ROSSI STUDIOS CRAFTS

Envelopes & Cards

Rossi Studios' Heather has been busy teaching a workshop on making cards and envelopes. Learn how to make your own! The mini versions are perfect as gift tags for all your holiday presents!

Materials:
Various papers & card stock (65 lb. or higher paper weight works well)

Envelope pattern (click here for the pattern)

Scissors

Pencil

Glue stick

Acrylic Paint

Paintbrushes

Objects to stamp with (corks, pieces of wood, rubber stamps, potato stamps, etc...)

Directions:
1. Envelopes can be made out of anything. This tutorial describes how to make painted envelopes. If you prefer to use scrapbooking paper, decorated papers, or old calendars, all of these will work well. Just skip down to step # 5 and go from there.

2. Choose the paper you want to paint first. Card stocks and thicker papers will be most durable.

3. Use paintbrushes to paint or collected objects/stamps to dip into the paint and stamp onto your paper. Let your creativity flow! Be sure to fill up the whole piece of paper, as this ensures that your envelope will be covered with your painting and patterning. See pictures #1 & #2 for ideas.

4. Allow your painted papers to dry completely..

5. Print the envelope pattern onto card stock, if possible. Cut out the pattern. If your printer will not accept card stock, print onto regular paper, cut out, trace onto card stock, and cut out card stock pattern. NOTE: This pattern is sized for small, gift-tag sized envelopes. You can scale this pattern up or down on copy machine.

6. Trace your envelope pattern onto your first piece of painted paper (or scrapbooking paper, or whatever material you are using for your envelope).

7. Cut out the envelope from your painted paper.

8. Fold all the edges of the envelope in toward the center, making sure that your painted side is down on the table. See picture #3.

9. Use glue stick to place glue on the two smaller side flaps. Do not glue all the way to the top of the flaps, as the bottom flap will not reach all the way to the top of the side flaps. Press the bottom flap onto the glued section.

10. Let the glue dry. For very thick papers, you may need to hold the flaps down for 30 seconds, to give the glue a chance to adhere.

11. Matching cards can be cut from coordinating papers and folded in half. For the envelope pattern included in this tutorial, the folded card size would be 1.75 by 1.75-inches (or 1.75 x 3.5-inches unfolded). However, if you scale your envelopes, you will need to measure the card size to fit.

Crafting Fun: Using the envelope pattern provided, envelopes can be made in any size square you'd like. Just size the pattern bigger or smaller on a copy machine.

Picture 1: Patterns can be painted and stamped onto your envelope in any way you'd like.

Picture 2: If you'd rather not paint, use handmade or scrapbooking papers with interesting patterns. Old calendars also work really well, if you want scenery or other pre-printed images on your envelopes.

Picture 3: This shows how to fold the flaps on your envelope. The large flap on the left is the bottom flap. The smallest ones on the sides are where you will place the glue.