Envelopes come in all shapes and sizes and have many different options available. Back when wedding invitations were handwritten, a piece of paper tissue was typically placed on top of the card so the ink wouldn’t smear or get smudged. This is where lined envelopes originated. Today they are used for many types of special events, from graduations to baby showers and weddings.
Foil lined envelopes are paper envelopes that have a vellum finish and a colored foil lining on the inside of the envelope. Lined envelopes add a perfect festive touch for any occasion. They can be found in many different colors and sizes and are fairly inexpensive. These are great envelopes for wedding invitations and holiday cards. A set of fifty foil lined envelopes can be purchased for approximately $5 if you’re just looking for a basic envelope with a festive touch.
The best way to add the most personal touch to envelopes for those special events is to line them yourself. This is real easy to do. Imagine sending your wedding invitation to all of your family members and when they open the envelope they see a picture of you and your loved one on the flap. A cool idea for Christmas cards is to put your family photo or your children’s picture on the flap of the envelope. This adds a more personal and sentimental touch to your lined envelopes.
To make lined envelopes, you will need the decorative paper of your choice, a ruler, scissors or a paper cutter and a glue stick. To make the liner, measure the width of your envelope and subtract ¼ of an inch from your measurement. Next, fold back the envelope flap and measure the length of the envelope from the bottom of the envelope to just under the gum strip at the tip of the flap. Cut your decorative paper to these dimensions. Slide the decorate paper into the envelope and fold the corners down, right underneath the gum line. Remove the decorative paper and cut the corners along your folds. At this point, you may consider using a bone folder to make your creases sharp.
After getting your creases and cuts done, slide the decorative liner back into the envelope and fold down the flap. While keeping the decorative liner folded, fold up the envelop flap and slip a scrap piece of paper under the liner flap. The purpose of the scrap paper is to protect the envelope flap from glue. Run the glue stick over the back of the flap liner and pull out the scrap paper. Fold the envelope flap back down and run your fingertip over it to apply the glue to the envelope flap. Repeat this process with the rest of the necessary envelopes and you now have lined envelopes.
Creating lined envelopes for those special occasions is a fun and creative way to not only share with your family but to also bond with your children. Kids loves arts and crafts projects and with little assistance, you can help your children learn something new and make something for their loved ones all at the same time. Grandparents would love opening that Christmas card and seeing their grandbabies on the flap of the envelope. A box of envelopes is real cheap, but lining them yourself with something sentimental is priceless.