Handmade envelope inside a handmade envelope!

Can we decorate an existing, white envelope with stickers, paint, doodles, etc. or is that "cheating"?

@Kraftylady777 if you've never made an envelope before, here's a handy tip: Gently take apart an existing envelope you have on hand, trace it onto cardboard (cereal boxes make great template material) and cut out - voila, now you have a template! This is how I make all my envelope templates and as they come in, if I like 'em, I make a new template.

Thank you ArtyBeth3. :o)

For this instance I think the fun part is making the envelope out of something envelopes aren't normally made out of. If you can't find a template in a store @ArtyBeth3 s idea is a great one!

@Kraftylady777 I love making envies out of everything but one note of caution. I used some wallpaper and because of the type that it was.... my glue did not hold well and the envie blew apart. (actually, I was told that it "slid" apart!" LOL I ended up sending a second swap because all the girl got was the envie!) If you use wallpapers.... always re-enforce with tape. Have fun!!!!

I've been making my own envelopes for about 3 weeks now - mostly out of bright and colorful magazine pages and great maps from my old atlas. So this swap sounded like the perfect opportunity for my first participation on swap-bot!

Thanks! Cal

Double sided tape works really good to hold wallpaper together but it has to be the good kind or tape. I use 3m personally and never had any problems.

Just a note for anybody just getting started ~ Its VERY addicting :) I have a plastic tub FULL of calendars,wallpaper and more just for making envies!

TryshaH81 - you are so right...making your own envelopes becomes very addicting for some reason! My new thing is to "set up shop" when I'm relaxing in front of the TV - I just trace, cut, glue all night, and can make a bunch of envelopes in one night. At first it was hard to send them out...they were so pretty and cool I wanted to keep them all! But now I enjoy sharing them and I just make more! (I take pictures of the ones I really like.) Looking forward to this swap!

TryshaH81-You said it girl-ADDITICTING is right! I too have been swooning & drooling over the many beautiful handmade envies i have received in swaps and finally decided to give it a go...I definitely needed a craeative outlet for the stacks of pretty magazine images i have been tearing out of mags for as long as i can remember! (another obsession with me...what can i say, i'm a photographer so just naturally drawn to the visual i suppose!) It IS (as Postage Stamp said above) SO very relaxing and in no time at all, you have bunches of pretty one-of-a-kind envies to send off that special swap in! Excited to see what my partner creates for me!

And it is that time of the year - ask your friends if they're willing to recycle 2010 calendars at the end of the year. Gives you plenty of material to make envelopes during the coming year :)