While the most obvious use of cardstock is generally some type of birthday card or greeting card, there are so many other ways in which cardstock can be used. One very important one, especially if you have already made a card, is a homemade envelope. What good is a gorgeous handmade card if you do not have an envelope to place it in? There is no need to run out and buy an overpriced box of envelopes. As long as you have cardstock paper at home, you can make your own DIY envelope.
Make An Envelope For Any Size Card
Envelopes are not one size fits all. The envelope you need will depend on the size of the card that you have. You do not want an envelope that is so big the card is swimming around inside. On the flip side, you also do not want an envelope in which you have to jam the card inside, ruining its edges in the process.
Gift cards are a popular present. They are pretty much guaranteed to be enjoyed by their recipients and are foolproof when it comes to gift-giving. Making a cardstock envelope to fit a gift card is easier than you think. All you need to begin is a sheet of cardstock paper.
- Choose the favorite color of the gift card recipient to give the envelope a personalized touch.
- With a scissor, cut out four circles. Each one should have a diameter of approximately four inches.
- Tape the circles together to create a symmetrical clover shape.
- Fold each circle in half inwardly towards the middle of the clover. Use the back of a knife or a letter open to score the cardstock and create an even fold.
- Place the gift card in the center and fold the circle flaps into each other to close the envelope.
What if you want an envelope that holds something larger than a gift card? A5 cards are the most popular sized cards and require bigger envelopes. Have no fear. It is still very simple to create a cardstock envelope for a card that is larger. All you need is the cardstock paper of your choice, scissors, and a bottle of glue. Then, follow these step-by-step instructions.
- Place your card on an upright 8.5”x11” sheet of cardstock paper. Center the card in the middle of the paper horizontally but a little closer to the bottom vertically.
- Fold the sides of the paper over the card. As before, use the back of a knife or a letter opener to create neat folds. Do not fold too close to the card. Leave a drop of extra space for wiggle room so that the card can slide in and out of the envelope easily.
- Fold the top and bottom of the cardstock paper over the card in the same exact way.
- Open up the folded cardstock and remove the card.
- With a scissor, cut out all four corners of the cardstock paper. The bottom corners will be square shaped whereas the top corners will be more rectangular shaped since more space was left at the top of the paper.
- Now fold in the sides of the cardstock paper and place glue on the bottom edge of each folded side. Fold up the bottom portion of the cardstock and press down so that the bottom portion gets glued to the sides.
- Take a new sheet of cardstock paper and cut it out to match the size of your current cardstock paper, minus the top flap.
- Place glue along the sides and bottom of your envelope and glue the new rectangle down to create your completed envelope.
- Simply place your birthday card inside the envelope and glue or tape the top flap down.
Make An Envelope For Money
When in doubt, the easiest present is always money. It is even more foolproof than gift cards. Who does not appreciate some extra cash in their pocket and the freedom to spend it on whatever they fancy? However, just handing someone a crisp bill does not seem that personal at all. Even when giving a more generic present, there are still ways to add that unique touch. Making your own cardstock envelope to place the money inside is an easy way to still show thoughtfulness for that person who is impossible to shop for.
Making money envelopes is quite simple. All you will need is cardstock paper, scissors, and a bottle of glue, and you will be able to create not just any ordinary money envelope but a shogun envelope.
- Cut a sheet of cardstock paper in half to create an 8.5”x5.5” size of paper.
- Holding the paper vertically, fold up the bottom third of the paper.
- Then fold down the top third of the paper. With each fold, make sure to use a scoring tool in order to create neat folds.
- Unfold the paper and place glue along the sides of the middle section of paper. Fold up the bottom portion of the cardstock and press down so that the bottom portion gets glued to the sides, creating the envelope pocket.
- Fold down the top third of the paper and use a scissor to cut out a decorative pattern along the flap’s edges.
- Decorate the money gift envelope with metallics and stick-on beads of your choice.
Make An Origami Envelope Without Glue
All of the envelopes described above are easy to make, but sometimes we require mega easy. Sometimes we do not want to deal with glue or anything remotely sticky or messy. The good news is that you can still make your own cardstock envelope with no glue whatsoever. Here are the step-by-step instructions.
- Take your chosen piece of cardstock paper and fold down the top right-hand corner until it meets the edge of the left side of the paper. Press down to secure the fold.
- Cut off the remaining paper that is on the bottom so that you are left with a perfect square.
- Fold down the top corner of the triangle until its tip meets the bottom of the triangle.
- Now fold in the two sides of the triangle towards each other. Fold them in enough so that each folded tip slightly overlaps each other.
- Place one folded tip into the other tip in order to create your envelope pocket.
- Fold down the top triangle to create the envelope flap.
- Place whatever you like inside, whether it is a birthday card, thank you card, gift card, or money.
As you can see, the options are really endless when it comes to making handmade cardstock envelopes. You can go fancy or simple depending on the look you are going for. You can make smaller envelopes or larger ones depending on what you want to place inside. Lastly, you can use glue or not use glue depending on how much you hate sticky fingers. Whichever option you choose, its recipient will be sure to enjoy the personalized touch.