For many people, this time of year is hectic on several levels! You’re trying to finish up the year-end stuff for school and work, send holiday cards, buy gifts, and plan travels and gatherings. It’s a lot. In our house, this holiday season is even more frenetic than usual because we’ve got a baby who gets into everything. (Turn your back for one second, and she’s stuffed the most dangerous thing she can find into her mouth!) I’ve barely had a spare moment to relax, which is why I set aside three hours this week to just zone out and create pretty calligraphy. Today, I’m sharing the envelopes I made as a casual show and tell.
1. Bluebird Envelope
I actually started making this envelope last month! It was one of those things that I meant to finish in one session, and I began by drawing the bluebird (using the Crosshatched Bluebird as a model). Then, life happened, and the envelope sat on my desk, conspicuously devoid of an address, for weeks.
Yesterday, I finally added a Janet style address using iron gall ink. I tucked a flourished ornament holiday card into the envelope, then I finished the envelope up with a wax seal.
2. Red + White Envelope
I love white ink on a red envelope, which is why I opted to use Bleed Proof White ink on this beauty. I didn’t have time to make calligraphy guidelines, so I used Cocktail Casual calligraphy to avoid having to go to any fuss.
When I send domestic envelopes, I’ll often opt to write my address in small letters on the back. That way, my address doesn’t detract from the recipient’s address on the front. This return address placement goes against USPS protocol, but I’ve never had a problem writing my address on the back. A significant handful of readers have experienced issues related to not writing their return address on the front, however.
3. Feminine Pink Envelope
This week, I needed to make two envelopes for gift certificates. I made McKenzie’s envelope calligraphy using iron gall ink and a flourished calligraphy style that I came up with on the fly. The envelope itself is “Blush” from Indian Cotton Paper Co. It’s incredibly luxe and pretty!
It can be tough to write one name on an envelope versus an entire address. There’s something about having less words to work with that feels intimidating! If you’d like tips on making lovely one-name envelopes, check out this tutorial.
4. Chic Gray Envelope
Next up was another gift certificate envelope. Just like in the How to Make the Perfect Name-Only Envelope for a Card tutorial, I hugged the contours of the “Zona” calligraphy with white ink to fill up space and make the name look a little more polished.
5. Quick and Casual Envelope
As my calligraphy time came to a close, I needed to whip up one more envelope quickly. So, I grabbed a pale cornflower-colored envelope, then I used Kaitlin Style calligraphy and iron gall ink to write the recipient’s address.
Then, I added a few postage stamps to infuse some personality into the envelope. The calligraphy isn’t anything fancy, but it is handwritten and easy on the eyes. When you’ve got two small kids running around, sometimes you have to give yourself a pat on the back for achieving that! 🙂
I hope that you enjoyed today’s little showcase. It felt good to calligraph these envelopes and know that I’m spreading some cheer to my recipients by doing so. If you find yourself with a few spare minutes this weekend, consider making some envelope calligraphy yourself. It’s a good way to relax while making something useful, which is always a good thing during this whirlwind of a season!
Thanks so much for reading, and happy holidays!
Warmly,
