How To Make DIY Envelopes Tutorial

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You'll want to hang onto old Christmas and Birthday card envelopes after reading this post! Upcycle old envelopes into envelope templates! Learn How To Make DIY Envelopes using scrapbooking paper and cardstock with this easy tutorial!

Picture this– You are walking through the aisles of Michaels, the smell of paint, wood, washi tape and other crafty goodies are in the air (crafters you know what I mean… Michael’s has a smell… and it smells like heaven!) As you walk into the main aisle, heading towards the front of the store, you see it! A big rack full of pads of scrapbooking paper! It’s on sale and costs just 1/3 of the normal price!!! You have never made a scrapbook in your life and chances are you never will… but the colors and patterns! They are gorgeous and feel so “YOU”. What do you do? Keep walking or load that cart up?

Come on ladies (and crafty gentlemen)! Is there any question??? You load that cart up baby! 

I LOVE scrapbook paper, but I don’t scrapbook. Every time I see that sale rack of scrapbook paper though I have to stop and take a peek through. I’m very discerning with what I buy, but if I see lots of pages in a scrapbook pad that are calling my name– I buy it! 

You'll want to hang onto old Christmas and Birthday card envelopes after reading this post! Upcycle old envelopes into envelope templates! Learn How To Make DIY Envelopes in minutes using scrapbooking paper and cardstock with this easy tutorial!

Just because you don’t scrapbook, doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to have scrapbook paper in your life! The Hubs disagrees and tells me that I need to use some of it up before I buy more, so I’m on a quest to get that done! Earlier this year I used some Christmas themed scrapbook paper in this adorable DIY Advent Calendar, and I regularly use scrapbook paper in my Happy Planner, including these fabulous DIY Planner Folder Pockets. Today I’m sharing another fabulous project that you can make using either cardstock or scrapbooking paper. 

This past weekend we celebrated both my mom and my dad’s birthday. We are trying to give family experiences as gifts instead of presents, so the kids and I each made my parents a handmade card and I put a few small handmade gifts inside a gift bag. My card had the family experience we were treating them to written on it and I made a handmade envelope to go with it. This might sound silly, but I think that the handmade envelope was the part of the present that I was the most proud of! I used scrapbook paper with fish on it and it was so pretty. As my mom, dad, sister and husband opened and looked at the gifts I kept saying to them “I made that envelope!” “Did you know that I made that envelope?” “Seriously you guys! I made that envelope!” 

I had never made an envelope before and I don’t think I realized how easy it is to do! I figured I’d share this project with you all today because I know that there are some of you out there who, like me, have probably never made an envelope before in their life! So scrounge around the house for those old birthday and Christmas card envelopes and let’s get started!

Read on for my How To Make DIY Envelopes Tutorial!

You'll want to hang onto old Christmas and Birthday card envelopes after reading this post! Upcycle old envelopes into envelope templates! Learn How To Make DIY Envelopes in minutes using scrapbooking paper and cardstock with this easy tutorial!

How To Make DIY Envelopes Tutorial

Materials:

-Old envelopes to use as templates (Start saving those birthday, Christmas and thank you note envelopes in a file folder. Try to save up a variety of sizes and shapes.)

-Cardstock or Scrapbook Paper

-Scissors

-Pencil

-Glue stick or another glue that you love for paper crafts

Binder clips or paper clips

-Optional: A scoring tool and straight edge ruler.  I have a scoring attachment for my Cricut that I use, but you could also use a credit card. 

You'll want to hang onto old Christmas and Birthday card envelopes after reading this post! Upcycle old envelopes into envelope templates! Learn How To Make DIY Envelopes in minutes using scrapbooking paper and cardstock with this easy tutorial!

Basic Instructions:

Step 1: Take the envelopes that you are using as templates and carefully open them up, being careful not to tear the paper where it has been glued. Make sure to save these envelopes to use over and over again.

You'll want to hang onto old Christmas and Birthday card envelopes after reading this post! Upcycle old envelopes into envelope templates! Learn How To Make DIY Envelopes in minutes using scrapbooking paper and cardstock with this easy tutorial!

Step 2: Lay the envelope template flat on the back side of the paper you are using for your envelope and trace around it. 

Step 3: Cut out your envelope.

Step 4: Using a ruler or other straight edge tool and a scoring tool or a credit card, score a line wherever you will be folding your envelope. This step is optional, you can fold without scoring, but your lines will be crisper if you pre-score them.

