Getting Creative With Envelopes


Envelopes come in all shapes and sizes. Some are plain or fancy. Most people don't even notice the envelope. But envelopes can also be a gift from the heart. Coordinating envelopes usually have a printed graphic or foil lining. As computer crafters we can take that one step further. Any piece of paper-- tissue paper, wrapping paper, wall paper-- can be turned into a masterpiece that will set your card apart from the rest.

The first step I recommend is defining your size. Will it be a 1/4 fold, 1/2 fold or tri-fold card? Maybe a bookmark, recipe, or magnet sized envelope. Once you have determined that, your next step is to find a template or create one yourself. The easiest way is to sort through your junk mail or find a saved envelope the size of your card. Carefully take it apart, and trace it onto heavier cardstock or cardboard and you have a template. Many crafting stores sell templates for this purpose, but I feel that it is more economical to make it yourself than buy it...Then you can spend that money on more paper!

Once you have determined the size and have a template created or bought it is time to make your envelope. Here is a list of possible papers that you can utilize personalize your envelope.

  • Tissue Paper
  • Wall Paper
  • Wrapping Paper
  • Paper Doilies
  • Homemade Paper
  • Comics
  • Wax Paper
The first thing you need to do wiith light weight paper is to iron it onto freezer wrap paper. This can usually be found in your local grocer in the foil and plastic wrap section. This paper has plastic coating that, when heated, melts and holds adheres to the tissue paper or other light-weight paper.

Then use your template and cut out your envelope. Usually any kind of glue or double-sided tape can be used to keep the envelope together; you may need to do some experimenting with different types of adhesives. When making envelopes out of wall paper I've found that you may need a stronger glue and be able to adhere to the surface of vinyl, since a lot of wall paper sample books have vinyl samples.

You can close the envelope with double sided tape, glue or a sticker. There are also crystal clear envelopes available that you can use to put your card and envelope in. This makes for a creative presentation and also protects the envelope from the elements.

If you have a tip or question about this, please start a discussion. I can bet there are a lot of other ways to create custom envelopes that others, and myself would love to hear about!

The copyright of the article Getting Creative With Envelopes in Graphic Software is owned by Anna Morvee. Permission to republish Getting Creative With Envelopes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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