Monday, July 2, 2012

Transparent envelope tutorial

I wanted to share a tried and tested tutorial to make your own see through envelopes. I tried a couple of different methods and found this the easiest with the best results. In the spirit of upcycling I also used repurposed materials.


You'll need an envelope, scissors, some plastic (I used a sheet/page protector) and double sided tape. Well, that's what I used, I'm sure other adhesives would work as well. Just be careful if you're using regular glue as I imagine it won't dry very fast when used with plastic.

I picked the page protector since it actually makes cutting the envelopes shape much easier. So, start by opening your old envelope. You can use any one you have at hand and obviously you can make different sizes as needed. Insert the opened envelope into the plastic pocket.


Then cut around the envelope. I found it easiest to line one side of the envelope with the seam of the pocket and then cutting that part last. That way the two sides of the plastic pocket do not move around while you're still cutting them into shape.


Once you've cut it out, fold the four sides to form the flaps of the envelopes.


Once you've creased the folds, add the double sided tape (or whichever adhesive you're using) to the side flaps. Remove the backing and stick the bottom flap on the sides.

And that's it! It's super simple and if you're using the page protectors, you get two envelopes cut at the same time. You could easily use different coloured plastic and even used packaging.

So, are you going to try it out?

8 comments:

  1. If I'm ever gonna send mail - I'll definitely try this out :D Awsum!

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    1. Thanks! I guess sending (snail) mail would be a prerequisite for making something like this. I'm trying to send more mail, but I still feel like I don't do it enough.

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  2. Wow, it's almost a year since you've posted this! I just stumbled across your blog (I've been admiring your translucent envelopes on instagram) and felt it was only appropriate to express my thanks! I can't wait to try this out!

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    1. Well... way over a year since you posted this comment and I totally missed it! I was bombarded with spam and missed quite a few comments apparently... So sorry! I hope you tried it!

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  3. Wow! I have been wanting clear envelopes but have not thought of using page protectors! Found your tutorial through Pinterest. Thanks so much!

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    1. I feel so bad for not noticing this comment... I got bombarded with spam, so I think I've missed a number of real comments... Sorry!

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  4. This clear envelope would work great with the budget plan of using cash. You can also store coupons, tickets and receipts in the corresponding envelope while being able to easily see it.

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    1. That's such a clever idea! Thanks for sharing!

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