If you love to make handmade cards or if you love to print you own greeting cards, you will love learning how to make an envelope out of paper. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make an envelope out of 8.5 x 11″ paper and turn it into a custom envelope for any of the most popular greeting card sizes. No fancy envelope maker tools required for this! You’ll only need a few basic crafting tools.
What Paper Should I Use to Make an Envelope?
Before we make an envelope, let’s first figure out what paper is best for envelopes. You don’t want to use a thick cardstock for this since that will create a bulky envelope, that’s hard to fold. A bulky envelope might even increase postage costs!
After lots of research we found that Koala 36lb Glossy Inkjet Photo Paper worked best. One side of the paper is glossy, which is great for the outside of your custom envelope. The glossy finish makes the envelope a bit more durable which is perfect for the wear and tear it will withstand while in the mail. Also, the colors pop beautifully when printed on the glossy finish. One side of the paper is matte, which works well for the inside.
What Printer Should I Use?
There are several options when it comes to the best printer for crafters. For this project, however, we opted to use the Canon PIXMA TS9521C Crafting Printer. This printer can handle a wide variety of materials and the 5-color individual ink tank system results in beautiful, bright colors.
The rear tray of the TS9521C printer is ideal for specialty materials like the glossy inkjet photo paper used in this project. Additionally, the borderless printing is a must since we’ll be using printable patterned paper to create our custom envie!
What Designs Can I Print on my Envelope?
This is the fun part! Since we are going to make your own envelope with 8.5 x 11″ paper, you want to find printable scrapbook papers that are letter sized or larger. Search for printable scrapbook paper or digital scrapbook paper and you’ll be surprised what you find!
Floral pattern paper is a timeless look or you can go for a wild animal print. If you want to create your own Christmas envelopes, have fun with some bright printable holiday scrapbook papers. Every YayDay Paper Co. Stationery Bundle includes several digital scrapbook papers!
How to Fold an Envelope Out of Paper?
Now that you’ve watched and learned how easily you can create an envelope with paper, here are additional instructions for how to make envelopes for other common card sizes.
FOR AN A6 SIZE CARD (all YayDay printable cards are A6)
- Trim paper to 7 3/4″ x 10 3/8″
- Place the paper on the score board so it measures 7 3/4″ wide
- Score at 1/2″ on both ends
- Hold the paper so it measures 10 3/8″ wide
- Score at 1 7/8″ x 6 3/4″
FOR AN A2 CARD:
- Trim paper to 6 3/4″ x 9 3/4″.
- Place the paper on a score board so it measures 6 3/4″ wide
- Score at 1/2″ on both ends
- Hold the paper so it measures 9 3/4″ wide.
- Score at 2″ x 6 1/2″
FOR AN A7 CARD:
- Trim paper to 8 1/4″ x 11″.
- Place the paper on a score board so it measures 8 1/4″ wide
- Score at 1/2″ on both ends
- Hold the paper so it measures 11″ wide.
- Score at 2 1/4″ and 7 1/2″.
What Materials do I Need?
We wanted to make this as simple as possible so you only need a few basic crafting supplies to create your own custom envelopes.
- We R Memory Keepers Trim and Score Board
- This tool is unlike any other! You can cut and score your paper all in one. Also, the measurement guide at the top of the board is in 1/8″ increments. This is a great feature for precise measurements every time.
- Scissors
- Tape Runner or Glue
- Corner Rounder (optional)
- Inkjet Printer
- we recommend the Canon PIXMA TS9521C Crafting Printer but you can learn more about other great printers in our review.
- Koala 36lb Glossy Inkjet Photo Paper
- This photo paper is thin and the perfect weight for an envelope. The glossy finish also makes the colors pop and offers a little more durability for your envelope. As an alternative, you can also check out the Koala 32lb Double Sided Matte Photo Paper which is also thin and perfect for DIY envelopes.
