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Spoiler alert: this blog post ends with what I think is a pretty awesome, illuminating {snigger} giveaway. If you win, you may find that your world gets a little brighter! And if you don’t win, well, you can make someone’s mailbox a little brighter by utilizing one of these three fabulously quick mail art ideas.
I do not know one person who doesn’t appreciate a beautiful piece of mail art. I mean, you can be completely non-artistic, but an impressive envelope will catch your eye. I think the reason people like creating mail art is it’s amazing to know that whoever receives your snail mail will have a moment of “Wow!” coupled with curiosity as to what’s inside. It’s like being proud of a well-wrapped gift; the outside matters just as much as the inside because it’s the outside’s job to build anticipation.
That said, some days you don’t have time to spend an hour making an envelope, and that’s where this blog post comes in! I have come up with three easy mail art ideas, plus you have the chance to win a tool that will help to make your mail art endeavors simpler than ever. Before we get to the giveaway, though, let’s focus on the first envelope:
Once upon a time, I illustrated a tree for a thumbprint guest book poster. While I am in the process of discontinuing the guest book poster, I am still utterly in love with the tree illustration and the concept of filling in the leaves yourself.
It suddenly occurred to me yesterday that the tree illustration could have a new life as a free printable envelope template … that way, you can enjoy its beauty whenever you want, and you can paint in leaves to reflect the current season. To make this bit of easy mail art, you’ll first need to download the free template. Next, print it out — preferably on 60-80 lb. drawing/sketch paper that you have cut to fit into your printer — and cut.
While there are photo instructions on the download listing regarding how to assemble all TPK envelope templates, I want to show you a little trick I use that ensures crisp, neat folds. After I cut out my template, I use a flat ruler to ensure that the fold I make for the bottom flap will be perfectly straight. I then carefully fold the paper up over the ruler and apply slight pressure to the paper so it becomes loosely creased.
Once I have a decent fold, I take a bone folder and run it along the fold to make a nice, even crease. I utilize this technique for all flaps {bottom, sides, and top}.
When your envelope is all folded and glued, it will look like the photo below. Remember, you can put lick-to-seal envelope glue on it if you’re planning to use it later or give it away as a gift.
At this point, you’ve got creative license to do what you want. If it’s around Halloween-time, maybe you should draw some ghosts floating around what appears to be a creepy, leafless tree. Since we’re approaching summer, though, I’m going to add in some simple leaves using watercolors. {The use of watercolors, by the way, is why I recommend that you print the template off on sketchbook or drawing paper; hardier paper tends to react to watercolors better than regular printer paper.}
To paint in leaves, you’ll want to select a brush that will make a small-medium impression. Pictured below is the brush I’m using, but you can use whatever you have on hand:
Next, select a nice shade of green to paint with. I am using Serpentine Green from the Greenleaf & Blueberry Altoids tin.
Once you’ve painted a fair amount of leaves using the first shade of green, select a second shade of green. I opted for Perylene Green.
You can finish up your tree with another shade of green; or go into “autumn mode” with some oranges and yellows. I chose to paint with Green Apatite for my final round of leaves.
That’s really it: you’ve finished the envelope art part of making the envelope. Now all you have to do is write the address! In all honesty, the tree is so eye-catching that you don’t need to bother with pretty calligraphy if you don’t have the time. I did have the time, so I decided to add some calligraphy written in earthy walnut ink.
To space out the calligraphy, I used the envelope spacing cheat sheet found in Amazing Envelopes for a Latté. {I repeated tracing the bottom two lines twice.}
Next, I began writing my Janet Style calligraphy. Really, you could use any style of calligraphy, but I wanted to give the envelope a natural/elegant feel.
Once you finish creating your calligraphy, wait for your ink to dry, then you can erase your guidelines!
What you’re left with is a very unique envelope that is ready for either a standard stamp or a bit of vintage stamp collaging.
While I was creating the free printable tree envelope template, I decided to go for broke and make five other artsy-natural printable envelope templates, too. These templates feature illustrations you may have seen before around the TPK blog. All of the illustrations look gorgeous on envelopes, and they’re perfect for pairing with calligraphy for a fancy look, or for contrasting with print!
