. The resulting box needed to be at least 4.5 inches deep to accommodate the jar, plus padding, plus inserts. The final dimensions were 11" x 11" x 6". It was enormous, wasteful, and shipped terribly. Every box cost them an extra $1.40 in materials and shipping, and they wondered why their margins were terrible. (Spoiler: it wasn't the candle. It was the absurdly oversized box trying to be trendy.)

This is why structural considerations have to come before visual design. Before you start thinking about colors and fonts, nail down:

• Exact dimensions: Measure your candle including any lid height. Add 3-5mm clearance on each side. Account for any shrinkage or expansion your materials might experience in extreme temperatures—candles get hot, and that wax softens. I once had a candle melt slightly during a photoshoot in Phoenix because someone left it in direct sunlight for an hour. The box was fine. The candle... was not fine.
• Insert requirements: Do you need a cardboard divider? A foam cradle? A glossy tray insert? Each adds cost but also adds perceived value and product security. I've seen single EVA foam inserts (3mm thickness, custom-cut) increase perceived quality without adding significant expense. The trick is finding the right balance—too much insert makes opening feel like surgery; too little and your candle rattles around like a pinball.
• Closure mechanisms: Tuck flap, dust flap, sealed bottom, magnetic closure, ribbon tie? The closure is part of the unboxing experience. I prefer tuck flaps with thumb notch for easy opening—nobody wants to fight their candle packaging. (Except maybe those masochists who enjoy struggling with clamshell packaging. You know who you are.)
• Stackability: If you're selling wholesale, your custom candle packaging boxes need to stack without crushing. Ask your supplier about compression strength testing—look for a minimum of 125 pounds per square foot for rigid boxes. This is the unsexy stuff that separates professional packaging from amateur hour.

Once you've nailed structure, then think about visual elements. Package branding lives or dies on these details:

Color selection matters more than most people realize. I'm not just talking about "use blue because it's calming." I mean the specific Pantone or CMYK values. While developing our own packaging at Custom Logo Things in 2019, I went through 23 iterations of navy blue before settling on Pantone 282 C. Twenty-three. My design team thought I was losing my mind. But the difference between navy and navy is subtle but cumulative. On a shelf with 40 competing products at Target or Whole Foods, that precision matters. The right blue makes people stop. The wrong blue makes people scroll past.

Typography communicates brand personality instantly. Serif fonts feel traditional and luxurious. Sans-serif feels modern and clean. Handwritten scripts feel artisan and handcrafted. But here's what most people miss: your typography has to be legible at the actual size your box will print. I've seen gorgeous designs where the ingredient list was rendered in 6pt type that nobody could read, not even with their reading glasses on. (Pro tip: if your grandmother can't read it from three feet away, it's too small. Yes, I'm serious.)

Brand consistency means your custom candle packaging boxes should look like they belong to the same family as your other touchpoints. If your website uses a specific font, your social media has a signature color palette, your store signage uses particular graphics—all of that should flow into your packaging. Visual DNA should connect these elements, even if they don't match perfectly. Think of it like a family—you can tell people are related even if they're not wearing matching outfits.

The challenge is balancing aesthetics with functionality. I've seen beautiful packaging that looks incredible but can't survive a three-foot drop test. Or packaging that photographs beautifully but arrives at retail looking different due to substrate differences between proof and production. Always test your designs under real conditions before committing to full production runs. And by "real conditions," I mean don't just drop it gently onto a carpeted floor. I mean actual hard-surface drop testing like your package will experience in the real world of delivery trucks and warehouse forklifts in Memphis or Chicago hubs.

The Custom Candle Packaging Process and Timeline

One question I get constantly: "How long does this actually take?" Here's the real answer, not the optimistic answer suppliers put in their brochures. (You know the ones—they show timelines that assume every decision gets made in under two hours and nobody needs sleep.)

