Forgive me if this has been discussed as of late.
But i'm curious how many FPN'ers fold or cut their own envelopes.

I use Fabriano Medeovalis paper quite a bit and they don't fit standard envelopes,so i cut and fold my own from my standard stock by Fox River.
Works very well with a glue stock and wax seals.

Anyone else?

Jim

I usually do not, but my wife often does.

I think that people appreciate it as well. It is depressing to have to fold your lovely paper into thirds, and then also flip one edge over 1/5th of the way.

Kudos to all who make the extra effort.

Kevin

I have made my own envelopes in the past when the need arose. It has been three or four years since I've done it, though.

Thanks for posting the question. I have been debating envelope options and it cleaned out some cobwebs.

Mike

Depends on the person I am writing to but I have a template and use it with magazine pages to make envelopes.

Kurt

If you fold the your paper nearly in thirds on the long way then fold up and down to make a mini envelope you can get a larger piece of paper to fit most standard envelopes and it looks like you meant it rather than just 'forcing' a fit!

Kurt

I saw this fold used as the envelope as well.

I like that idea. I have seen some lovely examples of letter-as-envelope from some Korean friends. Christmas and birthday wrapping is also practically unbelievable from these friends. They either have much more time or are much nicer people than I!

Kevin

The folds are really easy and I have tried to do pen package wrapping using only one seal holding it all together. I have some PDFs of different envelope folds but it might be just as easy to do a net search for them. One I remember is sealed by the stamp in the corner!


Kurt

I take a standard piece of 8-1/2 x 11 paper and cut it to fit the size of the letter.That way there is no movement inside.I then affix the wax seal in two places normally.
Besides,i can buy two reams of high grade writing paper for the cost of just one box of envelopes.

Jim

Try letterfu.com. The site has PDF files that will print fold lines on letter size or A4 size paper. You print the lines on one side of a sheet and write on the other side. After folding, the stamp holds the letter closed. There is a block for the address in the correct spot. There is a plain file, one for Valentine's Day, two for St. Patrick's day, one for Christmas, one for spring, etc.

The folded letter is the correct size and shape to go through the mechanical letter sorting machines in the USA, so you don't have to pay extra for special handling.

Paddler

When I need an envelope for a handmade greeting card, I often make the envelope out of scrapbooking paper. This paper is 12 in. square and comes in lots of beautiful designs. If the design is such that the address won't be readable if written directly on the paper, you can address a plain self-stick label and stick it on the envelope. If you're really feeling artistic, write the address on some nice paper and tear around the address - creating a label with ragged edges, then glue it on the envelope. This gives the envelope an antique look.

Judybug

There have been times in our past when people wrote on the inside of the envelope.. it could sure save a lot of paper if we all did it... but I will still have to put an extra ' cover sheet' in so my USPO Money Orders on their way to Ebay Red Ripple sellers don't show through... LOL

Ah, finally I topic I really know about.

All last year I refused to use an envelope if I did not make it. I got really into envelope-making, it became a sort of meditation. I tried not to repeat designs, and would try many different angles and proportions, papers and linings, I was quite proud of a lot of these things, and each would take at least half an hour at the cutting mat with a ruler and blade. Once I even made one that used fake fur as a liner yet fit the requirements to be an envelope (thinness). It was a good time.

This year school really didn't allow time for this craft, so I've been going to JAM paper and envelope in NYC. They have a permanent Sale section of overstock, so I can find envelopes made with quality papers with more interesting folds for relatively cheap. I've been buying #10's for my 8.5x11 paper and I found what the cashier called Check Envelopes, which are the perfect width for a No 16 Rhodia pad, though folding it into thirds makes it too narrow so I usually fold it to fit perfectly and seal the letter shut with wax.

So that's that.

Hopefully one day I'll have the time and space to make my own envelopes again.

Wow. I never knew stuff like this existed.

I remember those. We had Aerogram envelopes that you wrote in the inside, and they had pre-paid postage. Write, fold, seal, post.

Of course, the only appropriate pen was your Parker 51 filled with blue Quink...

