The 2025 Graceful Envelope Contest + Tips for Success

A couple of days ago, I received a notice that The Graceful Envelope Contest (GEC) is going on right now—and the deadline is March 31st. This year, the theme is “something that comes in fours, is associated with sets of four, or is commonly cut into fourths.” After giving it some thought, I landed on the most iconic set of four: the Fab Four! Today, I’ll show you how I made my entry; and I’ll give you tips for submitting a strong entry, too.

1. Start With a Base Illustration

I decided to create my design on a letter-sized sheet of 80# drawing paper. To establish the boundaries of the artwork, I first drew an 8.75″ x 5.25″ (22.23 cm x 13.34 cm) rectangle, which would serve as the final dimensions of my envelope.

Then, I tucked into making a pencil draft. I wanted the Beatles themselves to be the focus of my envelope, so I started by tucking the address information in the upper left corner. I know that judges pay close attention to lettering, so I wrote “The Graceful Envelope Contest” in the style of the “Beatles” logo, with descending “T”s.

Next, I drew a rough sketch of my four Beatles walking across Abbey Road. This was done with the help of a reference image of the iconic album cover, which I found with the help of a quick Google Image search.

I worked on my pencil draft until around 8:00 PM, so I wasn’t able to get a good daylight photo of the completed draft—sorry! Once the draft was complete, I drew over it with waterproof ink, a Nikko G nib, and a straight pen. (To write the tiny Penny Lane lyrics, I switched to a crowquill nib.)

2. Add Watercolor

Once my ink had dried, I began filling in the Beatles with watercolor. Again, it was really handy to have the Abbey Road reference photo handy to capture the proper tones.

I began by focusing on painting the Beatles—mainly because I knew the road would be the tough part.

After finishing all the clothes, hair, and skin, I moved on to the road. When that was finished, I added stamps and a little bit of flourish to fill up the space.

3. Prepare the Envelope for Sending

Up until now, you might have wondered why I wasn’t actually painting on an envelope. Well, as I learned when I was a GEC judge, your entry doesn’t actually have to be an envelope. In fact, the 2023 winning envelope (which I’ll show you here in a bit) was created on a piece of paper that was folded around cardboard. That’s exactly what I decided to do here. I first used a glue stick to securely affix cardboard to the back of the design. Then, I cut off the corners.

Next, I applied glue to the flaps and folded them in.

Finally, I used white ink to write my name, address, and email address on a black piece of cardstock. I remember that, during my time judging envelopes in 2023, I didn’t quite catch some of the references. (For example, I wasn’t familiar with The Partridge Family, so my mom ended up explaining this entire envelope to me.) I know that the Beatles are a little more well-known, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to walk the judges through my thought process.

Then, I glued the black and white calligraphy to the back of my “envelope”. This resulted in a piece with a cohesive, polished feel.

After gluing, you can bet I applied MicroGlaze like crazy to ensure that the design stays intact. While the black ink might be waterproof, the watercolor and the white ink most certainly are not!

And that’s my entry! A fun design that celebrates the Fab Four, sneaks in some 60’s typography, and includes some lyrics to boot.

About the Graceful Envelope Contest

For years, the GEC has been on my radar. Whenever I’d see entries, though, they were generally broad edge calligraphy-heavy. That’s not my style, so I assumed the contest wasn’t really for someone like me. Then, I ended up judging the contest in 2023. That experience taught me that the contest really is just about mail art—which is right up my alley!

You don’t really get anything for winning the GEC—at least, not in the traditional sense. There’s no cash prize, but winners receive a certificate and the honor of having their envelopes featured online. More than that, the contest is a chance to challenge yourself creatively.

I got the memo about this year’s GEC contest pretty late. That means that if you’re learning about it through me, you’re in the same boat. But, take heart: your envelope has to be postmarked, not received, by March 31st. That rule applies whether you reside in Paris, Perth, or Pennsylvania. So, if you’ve got some time between now and then, check out the contest rules and submit a design!

Tips for Winning (From a Former Judge)

I know I’ve mentioned a couple of times now that I was one of the judges in the 2023 contest. That year, the theme was, “Be a fan and design an envelope that captures the attention of an actor, artist, athlete, politician, singer, writer or other public figure, living or dead.” After looking through all of those entries, I’ve got some tips for success.

1. Focus on Creativity

You don’t have to be the best illustrator, the best calligrapher, or the best designer to win. What you do have to be is creative. Even before my mom explained the cleverness of the envelope below to me, I had chosen it as a winner. The color scheme and lettering clearly signaled to me that the envelope was 70’s themed, and I figured the face in the center must be David. And that partridge zip code? Chef’s kiss.

2. Incorporate Stamps Into Your Design

It’s not always possible to find a postage stamp that follows the exact theme of your design. If that’s the case, do your best to incorporate it organically into the design. Entrant Karen Burgess did a great job integrating a non-related stamp into the design by “framing” it alongside a portrait of Maurice Sendak and two merry chefs.

3. Remember … There are Multiple Winners

There are always several strong entries in the GEC. Take heart that your design very well might hold its own alongside the top contenders. As I said, it doesn’t have to be the most skillfully-created envelope. Just do your best to give it a special creative spark, and the entry will make it far in the contest!

4. Have Fun!

When I first read this year’s theme, I thought—eh, I don’t want to draw four seasons, or a compass, or the phases of the moon. (These are all examples of the theme from the GEC website.) I wanted to focus on something that interests me. Once I realized I could easily justify submitting an envelope that features the Beatles, I was all in.

So, come up with a theme that makes you feel excited. Then, choose the medium that you gel most with in order to make it! You can use anything: a pointed pen, markers, crayons, colored pencils, oil pastels … whatever. Just don’t forget to treat the envelope afterward so it makes it to Virginia in excellent condition. Microglaze or a spray fixative should do the trick!

I know that it might feel intimidating to enter the contest, but honestly—what do you have to lose? Worst case, you spend time creating something fun, your envelope takes a scenic trip to Virginia, and you get a little more practice along the way. Best case? You challenge yourself, create something you love, and maybe even see your work featured online. Either way, it’s a win!

Warmly,

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