Today’s tutorial features a very special — and free! — envelope art printable template designed by artist Katharine Watson! You’re just a print, a cut, and a glue away from creating a whimsical artistic envelope.
I have long admired artist Katharine Watson‘s block prints. Her pleasing patterns and clean lines catch your attention and invoke a tinge of whimsy and nostalgia. It’s no wonder that Katharine’s pieces are available in so many stores, even my local Two Hands Paperie. You can imagine my delight when Katharine agreed to design an envelope template for TPK! I love the design that she came up with, and the knowledge that the design was hand-carved makes it even more special.
If you’ve got ~6 minutes, download Katharine’s envelope art template for free here. Then, print it on a high-quality, smooth paper like 32# HP Premium Laserjet, and put your envelope together along with me:
You can download the Block Printed Envelope Art Template for free here. Once you’ve downloaded the PDF, print it off on the paper of your choice (I prefer 32# laserjet), and cut the template out along the guidelines.
Next, turn the envelope around and fold all of the flaps inward.
Now, glue the two side flaps to the bottom flap.
Once you glue the side flaps, you’re ready to add some contents — and an address!
The design of this envelope will complement any calligraphy or lettering style that you choose! I wanted to contrast delicate calligraphy with the substantial flowers and leaves, so I used Janet Style calligraphy with delicate flourishes. The envelope isn’t large enough to calligraph a street address in large letters, so I used unobtrusive Sans Serif lettering below the name.
Envelope art like this merits a return address that’s written on the back. That way, the return address doesn’t distract from the design on the front.
After you write the recipient’s address, put your desired contents into the envelope. Once everything is safely tucked in, you can glue, tape, or use a wax seal to secure the back flap. (If you plan on printing several of these envelopes for later use, you might consider applying vanilla envelope glue on the back of the flaps.)
I’m not a block printing artist, so it is a real treat to be able to offer something to you that was created using such a cool technique. I’m so grateful to Katharine for designing this envelope template exclusively for TPK!
The original inspiration piece for this template was printed on a Chandler & Price press. The press is electric — meaning the wheel moves automatically. It’s three feet tall and weighs over a ton, and it’s the one that Katharine uses the most because you can print quite quickly on it! Katharine also has a manual press that she uses to print larger pieces.
I am proud to have Katharine’s work here on the TPK website, and I hope that you enjoy the free envelope art template as much as I do! If you like Katharine’s art, you can check her out on Instagram or visit her website.
I’m guessing that if you’ve read this far, you love to take snail mail to its full potential with eye-catching envelopes. In a perfect world, we’d all have the time required to make delightfully detailed pieces of mail art like this teacup envelope or this fiddle leaf fig-adorned beauty. Life often gets in the way, however. That’s why I’ve designed a collection of eight printable envelope art templates inspired by some admittedly time-consuming TPK mail art tutorials.
From a fiddle leaf fig motif to hand-drawn lace and a safari border, you’ll find a template that suits your recipient and your occasion! As the too-busy mother of two young children, I rely on these templates often.
I’ve loved being able to use these! There is so much versatility with them and it speeds up the process of sending beautiful mail art! – Rhema
These are absolutely beautiful!! I’m so happy to have these for my own personal use!! They are so inspirational, but wonderfully handy for a quick surprise for the recipient! – Calligrasaurus
DISCOVER A STUNNING MAIL ART SHORTCUT
I hope that you enjoy today’s gorgeous free envelope art template. Many thanks to Katharine for designing it! Thank you very much for reading, and have a lovely and creative weekend.
Warmly,
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