How amazing you should post this today! At approximately the same time as you made your post, I was tearing into a #10 envelope to discover a way to make my own. Some progress so far, I certainly would like to see some entries on other's ideas/suggestions. (posted day later than written)

Although all my fingers are thumbs, I book marked this page with the idea of using it as therapy at some point:

http://www.ghh.com/elf/

It's has a host of envelop patterns,
gary

I made a batch of 50 or so envelopes last fall using wrapping paper. They turned out very nice and friends and family seem to really like them. It's also unlikely they will get accidently tossed out with the junk mail as the colours are so stand out.

The biggest problem was the shiny surgace - fountain pen ink will not adhere. I was thinking of buying labels, but ended up cutting the bottoms off my "scrible lists" (which I never use entirely) and gluing the rectangles onto the envelopes with my own homemade glue. The glue works great, just warm it a little and smear onto the envelope with a brush. The glue has lasted a long time too and without getting any unwanted gunk in it. Likely the vinegar base kills the bacteria.

Easy & a great way to spend an afternoon or two.

Here is a letter-as-envelope fold that I like to use:

1. Write your letter.
Click to view attachment

2. Fold in half
Click to view attachment

3. Open
Click to view attachment

4. Fold in half lengthwise and open
Click to view attachment

5. Turn the sheet over and make a diagonal fold, using the intersection of the folds from Step 2 and 3 as a reference point. This fold should be exactly 45 degrees from the first two folds.
Click to view attachment

6. The letter should look like this - like a tent.
Click to view attachment

7. Allow the paper to fold along the creases that you made and you will end up with a flat packet like this
Click to view attachment

8. Take one of the protruding flaps and fold up like this
Click to view attachment

9. Insert the flap into the "pouch" formed by the sheet
Click to view attachment

10. Turn the letter over and repeat steps 8 and 9 with the remaining flap.

11. You should end up with a square packet like this, ready for mailing.
Click to view attachment

Let me know if you have problems.

Sincerely,

Yumbo

[edited for clarification]

Wow, Yumbo, this is cool (I've just tried it out)! The only question is would people know how to open their letters?
Thanks!!
Nellie

Great envelope, Yumbo.

The Post Office will require extra postage for a square envelop, as it apparently won't go through the usual machinery.

gary

Wonder how much more they charge? I know a large envelope (about 8.5 x 11) is 80 cents which quite a bit more than regular postage. But would it be that much for a small envelop just because it's square? Does anybody know?

Judybug

More than you ever wanted to know about postage -- USPS-Postage Services and Rates

Short answer is 17 cents for any mail that isn't "machinable". This includes envelopes that are oddly shaped, have postage in a place other than upper right, have the address written perpendicular to the long side, etc...

Thanks for all the positive feedback. The paper for this letter/envelope should be fairly heavy. Even then, a small sticker of some sort may be needed to prevent it from unfolding.

If anyone wants to try sending the letter as an experiment, PM me and I will give you my snail mail address.

- Yumbo

I hear a lot about extra postage for various things.In my experience,if i keep the seals flat and make my own envelope rectangle,i don't pay extra.Not once has one come back to me after 300+ letters over the last year.

Other countries might be different of course.

Jim

Ya gotta love the government in general, the PO in particular.

I mailed two packages this noon, and asked about the new postage rates, and specifically square envelopes.

First, I was told no extra charge as long as it wasn't wider than a regular envelope-5 inches.

Then, it was 17 cents extra, and they had stamps in that amount.

Finally, I got a new rate sheet explanation, which doesn't address the issue of envelope shape at all.

It's open season on postage rates.

gary

Link to rules, particularly sections 1.1, 2.1.
Note min/max size, thickness, aspect ratios.
http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/201.htm#wp1042572

Basically, non-machinable surcharge is for aspect ratio problems.
Oversize on any dimension kicks you into flat or parcel (even higher 1st class rate)
Undersize is "not mailable."

Well done, JohnS. I couldn't find this on the USPS site.
Thanks,
gary