NOTHING.
100% Guaranteed Absence of Matter.
*(Results may vary based on existential outlook.)
The Kickstarter was a parody. The plans are real. Both are free.
Two files. One box. Zero dollars.
Give them Nothing.
A short film about the perfect gift for the person who has everything.
What is Nothing?
In an era of digital noise, infinite notifications, and clutter, we realized the world was missing one vital thing: Nothing.
We spent months in R&D (Research and De-materialization) to strip away everything unnecessary — features, functionality, and purpose — to bring you a product that demands nothing of you.
Nothing is a 4.5" × 3" × 3" industrial-chic box, designed to be manufactured from corrugated material. The exterior of the box features a matte charcoal finish with white print that describes the contents, features, safety warnings and storage instructions — including our original tagline: "You can't get something for nothing, but you can get nothing for something."
Nothing comes with a meticulously written, one-page double-sided Owner's Manual that details 22 ways you can utilize your new void.
The Relationship Stress-Test. Give this to a partner. If they laugh, they are a keeper. If they look inside and ask, "Where is the rest of it?", they are clearly not ready for the profound depth of your philosophical emptiness. It is cheaper than couples counseling and significantly more portable.
- Dimensions
- 4.5″ × 3″ × 3″
- Material
- Corrugated cardstock (recommended)
- Any black-and-white or color printer
- Origin
- Your printer / any print shop / Packola
- Includes
- One-page double-sided Owner's Manual (22 recommended uses)
- Contents
- Nothing
A note about the Kickstarter.
The Nothing Project was originally created as a parody Kickstarter project. It was posted with an intentionally unrealistic funding goal because part of the joke was that very few people would be willing to pay something for nothing, even if it came in a premium empty Nothing box with a questionably clever Owner's manual.
Our original tagline, which is still printed on the box, is: "You can't get something for nothing, but you can get nothing for something."
But now you can get nothing for nothing (aside from a little effort).
Make your own Nothing.
Two files. Print, fold, assemble. Total build time: under ten minutes. Total cost: whatever your printer charges you, which for most people is nothing.
DIY is the whole point.
A store-bought gift takes a credit card. A homemade Nothing takes a printer, some cardstock, ten minutes with a hobby knife, and the small act of folding a piece of paper into thirds. The effort IS the message. Anyone can spend money on a gag gift. Making one yourself, and handing it to someone, tells them you cared enough to fold nothing on purpose. For them.
- 01
Download and print the Owner's Manual.
The one-page, double-sided Owner's Manual containing 22 recommended uses for your Nothing. Includes safety warnings and storage instructions.
Print settings: US Letter or A4, double-sided (flip on long edge), black-and-white, 100% scale (do not "fit to page").
Then fold it to fit in the box:
- Fold once vertically down the middle.
- Fold once horizontally in half.
- Fold once more horizontally in half.
- The finished manual should be roughly 4.25″ × 1.4″ — small enough to sit comfortably inside the Nothing.
1. Vertical fold2. Fold in half3. Fold in half again4. Insert in box - 02
Download the box layout.
The die-cut layout for the Nothing box itself. Two ways to use it:
Print and assemble yourself.
Print at 100% scale on cardstock (65 lb / 176 gsm or heavier is recommended). Cut along solid lines, fold along dashed lines, glue or tape the tabs. Charcoal cardstock gives the best result; white works too.
Send it to a proper print shop.
Upload the layout to a custom-box service like Packola, PakFactory, or PackMojo as a die-line template. Choose matte charcoal corrugated with white water-based print for the closest match to the original design. Minimum order is usually 25–100 units — worth it if you're making them as gifts.
- 03
Combine, then give it away.
Place the folded Owner's Manual inside the assembled box. Close the box.
That's it. You now own Nothing. But the real move is to give it to someone — the ten minutes you spent folding it are, in a very literal sense, the gift.
The design files are released under the MIT License, for personal and small-batch use. Please don't mass-produce and sell counterfeits. (We are definitely not in the process of trademarking "Nothing." Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. We are totally unprepared to defend the purity of our Nothing against low-quality "Something" imitators.)
Why now?
In an era of deepfakes, AI, and digital hallucinations, Nothing is refreshingly real. It doesn't require a software update, it won't track your data, and it will never ask you to "accept all cookies."
It is the only product that is compatible with everything you already own.
Why Nothing?
The Perfect Gag Gift
For the person who literally has everything.
Eco-Friendly
100% recyclable, 0% carbon footprint from internal components (because there aren't any).
Mental Clarity
A physical anchor for your mindfulness practice.
DIY-Friendly
The only novelty product where a home-printed version is functionally identical to the deluxe original.
The Nothing Legacy
When people ask what you're leaving behind for future generations, you can show them the Nothing box. It represents the clutter you didn't buy, the plastic you didn't throw away, and the peace of mind you did acquire.
Like Swedish death cleaning, only easier.
Questions about Nothing.
Wait, so this is free? +
Yes. The two design files — the Owner's Manual and the box layout — are released for free download. The idea was to sell finished boxes via Kickstarter. That didn't fund. Rather than shelve everything, we're releasing the plans.
What do I actually need to make one? +
A printer, some paper for the manual, cardstock (65 lb / 176 gsm or heavier) for the box, scissors or a hobby knife, and glue or double-sided tape. Ten minutes.
How do I print the Owner's Manual? +
US Letter or A4, double-sided, flipped on the long edge, at 100% scale. Do not "fit to page" — the layout is designed for exact dimensions.
How do I fold the manual to fit inside the box? +
Fold it once vertically down the middle, then twice horizontally (into thirds). The finished manual should be roughly 2.75″ × 1.5″.
Can I get a "real" one printed on cardboard? +
Yes. Upload the box layout to a custom-box print service like Packola, PakFactory, or PackMojo as a die-line. Choose matte charcoal corrugated with white water-based print for the closest match to the original design. Minimum orders are typically 25–100 units.
What if I open it and there's actually something inside? +
Then you did it wrong. Remove the something. Try again.
Can I sell these? +
Please don't mass-produce and sell counterfeits. Making a few for friends, a corporate gag-gift run for your office, or selling small quantities at a local market is fine. We are definitely not in the process of trademarking "Nothing." Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. We are totally unprepared to defend the purity of our Nothing against low-quality "Something" imitators.
Why did the Kickstarter fail? +
A combination of things: modest reach, a price point that read as "too high for a joke" and "too low to be premium" simultaneously, and the specific philosophical problem that people are, in fact, more comfortable getting nothing for nothing than getting nothing for something. The joke is on us. That is also on-brand.
Is Nothing real? +
Yes. The box is real, the printing is real, the folding is real. Only the contents are not.
Print Nothing. Fold Nothing. Give Nothing.
You couldn't get nothing for something. So now you can get nothing for nothing.