These are one of my favorite upcycling projects. I think they come out so darn cute, and for some reason, new envelopes are just one of my environmental pet peeves.
So, simply find an envelope size you like (preferably a used one), open it, and use that as your template. Then find a magazine or used gift wrap or an outdated map, or an old calendar or a page from a damaged book. Trace, cut, glue, and voila!
I love making many at once when I’m already in an envelope-making groove. The tricky part becomes how to put the name or address on it and have it be clearly seen.
Here’s a few of the ideas I’ve seen on this:
Plan it so that where the name or address should go is fairly blank, and then write with a thick marker.
Use a white blank sticker.
My favorite so far is to grab a piece of paper from the reuse pile and cut a small rectangle and glue that on.
Hope you have as much fun with this as I do!