Custom Tray and Sleeve Oil Boxes

Inserts That Hold Glass Bottles Upright

Upright storage is important for oils, as bottles laid on their side can leak through the dropper or cap. A card insert with round cut-outs sized to the bottle diameter holds bottles firmly and keeps them upright. A double-layer card insert, with a lower layer supporting the base and an upper layer gripping the neck, gives extra stability.

Foam inserts with cavities offer more cushioning for longer journeys and premium sets. Moulded pulp trays give a natural look that suits wellness brands. Whatever the insert, the bottles should not touch each other, as glass tapping on glass can chip or crack.

If your set includes a roller bottle, a diffuser stone or a small booklet, we can add a dedicated recess or a flat area under the insert.

Folding or Rigid

Folding card tray and sleeve boxes are light, ship flat and cost less, making them a good choice for discovery kits and larger volumes. They are folded and assembled by hand before packing. Rigid tray and sleeve boxes are made from wrapped greyboard and arrive assembled. They feel heavier and more luxurious and suit premium gift sets and higher price points.

Many brands use folding boxes for everyday sets and rigid boxes for a flagship gift set, sharing the same design language across both.

Fit between sleeve and tray matters on both. Too tight and the tray will not slide; too loose and it falls out when the box is tipped. We size the sleeve with a small allowance and add a slight friction fit, so the tray slides smoothly but stays put.

Print and Information

Aromatherapy packaging often uses calm, natural colours, botanical illustrations and plenty of space. Soft-touch lamination gives a velvety feel, and foil stamping on the logo or the oil names adds a refined touch. Kraft board with a single ink colour suits brands with a more natural, handmade identity.

Include clear information on the sleeve: the oil names, bottle volumes and any usage or safety guidance you provide. Essential oils often carry warnings about dilution and keeping away from children. That wording must come from your own compliance checks, and we will lay it out clearly and check legibility in the proof.

Oils can stain board if a bottle leaks. A laminated inside tray, or a coated insert, resists oil marks and keeps the set looking clean. If your bottles have orifice reducers or tamper-evident caps, leaks are rare, but a coated tray is still a sensible precaution for gift sets. p2 Foil and soft-touch are compared in the guide to print and finish options.

Sizing the Tray

Measure the bottle height including the cap or dropper, and the diameter at its widest. Decide how many bottles go in the set and how they are arranged: a single row of three or four is common, while six bottles often sit in two rows of three. The tray inner size is then calculated from the bottle diameter, spacing between bottles and insert thickness.

Send us a sample bottle and your set sizes, and we will design the tray layout. If you sell sets of different sizes, a consistent tray depth with different widths keeps the range coherent.

If you plan rotating collections, one tray layout with interchangeable sleeves keeps costs low. Each new collection only needs a new sleeve design.

Think about the opening direction too. Some brands prefer the tray to slide out from the short end, while others prefer the long side so all bottles are revealed at once. p3 The guide to measuring a product covers rows of bottles and spacing.

Choose Which Way the Tray Slides Out

The small decision that shapes an oil set box is the opening direction. A tray that slides from the short end reveals the bottles one at a time; one that slides from the long side shows the whole row at once, and the sleeve, the ribbon pull and the insert are all cut differently for each. Decide that first, then send a sample bottle with its cap or dropper on, the number of bottles per set and how they are arranged, in one row or two.

Ask for a coated tray if there is any chance of a leak, and keep one tray layout with interchangeable sleeves if you run rotating collections, so a new collection only needs a new sleeve. The custom quote arrives by email within one working day with the minimum set per job.

The free proof shows the tray, the insert and the printed sleeve, with any safety wording you supply laid out for legibility. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval and the boxes reach UK mainland addresses by free tracked delivery. Brands that also sell single oils use our single essential oil cartons in the same palette.