Studio 2

For those of you familiar with some of my past work, you might gather that I have a special affinity for paper.

A friend gifted me enough vintage sheet music to keep me busy for awhile, and I’ve been brainstorming the different ways I’d like to use it. The paper was soft, yet hardy. It reminded me of a similar, but a more slender version of Rives BFK drawing paper (my favorite <3). Even more interestingly this paper was relatively local, with a copyright date of 1945, coming out of Chicago.

What could I make create out of these?

Geeking out over paper like this, for whatever reason, makes me want to share this artifact of sorts with other people. What better way than envelopes? There’s a special quality that written letters have to me, especially in a time where ‘snail mail’ is a far less common form of communication. I wanted to make my own envelopes for sending, and for other people to share and send their thoughts to their loved ones.

Provided below is a short tutorial on how I created my own envelopes.

I first chose the size an type of envelope I wanted to create. For the holiday season, I decided to standard holiday card format. I made a trip to my local card store, and purchased my desired envelope.

I then carefully deconstructed this envelope and unfolded it, providing myself with my envelope template.

Following that, I traced the pattern onto my paper of choice. I used sheet music paper, but you can use whatever you like!

I cut out the template, and reassembled my new envelopes. I sealed them by lightly brushing Aleene’s Tacky Glue for a solid bond, and let them dry. After drying, I found it helpful to place them under something heavy- like a stack of books, to get your edges folded nice and crisp.

Upon completion, I have a nice little stash of envelopes! I can’t wait to send out my winter well-wishes. Something tells me this would make for a wonderful surprise in someone’s mail box.

If you’re interested in purchasing your own envelopes, a few are available on my small business brand Studio 2’s Etsy Storefront.