This tutorial is all about making a joyfully over-the-top envelope, complete with white ink, gold flourishes, and lots of calligraphic play. There’s a full video if you want to see the process in action—or you can skip straight to the written steps.
Every so often, I can carve out a pocket of time to go all out on an envelope. The flourishes get a little wild, the gold comes out, and the result is always delightfully maximalist. Without fail, the recipient writes to say how much they loved receiving it! In today’s tutorial, I’ll show you exactly how to make one of these special pieces—an envelope that looks like it came straight from a high-end stationery shop.
Below, you’ll find a detailed video demonstration (just under half an hour) that shows the entire envelope-making process in action. If that’s your preferred way to learn, I hope you’ll enjoy watching! Otherwise, you’re welcome to skip to the written tutorial.
To create an embellished envelope like the one in this tutorial, you’ll need to compile the following supplies:
Before you do anything else, apply your postage stamp to the envelope. That way, you can plan your entire layout around it. There’s nothing worse than completing a design only to realize your stamp will cover the best part of it! Then, use your white mechanical pencil to draw in a layout for the address. Be sure to make wavy guidelines for an organic, flowy feel.
Now, begin by writing something like “DELIVER TO:” along the top curve. Then, use a mix of calligraphy (I use a playful improvised style) and sans serif lettering to write out the rest of the recipient’s address. Hold off on adding most of the flourishes for now—you’ll want to give yourself room to play with those after the main lettering is in place.
Finish up by filling in most of the remaining space with flourishes, making sure each one connects to a letter in some way. Don’t worry about covering every inch of the envelope; later on, you’ll add supporting flourishes in gold to complete the look. If this step intimidates you, it helps to think of flourishes as what they are: loopy doodles. You can find more tips and a free worksheet in Pointed Pen Calligraphy Flourishing for Beginners article.
With your pencil flourishes mapped out, go back in with your Bleedproof White ink and carefully trace over them. A flexible nib like the Brause Rose is ideal for the flourishes and calligraphy because it gives you strong stroke contrast. Then, switch to a Nikko G nib for the sans serif lettering—it offers more control and produces cleaner, thinner lines for small text.
Note: If you smudge anything (it happens!), give it time to dry and gently scrape with an X-Acto knife.
Once your white ink has dried, use your pencil to add standalone flourishes in the open areas. Keep the overall look in mind—this is your chance to bring harmony and flow to the piece. There’s no need to fill every corner! Keep in mind that what you leave blank is just as important as what you embellish.
Then, use your gold watercolor and a Brause Rose nib to carefully trace over the flourishes you just added. (If you’re not sure how to write with gold watercolor, see this tutorial.)
When everything has dried (I recommend waiting overnight just to be safe), gently erase your pencil lines using a black eraser. Then, apply a thin layer of Microglaze—or another fixative—to protect your work. This step helps your envelope survive mailing, even through unpredictable weather and handling.
Then, step back and admire your handiwork before sending your envelope off to its new home.
For today’s tutorial, I used an A7 envelope with a navy, gold, and white color scheme. That said, the concept of a flourished envelope is incredibly flexible—you can tweak it endlessly to create a completely different (but equally charming) effect. Here are a few examples that play with the same idea in different ways:
There’s no sugarcoating it—this kind of envelope takes a while to make! But, it’s one of those creative projects where the process is just as fulfilling as the finished piece. I love how it challenges me to think through spacing, rhythm, and style. And every single time I’ve sent one of these in the mail, the recipient has reached out to say how much they loved it. I hope you’ll give it a try—and if you like what you make, don’t hesitate to send over a photo!
Warmly,
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