These lovely and simply made blotting paper envelopes make great gifts. They are truly easy to custom make. You probably already have the materials at your home. The total cost to make several is a only a few dollars. I found that the Velcro press and seal strips were the easiest to use and cut down the time to make them by about 5-10 minutes! It just depends on the look you want.
Your local craft store should sell scrap booking paper for under 50 cents each. The heavier stock papers will be a little more, but it’s worth the quality.
Did you know that coffee filters make fantastic, cheap blotting papers?
Time to make: 30 minutes
Materials:
- Medium to heavy-stock scrap booking paper
- Adhesive glue
- Small hair ties or rubber bands
- Brads
- Velcro stick strips (3M Command strips) or button and yarn (Alternative options)
- Coffee Filters (unbleached are preferable)
Step 1: Cut coffee filters to desired size for the blotting papers. You can stack the filters, flatten out, and cut multiple at a time.
Step 2: Use the blotting papers as your guide, cut a rectangle, leaving roughly 2 inches on the sides, 3 inches on top, and 3 inches on bottom.
Step 3: Fold lower half up, leaving about 1.5 to 2 inches at the top. You will then cut the corners of the top piece for the ‘envelope’ top.
Step 4: Cut 4 circle pieces, these will help anchor the brad area that will get a little wear and tear as the envelope is opened.
Unfold, insert a brad near the bottom of what will become the bottom of the envelope. Account for the length of your hair tie. The brad ‘top’ you want exposed should be visible on the colored side of the paper. (Hint: Don’t put brad all the way through, you will need a little space to wrap the hair tie around).
*Basically you end up with a circle on either side of the brad.
Step 5: Start folding and gluing edges.
Start with top ‘triangle’ and glue down to make a pretty edge. You will see this edge when you open the envelope to retrieve a blotting paper.
Fold side corners of envelope and glue.
Step 6: Wrap hair tie around the brads. You can now open and close your envelope.
You are finished!
Alternate options for open/close feature:
- Sew a button and use yarn to create an open/close feature if you don’t have any brads on hand.
- Use Velcro press and stick strips. Easiest method! Cuts down the time to make these by 5-10 minutes.
These make great gifts, especially if part of a ‘bath and beauty’ gift basket. I love how versatile these are and you can find very charming paper patterns.
Inspired, Natural and Creative 