Quick Tutorial: Create a Clean Hand-Lettered Envelope Design

Let’s be honest: I’m not known for quick tutorials nor clean envelope designs (see exhibit A, below). Today, however, I’m switching it up to bring you a tutorial that is both fast and sleek. In this quick guide, you’ll learn how to create a beautifully clean hand-lettered envelope design. You’ll also find centering tips, a helpful free lettering exemplar, and hints for making effective postage stamp collages.

In order to make an envelope like this one, you’ll need six basic supplies:

• Colorful envelope – today’s envelope is “Gumdrop Green” from Cards and Pockets (affiliate link)
• White gel pen (affiliate link) – or use a straight pen with a Nikko G nib and white ink
• Parallel glider
• Mechanical pencil + eraser
• George Style Printable Hand Lettering Worksheet or Uppercase George Style Lettering Exemplar (Free)

1. Write the Recipient’s Name

First, use a parallel glider and a pencil to center two pencil guidelines on your envelope vertically. The two guidelines should be around 0.75″ apart. Draw a line in the horizontal center of the envelope. Then, optionally, draw centered guidelines to help you know where to start and stop writingLearn how to create a beautifully clean hand-lettered envelope with this quick and easy tutorial. Perfect for adding a personal touch to your snail mail! (this will take some guesstimation). Once your guidelines are all set up, use George Style lettering and your white gel pen to write your recipient’s name.

Continue to write, using your parallel glider as needed to make clean, parallel strokes.

Balancing the Name

If the name doesn’t end up being centered, there are quite a few things you can do to balance it out:

• If the name is too far to the left: Add an extra element or character, like a star, a heart, or a sun on the right.
• If the name is too far to the right: Write a small serif “TO:”, “SEND TO:”, or “DELIVER TO:” on the left.
• If the two names are too far apart (like mine): Put a small diamond or a circle between them.

2. Write the Address

Next, use your parallel glider to draw two more sets of guidelines. These new guidelines should be around 1/4″ tall and about1/8″ apart. Use Sans Serif lettering to write the recipient’s address on these two guidelines.

Try your best to center the recipient’s address, but know that if the centering is off, you can rely on the balancing tips outlined above.

3. Plan Out the Postage for Your Hand-Lettered Envelope

Give the ink on the envelope at least a couple of hours to dry, then carefully erase the pencil guidelines. Then, decorate the entire top with an eclectic collection of vintage stamps. For tips and tricks for sourcing and arranging postage stamps, see the How to Create Snail Mail Magic With Artful Postage Stamp Collages article.

As long as the total value of your postage stamps meets or exceeds the cost of sending a 1 oz. letter, you can use any stamps you like (at least, if you’re located in the USA). Though I haven’t done so here, I often mix a “forever” stamp with small-value vintage stamps as decoration.

4. Add a Bit of Embellishment (Optional)

If you have the time and the inclination, you can flesh out the bottom of the hand-lettered envelope design with an eclectic geometric motif. To do that, use your gel pen and a parallel glider to draw a horizontal line around 1/2″ above the bottom of the envelope. That line should span the width of the envelope. Then, draw another line just under 1/4″ above it. Draw another line 1/16″ above the second line, and finish up by drawing a fourth line ~1/4″ above the third line. Decorate this set of four lines with short diagonal lines, as shown below.

You can finish up by writing a return address on the back (or squeeze it on the front). Then, take pride in sending your super legible hand-lettered envelope to its lucky new owner.

Pointed Pen Alternative

If you like the clean hand-lettered envelope design concept but want to give it a pointed pen flair, consider this alternative:

To make it, start by using your parallel glider and a white pencil to draw guidelines on a black envelope (affiliate link). Then, use Arabic gold watercolor and your favorite pointed pen + nib to write a George Style lettering name with a Janet Style calligraphy address.

Once the ink has dried, erase your pencil guidelines and apply a smattering of tasteful postage stamps to the upper right corner. And voilà! A lovely and clean calligraphed envelope.

I hope that today’s hand-lettered envelope tutorial helps you add a touch of elegance to your snail mail. If you enjoyed this project and want to take your envelopes up a notch, be sure to explore other embellished envelope tutorials on the TPK Blog for additional creative inspiration.

Happy creating,