A square cardboard has a 2 inch square cut off from each corner. It is then folded up to create a container that holds 288 cubic inches. To find the perimeter of the original square cardboard, the problem sets up an equation relating the side length x to the volume formula of length x - 4, width x - 4, and height 2 inches. Solving the equation yields a side length of 16 inches. The perimeter is then calculated to be 64 inches.