An envelope is like a little gift. It costs nothing to make (save for the postage stamp), but the joy it brings to the recipient can be profound! Today, I took some time to come up with ways that you can easily and artistically address an envelope.
1. Decoupaged Envelope
The fabulous thing about decoupage? It’s extremely speedy. Just pick an especially eye-catching element from a book or a magazine, then cut it out.
Use a powerful glue stick (I like UHU) to glue your graphic on the left side of the envelope. Then, use a pencil to draw wavy guidelines for calligraphy.
Next, use your guidelines to write the address in an elegant, flourished calligraphy style. This step won’t take very long because all the calligraphy is justified to the left.
Finish up with a single, tasteful postage stamp that doesn’t steal the show!
2. Wavy Envelope
This wavy envelope uses its postage stamp’s color scheme to tie everything together! To make it, begin by affixing a postage stamp with a specific color scheme to the upper right side of your envelope. Then, use Kaitlin Style calligraphy and the watercolor calligraphy technique to write the recipient’s name in all-lowercase lettering. Alternate the paint colors featured in your postage stamp to write the calligraphy!
Continue to calligraph the address, ensuring that every address line extends to both the right and left sides of the envelope.
3. Right-Justified Envelope
This simple envelope relies on right-justified, clean lettering. You can add pizazz to it with your choice of postage stamps! To make this envelope, begin by writing your recipient’s name in Kaitlin Style calligraphy mostly on the right side of the envelope. Once you’ve written the name, use a pencil to draw three guidelines underneath the calligraphy. The guidelines should each be about 3/16″ tall and 1/16″ apart.
Now comes the challenging part! Starting on the right side of the first guideline, work backwards to write the recipient’s address in a simple block lettering style (such as Sans Serif). It might be tough to think in reverse as you write, so make sure you’ve got the recipient’s address in front of you so you can reference it often!
Continue to write until you’ve got the entire address. Then, once the ink has dried, erase your pencil guidelines and add a postage stamp collage to make things interesting!
4. The Wreath
To make this unique envelope, begin by tracing around a circular object with a pencil on your envelope. Put a second, smaller round object inside the first circle, and trace over it, too (or freehand draw a smaller circle). Then, write your recipient’s name in between those two guidelines. Complete the circle with some simple laurel branches.
Next, use a ruler to draw straight guidelines that are about 1/16″ apart inside the circle. Use those guidelines to write the recipient’s address in the hand-lettering style of your choice.
Erase your pencil lines, and you’ve got a fun and legible envelope address!
5. The Arrows Envelope
Like the Decoupaged Envelope, this envelope relies on an artistic element on the left side to give it visual interest and to ensure that calligraphy creation is a breeze. (After all, left-justified calligraphy is always pretty quick to create!) To make it, use the instructions on the Eight Hand-Drawn Arrow Designs printable to create five “Steampunk Arrows”. Each arrow should face the opposite direction of the arrow next to it.
Then, use bouncy, upright Kaitlin Style calligraphy to write the recipient’s address. Be sure to add plenty of funky stamps to complement the steampunk theme!
I’ve used calligraphy to make countless projects, but my favorite types of calligraphy projects are still good ol’ envelopes. What can I say? They’re fun to decorate! I hope that this post inspires you to think out of the box next time you sit down to address an envelope. Remember that even mundane tasks — like paying rent — can be made fun with a bit of creativity!
Thanks for reading, and enjoy your weekend!
Warmly,
