Build a wooden parcel box in any size you want

Because Your Packages Deserve VIP Treatment

You could buy a delivery box for your front porch, pay hundreds, and be stuck with something poorly sized for your needs, OR you could build a wooden parcel box for a fraction of the price and with perfect dimensions to fit your space.

Picture this: you’re out running errands, sipping your overpriced latte (who me?) , and BAM—you get the dreaded “Delivery Attempt Failed” notification. Your parcel is now chilling at some random depot, all because the delivery person couldn’t find a safe spot to drop it.

Enter the hero of this story: a DIY wooden parcel box. Think of it as the ultimate porch upgrade, offering a safe, stylish, and thief-deterring home for all your online shopping treasures. And guess what? It’s not just practical—it’s also your next weekend project. Let’s get building!

Why You Need a Delivery Box

You might be asking, “Why bother when my porch works just fine?” Oh, sweet summer child. Here’s why:

Rainproof your deliveries: No more soggy books, squishy shoes, or waterlogged gadgets.
Anti-porch pirate technology: A sturdy box keeps sneaky thieves guessing.
Aesthetic upgrade: Wood beats a plastic tote or soggy cardboard box every day of the week.
Feel like a DIY genius: Build it once, brag about it forever.

What You’ll Need to Make a Parcel Box

Before you channel your inner Bob the Builder, gather these tools and materials:

(Amazon affiliate links to items I used, please see affiliate disclosure at the bottom of the page)

Wooden boards (pressure treated, cedar, or reclaimed wood if you’re feeling fancy)
Screws and a drill
Outdoor-appropriate wood glue
Mitre saw (because nothing screams “DIY” like wielding a saw)
Sandpaper (splinters are the enemy, remember?)
hammer and nails or brad nailer
Outdoor wood stain or paint
Weatherproof hinges
A hasp and padlock for security
A measuring tape (yes, you actually have to measure—sorry)

Optional: A little doorbell or sign that says “Drop Packages Here” because subtlety is overrated.

How to Build Your DIY Wooden Parcel Box

Step 1: Choose Your Size

Decide how much space you need for your packages. Ordering socks? Small box. Ordering a bulk pack of toilet paper? Go big. Pro tip: measure your typical Amazon hauls to avoid the heartbreak of a too-small box.

Step 2: Cut Your Wood

Measure and cut the wood for your box. You’ll need a base, four sides, and a lid. A rectangular shape works best unless you’re aiming for a “Pinterest Fail” vibe.

Start with your sides – two rectangles screwed together at the height (less ¾” for the lid) you want. The top and bottom of each rectangle will be the internal depth.

Step 3: Time to determine the Width

How big do you want the parcel box to be? Because I didn’t want mine to impede traffic on my front porch, I went with a delivery box that wasn’t very deep, so I had to make up the storage capabilities by making it wider. Cut four pieces of 1″x 2″ and glue and screw them between your sides. (below it’s tipped on its side)

Step 4: Assemble the Base

Cut narrow strips of wood to create a slatted base. Attach these with outdoor-appropriate wood glue and nails. I had spare cedar available (which will deter bugs), but pressure treated is less expensive and will last as long.

Step 5: Clad the sides

Glue and nail your cladding to the front, back and sides of your delivery box. It’s not a beauty pageant, so don’t worry too much about the condition of the boards you’re using. As you can see here, I ran out of cedar and ended up cladding the parcel box with some ship lap boards that I had laying around. Some painted, some not. Ugly is as ugly does right?

This is entirely optional, your DIY parcel box is more than sturdy enough as-is, but I decided to hide my corners with a bit of trim work. Just a few 1 ½” pieces of wood on each corner.

Step 6: Make the Lid

The lid consists of a few boards cut ½” longer than the finished width of your parcel box, and ½” deeper so you have a little lip to grab, and to keep the rain out. These are held together with 3 boards running perpendicularly, that are glued and screwed/nailed into place from the inside. Watch your placement of these boards; they need to fit within the frame of the box so that the lid closes completely.

Add your hinges and you are ready to add makeup to this pig.

At least mine’s a pig because it’s a mish-mash of wood I had lying around in the garage. I gave the delivery box a good sanding down to 150 grit, inside and out, so that no one would be attacked by slivers.

Step 7: Paint or Stain

Give your box a coat of outdoor paint or wood stain to protect it from the elements. Match it to your house for that HGTV curb appeal.

I had black, so I went with black. (Paint is frickin’ expensive anymore!)

Step 8: Add Extra Features

I found these metal signs on Amazon and attached one to the top. Even still, it only works about 50% of the time. You could attach a hasp latch if you like, I see many delivery boxes being sold with them, but how would that work? Would you give the delivery guys (rarely the same one all the time) your combination or key? I never understood this feature, unless it’s like putting a spiked collar on your chihuahua – all looks, no bite.

Placement Is Key

Where should your shiny new wooden parcel box live? Here are some ideas:

On your porch: Obvious, but effective.
At the end of your driveway: Great for keeping delivery drivers happy.
Camouflaged near your front door: Add a potted plant in front and boom, it’s functional and fabulous.

Wide enough to hold several packages, but without jutting out into the flow of traffic (or blocking the view of my guard dogs).

Check out the storage!

Actually, this is a better view:

Final Thoughts

There you have it—your very own DIY wooden parcel box, ready to safeguard all your online shopping secrets. It’s functional, fabulous, and best of all, it lets you smugly tell your friends, “Oh, that? I built it.”