Making your own envelopes for odd size cards

A few weeks ago Steve found an add on Craig's list regarding  card stock.  We followed up on the add and not only met a very nice man by the name of Ron, but a treasure of papers at very affordable prices!  There was only one catch, these paper were mill cut size : 25.5" x 48"  one ream weighed 100lbs.  Undaunted we purchased a couple of reams!  I brought it to my local printer (there is an Offset press at the end of my neighborhood) and requested specific sizes to be cut.  I really thought I was so slick, until Mark said "Ah only one problem, these dimensions are the opposite of my cutting machine".  Ya Ya so we refigured this out, only problem there was going to be more waste.  Waste not, stamp more!!  Well hey we stampers are innovators,  So I took the scrap  and decided I could just go ahead and make special size envelopes and then nothing would be wasted and I'd have some unique new card sizes!!  The two "scrap" card will be 3.5"x 6" and 4.5" x4.5" .

I won't go into detail on the  square card except to say that IO made the envelope on this card 4.5'x 5.5' . By making it a rectangle I am not going to have to pay extra for a small square!

Here is how I made my custom envelopes!! BTW  this is great to do if you are watching a movie!

I start off using 12" x12" designer paper, the kid you can get for 40% at the big box stores. I like the My Minds' eye pads.  280 sheet for about 11.99!! Great colors and patterns too!







I used a regular envelope to use a  base for the template.  Making sure the envelope was wide enough for the card, I pulled it apart, and adjusted it to fit the new card size, it was pretty close so it required very little effort.  If I started out with a envelope 3times the size of the card it would have been more difficult.  So find one that is close!!
 
I made crease in the paper and trimmed the side flaps to fit the new card. I unfolded it, traced the pattern on to a piece of copy paper.  Fit the pattern around the card base and it was just right, I then traced the pattern on to a piece of chip board to make a template.
 
 
It is a little crooked here, but after straightening it out, I cut one more piece of paper from the template just to make sure it did, and it did.  Really reading this post is more difficult than actually doing this!!
 
Next I pulled out my pattern paper and cut it to the aprox size of the envelope.
 
 
In this case it was 7.5x9. doing this made the actual envelope cutting out easier.
 
 
I clipped the papers, about ten sheet (What I could scissor through comfortably) to the template and then I just cut!!
 
Folded the flaps over and the top and bottom.                                                                                   
 Using a thin glue, glued the side flaps to the folded up bottom.
 
 
 
I will use the same glue to seal it before mailing.
 
 
Isn't that pretty??  and so easy!!
 
I love making my own colorful envelopes!!
 
Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!
Ginny M
 
 
 
 

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