You'll want to hang onto old Christmas and Birthday card envelopes after reading this post! Upcycle old envelopes into envelope templates! Learn How To Make DIY Envelopes in minutes using scrapbooking paper and cardstock with this easy tutorial!

Step 5: Fold on the score lines and glue where the paper overlaps and should be attached. Clip with binder clips or paper clips to hold the paper together until the glue dries.

You'll want to hang onto old Christmas and Birthday card envelopes after reading this post! Upcycle old envelopes into envelope templates! Learn How To Make DIY Envelopes in minutes using scrapbooking paper and cardstock with this easy tutorial!

Viola! You have a beautiful envelope!

A Few Design Variations

You'll want to hang onto old Christmas and Birthday card envelopes after reading this post! Upcycle old envelopes into envelope templates! Learn How To Make DIY Envelopes in minutes using scrapbooking paper and cardstock with this easy tutorial!

Coloring Sheet Envelope

Download a coloring sheet template (you can find some on our Printables Pinterest Board) and print it onto your cardstock before making your card. Color in the envelope before giving, or leave it uncolored for them to do themselves!

You'll want to hang onto old Christmas and Birthday card envelopes after reading this post! Upcycle old envelopes into envelope templates! Learn How To Make DIY Envelopes in minutes using scrapbooking paper and cardstock with this easy tutorial!

Washi Tape Envelope

Before you glue your envelope, decorate it with washi tape. You can put washi tape on the seams where you will be gluing, cover the entire envelope with washi tape, or make a cute bunting to decorate the envelope. Washi Tape Stickers are another great way to put a creative spin on a DIY Envelope. Check out this post to learn How To Make Washi Tape Stickers

You'll want to hang onto old Christmas and Birthday card envelopes after reading this post! Upcycle old envelopes into envelope templates! Learn How To Make DIY Envelopes in minutes using scrapbooking paper and cardstock with this easy tutorial!

Make Your Own Envelope Template

Sometimes, once you open up an envelope to use as a template you’ll realize that it’s too big for your paper! That’s ok. If it’s an envelope style you love, study the envelope design, and incorporate the design envelopes to make a design that will fit the piece of paper you are working with. I suggest doing this on the back of a piece of scrapbook paper that I don’t plan on using, so that it doesn’t matter if I make mistakes and have to keep erasing, leave smudge marks, etc. Make sure to save the template to put in your envelope template folder! 

Tell me… Have you ever tried making handmade envelopes? What do you make yours with? Are you addicted to scrapbook paper like me?

Like this post? Pin it for later!

You'll want to hang onto old Christmas and Birthday card envelopes after reading this post! Upcycle old envelopes into envelope templates! Learn How To Make DIY Envelopes in minutes using scrapbooking paper and cardstock with this easy tutorial!

Looking for other things to do with scrapbook paper? Make sure you check these out! 

Making accessories for you planner is easy and fun! Learn how to make DIY Planner Folder Pockets that are perfect for Happy Planners & other popular planners.

DIY Planner Folder Pockets

Make your own DIY Shopkins Advent Calendar with this easy DIY Christmas projects from Hello Creative Family. A fun handmade advent calendar for kids.

DIY Advent Calendar

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13 Comments

  1. it’s so cool!
    I’ll make this for my sister. I think she will love it.

  2. Great tutorial! And I am going to need to get that Bella Flora paper stack!

  3. These envelopes are so pretty and fun!
    I don’t scrapbook either, but I love scrapbook paper and I make paper crafts.

    I hope to try the envelopes!

  4. Thank you so much for this tutorial! Your envelopes are so pretty! Pinned to my “Amazing Envelopes” Board!

  5. That Bella Floral paper is amazing! You could totally make a beautiful card out of it to go with the envelopes! Thanks for the tutorial!

  6. I’m also addicted to scrapbook paper! And I also don’t scrapbook….BUT I do use paper in my planner occasionally. So it makes the purchase worth it, right?? Now I’ll have to get more since you’ve showed me how to make envelopes with them 🙂

  7. So cute! I love the idea of decorated envelopes. The washi tape idea is great! Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday this week!

  8. So cute! I love adding personal touches. These could also be made with the kids’ artwork. They would enjoy making them.

  9. Victoria Ess says:

    These are so pretty! Thanks for sharing!

  10. Angela Bowling says:

    This envelope tutorial is such a cute idea. I would love to send these through the mail.

  11. Claire Turner says:

    Great ideas, thanks.
    FYI, you don’t need a template for a square. Turn it so that it forms a diamond, and then fold the points in.