This is actually a late summer road trip! I had to send a letter to my brother the other day and thought I would make a homemade map envelope for him. Maps are my go to for “dude design”. I love the earthy colors and patterns of maps and collect them at garage sales. Since they become outdated pretty quickly and most everybody uses gps, they are not around as much. Grab them if you see them. Here are some ideas on how to use them.
Supplies: maps, envelopes (for a template), scissors, pencil and some tape. I used Japanese washi tape (pretty fancy, but you can find it at Paper Source and the web).
How to make an invitation size envelope.
Step 1. Undo your envelope to use as a template. You can buy plastic envelope templates if you wish. I never seem to have one when I need it.
Step 2. Trace around your envelope template.
Step 3 and 4. Cut out your outline with scissors, fold up the envelope and tape it shut. Cut off the excess tape. That’s it!
How to make a letter size envelope. Or any size.
Step 1. Take the map and fold it in thirds to the paper size you would like to send.
Step 2. Tape it shut.
Step 3. To make the flap of the envelope, cut down about an 1.5 on each side.
Step 4. Cut off the back side where you just made the slits.
Step 5. Fold the corners down and tape them to finish your flap. ( to seal your envelope, you can use glue or more tape
Now you have a beautiful set of custom envelopes to send! Very easy to do while your watching HGTV! I added an address label. Another bit of fanciness.
Don’t stop there. Try making some tags! Just spray glue on a plain piece of paper on the back and trim them out. I just cut them with the scissors for a handmade look. Punch holes and to finish up, use a reinforcement label for holes and some bakers twine. Make s bunch for the holidays.
Or use maps alone or with paper bags and washi tape to cover school books. Awesomeness!