The design phase typically runs 2-3 weeks, assuming you have clear brand guidelines and responsive feedback loops. If you're starting from scratch—developing logo concepts, establishing color palette, creating structural dielines—it can stretch to 4-5 weeks. I've worked with clients in Miami and Boston who thought they'd be shipping in a month and ended up waiting four months because they underestimated the creative process. And then blamed me for their timeline expectations. Fun times.

The actual timeline breaks down like this:

1. Discovery and structural design: 3-5 days for dimensions, dielines, material selection
2. Visual design and artwork: 1-2 weeks for graphic design, mockups, revisions
3. Proof approval cycle: 5-7 days typically, but this depends entirely on how fast your team makes decisions. I've seen approvals take three weeks because marketing needed to "circle back" on the font choice. Three weeks. For a font. In one case, the client literally changed the font back to the original after two weeks of deliberation. I about lost it.
4. Pre-press and plate making: 3-5 days for offset work; 1-2 days for digital
5. Production run: 2-3 weeks for standard orders; can be 4-6 weeks for complex work with specialty finishes
6. Quality control and shipping: 5-10 days depending on location and shipping method

Total timeline from brief to boxes in hand: typically 8-12 weeks. If someone promises you four weeks, either they're lying about something, they're going to rush something critical, or you have a miraculously simple project. I've been in this industry for twelve years. I've never seen a miraculously simple project. They're like unicorns—everyone talks about them, nobody's actually seen one.

Rush orders are possible. I've negotiated 2-3 week turnarounds for clients with genuine emergencies at our Guangzhou facility. But expect to pay a 30-50% premium, and know that quality control often gets compressed. Rush jobs skip the waiting periods that catch errors. The last thing you want is to save two weeks on production only to receive 2,000 boxes with your logo printed backwards. (Yes, that happened. To a client of mine in San Francisco, not me. I'm not that careless. But I've seen things.)

During peak season—typically August through December in the candle industry—lead times stretch. I always advise clients to plan 12+ weeks ahead if they want packaging ready for holiday selling. Our Shenzhen facility gets absolutely slammed in September and October. Clients who wait until September to start their design process end up paying triple shipping for air freight instead of sea freight. The sticker shock is genuinely traumatic. "You want me to pay HOW MUCH to ship my boxes?!" Yes. Yes, I do. Because you waited.

Understanding the Cost of Custom Candle Packaging Boxes

Money talk. Let's be specific because vague pricing discussions help no one. And I've sat through too many "it depends on various factors" conversations to pretend that's helpful.

Minimum order quantities (MOQs) typically range from 250 to 500 units for most manufacturers in Dongguan and Qingdao. Some digital printers in Los Angeles and Chicago will go as low as 100 units, but expect to pay 40-60% more per unit for those short runs. Planning for at least 500 units makes sense—that's where you start seeing meaningful per-unit cost reductions. Below that, you're basically paying hobby prices for a professional product.

A pricing breakdown you can actually use:

Material Type	Typical MOQ	Price Range (500 qty)	Price Range (2000 qty)	Best For
Standard paperboard (14pt)	500	$0.85 - $1.40/unit	$0.55 - $0.90/unit	Budget brands, secondary packaging
Premium paperboard (18pt)	500	$1.20 - $2.00/unit	$0.80 - $1.40/unit	Mid-market candles, gift sets
Rigid chipboard (2mm)	250	$2.50 - $4.50/unit	$1.80 - $3.20/unit	Luxury candles, premium gifting
Rigid with magnetic closure	250	$4.00 - $7.00/unit	$3.00 - $5.50/unit	High-end boutique brands

These prices assume standard offset printing with one or two colors on 350gsm C1S artboard (common for candle packaging). Full-color printing adds approximately $0.20-0.40 per unit. Premium finishes (soft-touch, foil, embossing) add $0.15-0.50 per unit depending on coverage and complexity.

