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How to Make an Envelope Out of (Almost) Anything
You can make amazing DIY envelopes out of pretty much any flat, paper-like material! All you have to do is make a template (super simple), trace around it, cut, and glue. Add some calligraphy and a stamp or two, and you have a unique envelope that’s ready to rock someone’s mailbox!
I used to think that the post office would only accept commercially purchased envelopes. As it turns out, however, that assumption was blissfully incorrect. You can easily make an envelope out of almost any foldable material, and the post office will deliver it! In this tutorial, I’ll show you a quick and simple technique for transforming everyday paper (or paper-like) materials into envelopes.
1. (Gently) Tear Apart a Commercial Envelope
Find a commercial envelope in a size that you like, and use a gentle touch to disengage the glue holding it together. Once you have taken apart the envelope, it should look something like the envelope below. Voilà! You’ve made a reusable envelope template.
If you don’t have any envelopes laying around, you can find several printable envelope templates in the Letter Writer’s Complete Resource. Note that you don’t have to choose an unused envelope to create your template. Used junk mail envelopes can work beautifully for this purpose!
2. Find Your Envelope Material
You can make an envelope out of virtually any piece of paper (or foldable plastic, or starch-drenched fabric). As long as the material is a little larger than the envelope template that you made in the previous step, it will work!
For this tutorial, I will make an envelope out of this chic paper sack from Panchita, a restaurant that I recently visited in Lima. If you’re working with a paper bag, you’ll need to cut it so it can lay flat.
If I’m making an envelope out of a paper bag, I usually cut out a side and the entire bottom of the paper bag. Then, I cut the remainder of the bag in half to give me a large piece of paper like the one shown above. 3. Trace Around Your Envelope Template
Place your envelope template on top of the paper you’ll be making an envelope out of. Then, use a pen or pencil to trace around the template. It’s okay if your tracing isn’t absolutely perfect; as long as you’ve got the general shape there, the envelope will turn out great!
I usually turn my paper over to trace around the envelope template. That way, when you put the envelope together, you won’t see any of the tracing lines on the outside! 4. Cut Out and Fold the Envelope
Use the lines that you just traced to cut the paper.
Then, lay the “good” side of the envelope (the side that you want to show on the front) face down on a flat surface. Fold all of its tabs inward.
You can use a bone folder to get crisp, clean folds! Next, press the side flaps down onto the bottom flap. Use a pencil to lightly trace around both of the side flaps, then let them spring back up. Apply glue inside the area that you just traced.
A glue stick or liquid glue both work well for this step. Easy does it! An excess of glue will ooze out the sides and make your envelope look sloppy when it dries. Now, press the side flaps down into the glue.
Use your fingers to apply firm, even pressure to the side flaps. This will secure them to the bottom flap. Once you’ve glued down the side flaps, you have an envelope!
From a cool bag to a cool envelope … this is upcycling at its finest! 5. Add an Address
If the paper that you used to create your envelope doesn’t feature a distracting design, you can write the address straight on the envelope. My envelope, however, is fairly “busy” — calligraphy may get lost in the design chaos. If you’re in the same boat, try writing the address out on a piece of white paper.
I used Amy Style calligraphy and Sans Serif lettering to write this address. (The second line has been covered to maintain privacy.) Next, cut out what you wrote. You can cut along the contours of the letters or cut out the address in strips (or a mix of both, as I did here)!
I like to follow the contours of calligraphy when I cut. For block letters, I favor cutting in long strips. Once you’ve cut out the address, securely glue it onto your envelope.
Pay special attention to gluing the edges of your calligraphy/letter cutouts! A postal machine can easily rip off a strip of paper if it has a loose edge to catch on. If you want to add a little bit of extra pizazz to the envelope (like the henna motif below), you can! Then, put on stamps and send.
As long as your handmade envelope weighs under one ounce*, it won’t require any additional postage. (*If you’re located in the US.)
I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial, and that it inspires you to make an envelope out of the next cool piece of paper that catches your eye! Don’t be afraid to experiment: I’ve made envelopes out of everything from magazines to grocery sacks to vintage wallpaper. They always turn out really cool and unique! I also have mail art envelope templates available on the TPK site; you just print, fold, and glue them as shown in this tutorial. You can find those here! In the meantime, if you have any questions about this tutorial, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m always happy to help!
Thanks for reading TPK, and have a great weekend!
Warmly,
