Envelope-making

A friend of mine, Joyce, always sends me letters sleeved in the prettiest envelopes. She makes them by using up old calendar and magazine pages. I have taken some of her envelopes apart and then trace around them onto brown paper sack. I use these as templates to trace over the pictures I like.



A few tips......

* Use heavy pages. If they aren't sturdy pages, put an extra piece of paper or cardstock on the backside of the traced envelope for additional durability. One time I received an envelope that was almost shredded due to the light weight of the paper. Also, if you are using your old written-on calendar pages, you may not want the recipient to see your appointments in the blocks so a liner works well for that.

*Use a ruler to make a nice, crisp fold by sliding it along the fold line.

* Use a good glue stick to glue down edges or you can use double-stick tape.

* Use stickers to seal envelope flaps and use labels to write the address on. If the envelope is too busy and will be difficult to see the address clearly, the postmaster may not deliver it.

* Check to see if you might need additional postage, especially if you are lining your envelopes.

* It's fun to sit for an hour or so and make a few envelopes at a time so that you have a nice assortment to choose from when it's time to write a letter.

* You can use any envelope as a template. Just gently take one apart and trace.