Hidden costs that surprise people:

• Shipping and freight: Don't overlook this. A 5,000-unit order of candle boxes might cost $800-1,500 to ship from Yantian port in Shenzhen to your warehouse in New Jersey via sea freight (12-18 day transit). Domestic production in North Carolina or California costs more per unit but saves on logistics. I've seen clients celebrate saving $0.10 per unit on manufacturing only to spend $0.15 more per unit on shipping. Congratulations, you played yourself. (That's a Family Guy reference. I'm not sorry.)
• Dieline setup fees: Some suppliers charge $200-500 for custom dieline creation if you don't have their standard sizes. Read the fine print. Actually, demand the fine print be read aloud to you. These fees sneak up on you like unexpected guests.
• Artwork preparation: If your logo isn't print-ready (wrong format, low resolution, missing fonts), expect charges for prepress work. I always tell clients to budget $150-300 for potential artwork adjustments at our studio in Portland. And honestly, if you're working with a logo that isn't print-ready, that's a bigger problem than your packaging. Fix the foundation before you worry about the paint color.
• Sample costs: Prototyping runs typically cost $50-200 per sample, though many suppliers credit this toward larger orders. The cheapest sample is sometimes a printed PDF proof, which doesn't tell you anything about how the physical box will feel and function. Holding a PDF is like reading a restaurant menu and calling that dinner. You haven't actually experienced anything.
• Testing and certification: If you need ASTM or ISTA testing for retail requirements, factor in $500-2,000 for certification processes. Yes, it's annoying. Yes, it's necessary. Yes, your local boutique will ask for it even though they "trust you." Just budget for it.

The first order will always be the most expensive per unit. Use that first run to learn what you didn't know about your needs. Did you want spot UV but realize matte looks better on camera? Did you wish you'd chosen a slightly different closure? Data from that first run informs your second order, which will be more refined and often cheaper because you removed the guesswork. Treat your first order as a learning experience wrapped in cardboard. It's not a mistake if you learn from it.

The 5 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid with Candle Packaging

After twelve years in custom printed boxes and working with hundreds of candle makers across the US and Canada, I've seen the same mistakes repeat endlessly. Let me save you from making them. You're welcome in advance.

Mistake #1: Underestimating protection requirements

Candles are deceptively fragile products. The glass jars look sturdy, but they can crack during shipping, and heat exposure in transit can cause warping, discoloration, or fragrance migration. I visited a client in Houston who had a 15% damage rate on arrival—not because their shipping method was rough, but because their product packaging didn't account for the realities of the supply chain. They were using minimal cardboard inserts because they "looked cleaner" and saved $0.08 per box. That decision cost them thousands in damaged goods and replaced shipments. False economy at its finest.

The fix: Ask your supplier about their ISTA 3A testing protocols. I always recommend requesting a crush test and vibration test on your first samples. If your supplier doesn't offer testing, find a different supplier. For candles, consider double-wall corrugated interior packaging (BC flute, 5mm combined thickness) or foam inserts that cradle the jar and distribute shock away from the glass. The goal is for your candle to survive the shipping equivalent of being dropped, shaken, and left in a hot truck for three days. Because that's basically what happens during August deliveries.

Mistake #2: Ignoring shipping realities

Your custom candle packaging boxes look stunning in your studio in Austin or Denver. They stack perfectly on your workbench. But what happens when they're packed in a larger shipping carton, stacked on a pallet, and driven across country in a truck that reaches 140°F in summer? (Yes, 140°F. I've seen temperature logs from ISTA certification testing. It's genuinely alarming what conditions your packages experience without you knowing.)

I learned this the hard way when a client's packaging delaminated in transit during August. The adhesive they used wasn't rated for elevated temperatures above 120°F, and the entire shipment arrived with boxes literally falling apart. They had to rush reorder, air freight replacement product from our supplier in Guangzhou, and lost three retail accounts in Atlanta who couldn't wait. I still remember the phone call. She was not happy. To be fair, I wasn't happy either, but I was the one who had to explain that the adhesive choice was the culprit.

