September has been a whirlwind in this house. Among other things, we are in week seven of a kitchen remodel, and the house is in chaos as a result. It’s amazing how having a cluttered home can make other things — like hauling our kids to pediatric checkups and speech therapy sessions — seem overwhelming. When the chaos starts taking its toll, I embrace decorating envelopes.
Artistic envelopes are the perfect project. They don’t take long to make, which is a bonus if you’ve got time constraints. While they do provide an artistic challenge, that challenge is always bite-sized and enjoyable! My favorite part of making a beautiful envelope is knowing that many people will appreciate it, from postal workers to the recipient. Here are the envelopes that I’ve whipped up this month to combat our remodel-induced clutter chaos:
1. Creepy Halloween Envelope
This envelope was created using iron gall ink and a spiderweb motif from TPK’s upcoming Halloween Fun Worksheet (look for it next week). The calligraphy style shown here is Kaitlin, and the envelope features plenty of ink spatters and Forever stamps from the USPS website.
2. Red Roses Envelope
I used the Shortcut Vintage Roses Mail Art Tutorial to make this envelope. It’s a quick mail art project because the roses come from a printable template! Wavy Janet Style calligraphy gives the piece an elegant touch. (The colors I used — Cadmium Red and Sap Green — come from the Winsor & Newton Cotman palette.)
3. Red + Yellow Roses Envelope
Honestly, I enjoyed making the Red Roses Envelope so much that I couldn’t help but make another envelope just like it. I switched up this envelope by coloring in the roses with yellow and adding red accents. (The colors I used all come from the Winsor & Newton Cotman palette: Cadmium Yellow Hue, Cadmium Red Hue, Sap Green, and Viridian Hue.)
4. Simple Elegance Envelope
In this envelope, the postage stamps do all the artistic heavy lifting. The calligraphy itself is a pretty flourished style (covered in TPK’s Intermediate Modern Calligraphy Online Course), written using iron gall ink. For tips and information about putting together postage stamp collages, see this article.
5. Bluebird Envelope
The bluebird decoupaged on the left part of this envelope was cut out of the The Bluebird Bundle. To make it look more natural, I freehand drew the branches that extend upward. Then, I wrote the recipient’s address in Amy Style calligraphy using iron gall ink. A smattering of vintage stamps, mostly bird-themed, give the envelope personality.
If you’ve never made mail art before, I can assure you that it’s a worthwhile endeavor. It’s just as satisfying for you as it is for the recipient — trust me! There’s always someone to write to (take a look at More Love Letters), and ample mail art tutorials to try. Thanks so much for looking at these artistic calligraphy envelopes, and have a wonderful weekend!
Warmly,
P.S. – If you liked this collection, you might also like:
