Cardboard Boxes
by Consular
Cardboard Boxes, a Fabric storage mod, adds an early game box that players can craft before they reach shulker boxes.
What it does
The mod adds early game alternative shulker boxes. A cardboard box is crafted with a recipe that needs only early materials, and a box can be dyed afterward. Spob Spider, a character from the author's other work, is included in the mod.
Cardboard boxes differ from shulker boxes in a few key ways. The most noticeable is capacity: a cardboard box holds 9 stacks of items rather than 27. Cardboard boxes also need open space above them when opened, and they break instantly when hit with fists, so players can pick them up quickly. The author hopes they can store something more valuable than raw cod.
The mod is published for Fabric only, for Minecraft 1.21.1, and its latest Fabric file is 1.0.1. Servers that run it need every player to install it too. The code is released under CC0 1.0 Universal, and the source code and issue tracker are public.
Key features
Early game boxes
Cardboard boxes can be crafted early, before players have access to shulker boxes.
Dyeable boxes
A cardboard box can be dyed after it has been made, so players can color-code storage.
Nine-stack capacity
Each cardboard box holds 9 stacks of items, a third of the shulker box capacity.
Instant breaking
Cardboard boxes break instantly when struck with fists, so they can be picked up and moved without tools.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Early storage
Players who have not reached shulker boxes can carry extra items in a cardboard box from the start.
Who it’s for: Players who want a portable storage option earlier in survival, and server owners who want an early storage block in their world.
How it compares
HerrShulker is a server mod that clients do not need, and it is open source under the GNU General Public License v3.0 only, with files for 1.21.10 – 1.21.11. Copper Storage shares the client and server environment of Cardboard Boxes, is not open source, and is licensed under the MIT License for 1.21.11.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardboard Boxes | Fabric | 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2025-05-26 |
| HerrShulker | Fabric | 1.21.10 – 1.21.11 | Server required, client optional | 2026-01-09 |
| Copper Storage | Fabric | 1.21.11 | Client and server | 2026-01-05 |
Questions
Does Cardboard Boxes need to be installed on the server?
How many items does a cardboard box hold?
Which Minecraft version does Cardboard Boxes support?
In the catalog
Cardboard Boxes is one of 4,058 Storage mods on ModsFinder, and one of 2,474 Storage mods for Fabric. 32,366 mods support Minecraft 1.21.1.
More from Consular
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What the author says
Cardboard Boxes is a mod that adds an early game alternative to shulker boxes! Because convenience shouldn't be exclusively for the rich! You can even dye your box after you've made it! (featuring Spob the Spider, he's not included in the mod)
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/cardboard-boxes
- Owner
- Consular
- Published
- 2024-08-24
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2025-05-26
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15