By Sarah Brousseau
Although snail-mail and
hand-written cards are a treasure of the past, they sure are fun, joyful and
most certainly beautiful to give and receive. There is just something so fulfilling about taking
the time to write, draw or create a gift for someone. Then with the process of
physically sending it to them, we feel complete and uniquely connected to the
world around us. In a way, creation allows us to give parts of ourselves to
others, ultimately showing the world just how much care.
So, to take your hand-written notes and cards to the next level, here are some simple instructions on
how to make an envelope by hand! Add bells and whistles, make it shimmer and
shine or just try it simply for the very first time!
What You’ll Need:
In addition to your card and paper, you will need the
following tools for the making process:
A pencil
An eraser
Glue (I used your everyday Elmer’s
glue stick, but really anything works!)
Scissors
An exacto knife
A ruler
Once you’ve
collected the necessary materials, including the paper for the envelopes, the
first step is to measure the height and width of the card or note you will be
sending. This is very important as the envelope needs to be 1/4” bigger on all sides.
So for example, if your
card is 5 x 7” the
envelope dimensions need to be 5.5 x 7.5” This ensures that the card will easily slide in and out
without getting stuck! Check out the chart below — it provides all standard card and envelope sizes.
After making your measurements,
the second step is to make a simple paper stencil or mock up.
- Start by drawing a rectangle with the correct dimensions (i.e. 5.5 x 7.5”) this will end up being the front of your envelope.
- Draw the flaps on the top, bottom, and two sides (typically done in triangular shapes).
- The side flaps should measure half the distance of the length (i.e. 2.25”).
- The top and bottom flaps should measure 1” bigger than the height (i.e. 4.25” each) this will this will allow all of the flaps to successfully overlap and seal.
- Test out the folding and overlapping by cutting out your stencil.
When perfect, use this
paper template to trace the shape onto your envelope paper. Then just cut,
cut, and cut away!
To add a little
pizazz, an envelope liner can be made with a second color or some decorative paper.
Again, a paper template should be made to help perfect your measurements.
An envelope liner is
typically 1/4” smaller
than the rectangle front and triangular top flap. Measure 1/4” down from each edge of
these sides and connect the lines in order to determine your liner shape and
size. Then trace and cut to create a second paper stencil.
You can even line it up
with your already cut envelope paper to make sure it fits just right.
And just like the
envelopes, use this template to trace the shape onto your final liner paper.
Make sure to trace the correct side, paying attention to the front and back of
the decorative paper and which you would like to show on the inside of the
card. In other words, don’t end up gluing the pretty side!
Now with all the components cut, they can be glued together
and folded.
When folding, the left and right flaps are done first. Then
the bottom flap is overlaid on top. These should overlap by 1/2” or 1”,
giving you space to glue them together afterwards.
When each envelope is
folded, glued, and dried the cards are now ready to be slipped in and sent! And if
you're totally cooky/crazy like me, make sure to get cute stamps that match your
envelope paper!
Have fun!
*All of the proceeding
products were created and hand-crafted by me.
Thank You cards were hand
set lead type, letterpress printed on a Vandercook No. 4 proofing press in the
Globe at MICA studio.
Blue Envelopes were hand
cut, glued and folded in my home studio.
 |
| Sarah Brousseau is a recent graduate of Maryland Institute College of Art, now living and working in Baltimore, Maryland. She is a painter and printmaker, primarily interested in geometric abstractions and hand-crafted design. With a free spirit and a love of organic food, Sarah is on the search to find the beauty in our everyday journeys. You can follow her on her personal website, Instagram and Facebook! |
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