Always ask about temperature ratings for adhesives and coatings—look for heat-resistant adhesives rated for 180°F minimum. If you're selling through Amazon FBA, read their packaging requirements carefully—they have specific guidelines about durability, sealing, and polybagging requirements that will affect your box design. Amazon's requirements are dense, boring, and absolutely non-negotiable. Read them anyway.

Mistake #3: Cutting corners on samples

I've seen entrepreneurs in Brooklyn and Los Angeles order 2,000 custom candle packaging boxes without seeing a physical sample first. Every single time, at least one thing was wrong. Maybe the color was slightly off from their screen calibration. Maybe the material felt cheaper than expected. Maybe the closure didn't work as designed. Whatever the issue, you're now stuck with 2,000 pieces you can't use. And believe me, "but I didn't see a sample" is not a valid reason for a supplier to take them back. Lesson learned the expensive way, repeatedly, by different people every year.

Never approve full production without a physical sample in hand. Digital proofs lie. Screens lie. Your sample should be an actual printed box with your actual chosen materials and finishes. This costs $150-300 and potentially saves you $3,000-8,000 in wasted production. I'm not great at math, but even I can see that's a good return on investment.

Mistake #4: Neglecting retail shelf requirements

Retail packaging has demands that e-commerce packaging doesn't. Your custom candle packaging boxes need to:

• Stand upright without support (gravity-friendly bottom construction with reinforced corners)
• Display clearly from at least 3 feet away (readable typography at that distance—minimum 12pt for key information)
• Withstand being touched by strangers (fingerprints, smudges, potential water exposure in humid environments)
• Include all legally required information (ingredients, burn warnings, net weight in both imperial and metric)

I've watched beautiful candle boxes get rejected from boutique retail in Chicago and Seattle because the barcode was in the wrong place (needs to be within the bottom right 1.5 inches of the package) or the retail price was printed directly on the box, preventing stores from setting their own margins. The number of times I've seen people design gorgeous packaging only to realize they forgot about the barcode... it's a lot. Budget space for your barcode like it's going to happen. Because it is.

Mistake #5: Forgetting about sustainability messaging

Consumers increasingly want to know what's inside their packaging and where it goes after use. If your candle packaging uses FSC-certified materials, say so. If it's recyclable, print "recyclable" on it. If you use soy-based inks, mention that. Branded packaging with sustainability credentials converts better among environmentally conscious consumers in Portland, San Francisco, and Boulder, and that demographic keeps growing. Ignoring this is like leaving money on the table.

Expert Tips for Stand-Out Custom Candle Packaging

Over the years, I've developed strategies that consistently help candle brands elevate their packaging game. Here are the ones That Matter Most. I'm sharing these because I wish someone had told them to me years ago, but nobody did, so now I'm doing it for you. Consider it karma investing.

Test before full production—seriously

Beyond the physical sample I mentioned earlier, consider doing an actual use-case test. Send samples to five friends in different cities with instructions to unbox them, photograph the unboxing experience, and report back on what worked and what didn't. I did this with a client's retail packaging redesign in Denver, and two of the five testers couldn't figure out how to open the tuck flap. We redesigned the closure based on that feedback before production. Can you imagine if we'd missed that? Thousands of customers frustrated at first interaction with the product. Not a good look.

For e-commerce brands, consider a more rigorous drop test. Pack a candle in your proposed packaging, seal it, and drop it from three feet onto a hard floor. Then drop it again. Then drop it again. If the candle survives three drops without damage, your packaging is probably adequate. If it breaks on the first drop, rethink your protection strategy. This is the most basic quality control test you can do at home, and I'm consistently amazed that more people don't do it.

