This article, which showcases ten fantastic mail art envelopes on the TPK site, is designed to inspire you to create eye-catching correspondence! From mail art that’s made with coffee (literally: using coffee as ink) to envelopes that feature ink spills, there’s something for every artistic taste.
After writing Monday’s newsletter, mail art is on my mind! For this article, I decided to showcase my ten favorite recent envelope designs on the site. (For a similar showcase from 2017, see this article.) If you have a moment, let me know your favorite in the comments! If you love mail art and want to come up with your own designs, consider TPK’s Marvelous Mail eBook, which was recently updated to provide more tips and inspiration for making gorgeous envelopes.
LEARN ABOUT THE MARVELOUS MAIL EBOOK
Believe it or not, the “ink” on this envelope is coffee! The only non-coffee element is a bit of blue watercolor on the portrait. My favorite part of this mail art is the ornate flourished frame around the recipient’s portrait.
A handmade paper envelope plus a simple yet vibrant color scheme elevate this envelope to eye-catching heights. There’s something zen about that lush fiddle leaf fig. Just looking at this envelope makes me feel calm!
When I send international mail, I almost always write my return address on the front. In this case, the return address steals the show! (I love using iron gall ink for projects like this one. It’s the perfect tone of black!)
READ THE ARTISTIC RETURN ADDRESS TUTORIAL
This envelope is all about the stamps. They add a hint of western flair and make me think of lassos when I look at the flourishes around the banner! Never underestimate the power of a simple color scheme (in this case: brown, white, gold, and black).
LEARN HOW TO MAKE THIS ENVELOPE
This is another example of postage stamps bringing an envelope to life! I let the stamps help me choose what color to make the Peru artwork, and that made all the difference.
MAKE AN ENVELOPE LIKE THIS ONE
I was so thrilled when Schin Loong agreed to write her gorgeous Flourished Swan Envelope Tutorial. After I read it, I ended up making a swan envelope of my own (and I thoroughly enjoyed doing so).
I love the designs on vintage teacups, which is why I couldn’t help incorporating a “Singapore Birds” cup into this mail art motif. Choose a photo of a teacup that appeals to you and use it to make your own teacup mail art!
LEARN HOW TO MAKE THIS MAIL ART
I’d love to paint flowers like these on a wall (complete with gold highlights). They’re simultaneously simple, elegant, and just the right amount of messy. Pair them with Kaitlin Style calligraphy for the perfect piece of mail art!
MAKE YOUR OWN CHIC INKY POPPIES MAIL ART
I love the look of the turquoise ink on this envelope motif! I don’t have a specific tutorial for this one, but if you love the look of flourishes, you can check out all the flourishing-related articles on the TPK blog.
This mail art takes a fair chunk of time, but the gorgeous results are worth it! (If you love the motif but don’t have an extra hour or two to draw the lace, you can download a pre-made illustrated lace mail art template here.)
I hope that this article inspires you to try your hand out at making mail art, even if you’ve never considered doing so before. I love decorating envelopes because they typically don’t take long to work on, and they are a fun little gift for any recipient! If you can’t think of anyone to receive your correspondence, consider making mail art and an encouraging note for a More Love Letters requestor. It’s a win-win: you get to make art and feel good about making something nice for someone, and the MLL requestor gets a treasure in return.
Thanks so much for reading, and have a fabulous Fourth of July weekend!
Warmly,
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