This concept is kind of vague, but basically, you can grab any old envelope and start writing a name on it in calligraphy — any style or just a made-up style — with reckless abandon. {Oh, and if you want to use white calligraphy ink like I am here, check out this post.}
Be sure and throw in some printed letters here and there … it makes the envelope less confusing for postal workers and adds some nice contrast.
At this point, just draw little spirals: they should look like an old-school phone cord. Be sure and maintain your light pressure on the downstrokes and light pressure on the upstrokes!
If you’re thinking the instruction for this envelope isn’t very specific, you’re absolutely right: it’s not. The principle, really, is to just write out the name in crazy calligraphy, and surround that calligraphy with loops and spirals! It doesn’t hurt to use a nib that can give you a nice contrast between upstrokes and downstrokes, and to this end, I used the Brause Rose. If that nib gives you grief, by the way, try watching this video {thanks, Cameon, for showing me that gem on YouTube!}.
A couple of days ago, I posted the photo below of this card/envelope pair on Instagram. A few people asked about how I did the envelope, and the truth is it was ridiculously simple to make because I have a light box. {If you don’t have a light box, keep reading … you may just win one!} 😉
Making a light box envelope is simple as long as you have a word processing program. You basically just will make a few text boxes and use fonts that you like to write your recipient’s name and address. For your convenience, I have created an A7 envelope insert in Microsoft word for you, which you can download here. You can just fill in the text in that template with your own. Be sure and adjust the letter spacing on the last name so the last name is jut as long as the first name!
Once you’ve printed out your template, cut it out and slip it into an envelope. I am using an 80 lb. Royal Sundance envelope; I love Royal Sundance envelopes because they handle watercolors very well!
Put the envelope on your light box, and you should be able to see straight through it. Note that a well-lit window can get a similar effect; it’s just a bit difficult to paint details/calligraphy at a vertical angle. That’s why a light box is ideal for this mail art idea.
Begin by watercoloring the upper part of your first letter with any color. I chose Mayan Dark Blue from the Greenleaf & Blueberry Altoids set.
Next, blend another color into the first color. I used Antwerp Blue.
Finish up by blending a lighter color into the middle color. I chose Cobalt Turquoise.
Use that technique on all the letters of the first name.
For the last name, I like to just use the font as a point of reference for how far apart my letters should be spaced in Kaitlin Style calligraphy. You don’t have to do that, of course: you are welcome to just trace directly over what you have! Either way, you’ll want to use the watercolor calligraphy technique.
I like to put a few dots under the last name to separate it from the address. To that end, I just add dots randomly along the line on the template.
You can just trace directly over the address using your dip pen and watercolors. I’m using an oblique holder here, but you can just as easily use a straight holder.
And that’s it!
I have used a light box for a couple of mini-tutorials on Facebook, and I noticed that a lot of people seem to want a light box {and understandably so!}. You can use a light box for a number of applications in mail art; for example, you can trace over a beloved illustration you previously made …
And you’ll quickly end up with a really gorgeous piece that looks like it took hours to create.
Anyway, I thought it would be cool to host a giveaway for a light box; and I want to give you one just like the Artograph 9″x12″ pad that I have here in my studio — a $140 value. I really like it, and I think you will, too. You can enter the giveaway below for a chance to win. Just like every other TPK giveaway, this is open to any citizen of the world. If you want it, go for it!
The giveaway ends at midnight on Friday, May 8th. The winner will be announced on Saturday morning {the 9th}, and once I get your shipping address, I will have Paper and Ink Arts send the light box directly to you! And then, you know, as light box twins, you and I will live happily ever after with a special light box bond.
If you can’t wait long enough for the giveaway to be over and you want a light box now, definitely check out the selection on Amazon. They have some great deals; just read reviews before you purchase, and you’re golden!
Hopefully this blog post has inspired you to send some quick snail mail; and if not, well, you still have a chance to win a light box, so there’s that. 🙂 Thanks again for reading TPK; I’m very lucky you’re here!
Warmly,
*This post contains affiliate links to Amazon
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