Work with specialized suppliers, not generalists

I've seen companies in Philadelphia and Boston try to get their candle boxes from the same supplier that makes their soap packaging and their food boxes. "It's all boxes, right?" No. It's not all boxes. A supplier who specializes in candle packaging knows the common problems: heat exposure, fragile glass, the importance of interior darkening to protect fragrance notes from light degradation. They know what questions to ask before you even know to ask them.

When evaluating suppliers, ask specifically about their candle packaging experience. Ask for photos of candle projects they've completed—ideally from factories in Dongguan or Guangzhou that have dedicated candle packaging lines. Ask about their damage rates and return policies. If they can't answer confidently, move on. This is not the time to be polite about incompetence.

Build relationships for better pricing

This sounds obvious, but it's amazing how many clients treat suppliers like one-night stands instead of long-term partners. I've gotten significantly better pricing by being a reliable, communicative, on-time-paying customer for five years with our supplier in Qingdao. My third-order discount started at 5%; by year three, it was 15%. That's not nothing when you're ordering 2,000 units at $3 each.

A specific tactic that works: order your first run, pay early, provide positive feedback on quality, then ask about a standing order arrangement. Suppliers love predictable demand. They can schedule your work into their production calendar efficiently, and they pass those savings along because you're a better customer than the person who calls once with erratic ordering patterns from Seattle or Miami. Being reliable is basically free money in this industry.

Consider the unboxing experience as a system

Your custom candle packaging boxes don't exist in isolation. They're part of an experience that starts when the shipping box arrives and ends when the candle is lit for the first time. Think through the entire journey:

• How does the shipping box protect your custom candle packaging boxes? (Double-wall corrugated rated for 200 psi crush resistance works best)
• What's the experience of opening the shipping container? (Include branded packing tape with your logo)
• How does the candle box open? What do customers see first? (Design the interior for visual impact)
• What's included inside? Care instructions? Brand story? Upsell opportunities? (Custom insert cards cost $0.05-0.12 per unit)
• How does the box feel to hold? Does it have weight and substance? (2mm rigid board at minimum for premium feel)

I worked with a client in Los Angeles who added a small branded matches box inside their custom candle packaging boxes. Something that would've cost maybe $0.15 per unit more. Their average order value went up 18% within three months because customers felt like they were getting a complete experience, not just a candle in a box. Small details compound into memorable moments.

Document everything for future orders

This one's kinda boring compared to design stuff, but it matters a lot. After your first order, create a packaging spec sheet that includes every detail: exact dimensions, material specifications, Pantone colors, finish coverage areas, supplier contact info, quality benchmarks. I keep a 4-page spec sheet for every client project we've done. When you reorder two years later (and you will), you'll thank past-you for writing everything down instead of trying to remember what soft-touch lamination level you specified on a project from 2023. Your supplier might also have changed, or your contact there might've moved on, and institutional memory is notoriously unreliable in manufacturing.

Your Next Steps for Custom Candle Packaging Success

Alright, you've got the knowledge. Here's what to do with it:

Start with your constraints. Before you fall in love with a design, know your budget range, your minimum order quantity, and your shipping requirements. These three factors narrow your options immediately and prevent heartbreak later. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone design a gorgeous $6 rigid box only to discover their product margins can't support that packaging cost at reasonable retail pricing.

Get a physical sample before committing to production. This is non-negotiable. Budget $150-300 for prototyping. It's the cheapest insurance policy you'll ever buy against a $5,000 mistake. I've watched too many people skip this step and regret it.

Build relationships with suppliers who specialize in candle packaging. They're going to ask you better questions, catch problems earlier, and ultimately deliver better results. General packaging suppliers don't understand the nuances of heat resistance, fragrance protection, and fragile glass accommodation that candle-specific suppliers have already figured out.

Test under real conditions. Drop tests, temperature tests, retail display tests—don't assume your packaging will perform. Know it will. The investment in testing upfront is nothing compared to the cost of damaged products, returned shipments, and lost retail accounts.

If you're gonna get custom candle packaging boxes