Make Your Own Envelopes

Hi everyone,

I might have an idea for you to try out:
In January, everyone always throws away their big, beautiful wall calendars with the gorgeous pictures. But you don’t have to—you can turn them into lovely envelopes. Sometimes I also make them out of particularly beautiful and sturdy wrapping paper. The envelope will then have the same look as the wrapped gift.

Here’s how it works: Place the transparent template—which is available in all standard envelope sizes—over the design and trace the long cutouts in the template using a bone folder or an empty ballpoint pen refill. Trace the outline with a pen.



Then cut out the shape along the outline and glue the envelope together on two sides. Now you have a pretty envelope. And another one, and another...





I always think it’s nice when you have an envelope that matches the contents. For example, you could give a gift certificate for a weekend getaway in a matching envelope. Finding something like that on the breakfast table instantly puts you in a vacation mood.



But I’m sure everyone would also be delighted to receive a few kind words in a floral envelope.

I hope you have fun making these and get great results.

Warm regards, Ina

Ina, that’s really a great idea! I’ve always felt bad about throwing away wall calendars, too. I’d sometimes leave some up for another year, but then they were just wall decorations, and you weren’t supposed to look at the calendar—otherwise you’d get confused. But from now on, I’m going to start making envelopes.

That’s a wonderful idea.

I also find it hard to throw away beautiful calendars at the end of the year. They usually end up hanging around our house, and there are more and more of them in my kitchen.
We like to give gift certificates for a trip together or a meal. Let’s see—I’m sure one or two calendar pages will fit, and that will make the gift even a little more personal.

That’s such a great idea.
It would also be perfect for my mom’s wonderful watercolor paintings. Of course, don’t copy the originals. Or paint the paper yourself… On a rainy day with the kids…


Thanks for these great ideas!

Nice idea :-)

Oh, I’m so glad you like my idea so much. I’ve been doing this for years. Word had gotten around at my old office job because every now and then, someone would receive an envelope like this with a little something inside. So back in January, I’d regularly get lots of expired calendars. And now, on January 30, there’s still a good chance of saving some from the recycling bin.

You’ll see—it’s really fun for both adults and kids.

Best wishes, Ina

Dear Ina,

your envelope idea is a real hit. When I received such a great envelope from you during the swap, I was blown away. And I’m definitely going to make envelopes like these out of old calendar pictures now. There really is no prettier way to wrap gifts. It’s also a lovely way to wrap cash gifts.

A big thank you from me, too, for sharing!

Dear Ina

I’ve also made quite a few envelopes from old calendars, as well as gift bags.
Before I had the right templates, I simply took apart an envelope and used it as a template. It works too and costs nothing!

Best regards

Christina

Dear Christina,

yes, of course that works too. But using a proper template makes it much easier, is more fun, and the result looks more professional. That’s because the template already has the crease lines where you’ll need to fold the envelopes later. And the template doesn’t wear out. So, in my opinion, it’s a small, one-time purchase that brings long-lasting joy.

Best regards, Ina

Yeah, Ina, that’s really a great idea of yours. But I did it the same way as Wollbaerli—I just cut an envelope apart—because I don’t have a template like that yet.
I’m just like that—I can’t throw anything away if I can still make something out of it. I’ve always saved these little mini-envelopes to use as templates.

When I read your post here, I was just in the middle of making gift boxes. So I cut open a little gingerbread box, used it as a template, and ta-da—a new colorful box was created from colorful construction paper with butterflies.
Valentine’s Day is coming up soon, so I still need a little something for my sweetheart.

But here’s something else that just came to mind about envelopes.
I used to print on my regular envelopes myself—that is, I’d take a bottle of stain remover (I don’t remember what kind it was) and rub it onto the spot on the paper where I wanted my design to go. Then I’d place the cut-out design, printed side down, on that spot, press it down a little, and just like that, my design was on the envelope.
The ink transfers from the design to the envelope.
I only used glossy paper from magazines—that worked best.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo to prove it anymore.

I finished Anton's pirate costume today


An old T-shirt of mine and a scrap of black fabric, which I used to sew a vest with a very simple pattern, and of course a skull patch

Of course, there's also the matching headscarf to go with it



If he'll put up with it, I'll show you a photo of the fitting tomorrow. :-)

Oh, that wasn’t supposed to go here at all. Sorry