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Want to know how to make your own custom envelopes? Folding a paper envelope is super easy. And you can make envelopes for any size cards! Without glue!
We might email more nowadays than we send cards through the postal service, but it is still so much fun to send (or receive) physical cards in the mail. And handmade envelopes make your snail mail even more special!
You can even fold envelopes for gift cards or money that you want to gift in this way.
If you have a regular plain envelope and you need a standard-sized homemade envelope, you could open the plain one and use it as a template. But if you don’t have another envelope to use as a pattern, making a paper envelope from scratch is easy and I’ll show you how to fold one! Step by step!
Making homemade envelopes out of paper is a fun way to recycle paper. It is easy enough that elementary-age kids can do it, and fun enough for preteens and teens to do as a rainy day project.
What Type of Paper to Use?
You can make an envelope out of regular printer paper, but there is so much more you can use! Make your envelope out of wrapping paper, old magazine covers, scrapbook paper, or maps. Recycle paper junk mail, brown paper bags, old posters, or calendars.
Look around your house, you probably have suitable papers for making your handmade envelopes. Just make sure the paper is strong enough to go through the mail.
As long as you have a solid area, or an address label to write the address clearly, these handmade envelopes are fine to post in the mail. I’ve mailed my own DIY envelopes more than once, and they always arrived at their destination!
You can make these envelopes large or small. An 8.5 x 11-inch letter-sized piece of paper can be folded into an envelope for most average-sized postcards. Cut down to make smaller envelopes.
If you are ready to fold your own paper envelopes, continue below for the full step-by-step tutorial with pictures.
How to Fold an Envelope
and follow these simple steps.
Materials
- Pretty paper
- (Washi) tape
- Sticker label or white paper
Tools
- Scissors
Instructions
- Take your card and your paper of choice. The sheet of paper should be slightly wider than the card, and about 2.5 times as tall.
- Turn your paper face down (so the side you want to be on the outside is facing away). Center your card on the bottom edge of the paper.
- Fold the long sides of the paper over the side edges of the card as shown.
- Take the bottom part with the card, flip it up and fold.
- Fold down the two top corners diagonally. Use a bit of washi tape or glue in place.
- Cut washi tape stripes the same size as the sides of the envelope. Tape sides shut. Place the washi strips half on the envelope edges, then fold the other half around to the other side.
- Fold the top flap down to close. Go over the edge to make a strong crease. Use glue or a sticker to hold the flap down.
- Add labels to the front to make a writable surface suitable for mailing.
Use a sticker label or cut out a small piece of lighter solid colored paper and attach it to the front with either glue or washi tape.
Yay! Your homemade envelope is ready to address and be sent out!