Make a pretty envelope for your junk journal using decorated parchment/baking paper and scraps. This is a fun and easy step by step process.
If you don’t want to make the envelope, then you can skip this step and use any ready-made envelope you already have on hand.
Materials List
1 sheet Parchment/Baking Paper
2 sheets Coffee-dyed Copy Paper
1 sheet Art Paper
1 Old Book Page
Children's Fairy Book - I cut out images to decorate the envelope
Lace & Fabric Scraps
Butterfly Cutout
Stencils
Watercolour Paints: greens & blue
Glue
Ranger Distress Ink: Vintage Photo
Ruler
Tacky Glue
Glue Stick
Instructions
Parchment/Baking Paper
Paint a sheet of baking paper, using green watercolour paints.
When the paint has dried, stencil on a pretty design over the top, using a stencil and either paint or inks.
Green Paper
Paint a sheet of art paper, using the green watercolour paints to create a solid green background paper.
Constructing the Envelope
Use the sheet of coffee-died copy paper to make the envelope. First, draw out a template using a pencil and a ruler. Draw two lines on both sides of the page, about 3/8" (1cm) in from the edges, to create the hinges for the envelope.
Next, turn the bottom and top edges up to create the bottom and top flaps, leaving a 1" (2.5cm) gap on the back panel, between the two flaps.
Fold in the two side hinges. then cut off the hinges on the bottom and top flaps (they're not needed), leaving the hinges on the back panel only.
Use the lid of a jar or some other round object, to create the rounded edges on the top flap. Then cut them out.
Making the Diagonal Panel on the front of the Envelope
Keeping the flaps closed, turn the envelope over and place it on the table, with front of the envelope facing up.
Place the sheet of decorated parchment/baking paper over the top of the envelope, the top left corner matching the top left corner of the envelope.
You can make the parchment panel any width you wish, depending on the size of your envelope. Using a pencil, make two marks for the top and bottom edges of the panel you're going to make.
Starting at the top edge of the envelope, amake a mark about halfway down the left side of the envelope. Repeat this step on the right side but in the reverse order, marking the bottom right edge, then making a mark halfway up on the right side to create a straight diagonal pattern.
Use a ruler to draw between the two sets of marks and also draw a line along the left and right edges of the envelope. To cut the panel out, use scissors to cut along the line on the right edge. Then tear the top and bottom of the panel out, making sure to tear on the outside of the top and bottom lines.
Using a glue stick, run a line of glue around the edges of the panel only. Attach the panel in place over the envelope. Once the glue had dried, use a sewing machine to sew around the edges of the parchment panel.
This next step is optional. If you want the parchment panel to show through to the inside of the envelope then follow the next steps.
Turn the envelope over and open it out. Using craft scissors, very carefully cut a small slit in the envelope, making sure you don't cut through the parchment panel behind. Next, use your fingers to tear close to the sewn edges to remove the copy paper, so that the parchment panel shows through.
Decorating the Envelope Front
Tear a sheet of printer paper into two triangles to fit onto the top and bottom of the envelope, but not covering up the parchment panel.
Tear 2 smaller triangles from the book page to fit inside the other two corner panels.
Ink around the edges on all four panels, before gluing the two pairs of panels together.
Glue the triangles into position on the envelope.
To finish, cut out images from the children's fairy book to decorate the top and bottom of the envelope.
Envelope Back Top Flap
Turn the envelope over and open up the flaps.
Use inks or paints to stencil a pattern on the top flap and the upper part of the back flap.
Use a sheet of scrap paper to place over the areas you don't want to stencil.
Decorate the top flap.
Use a piece of the decorated parchment/baking paper as a base to make a cluster from fabric and lace scraps. Glue it onto the flap first.
Cut out a thin strip of fabric to act as a ribbon and glue across the flap.
Make the cluster from lace and fabric scraps and glue over the parchment paper.
Then glue on the butterfly over the top.
Envelope Back Bottom Flap
Turn the hinges of the back flap inwards. Glue the bottom flap to the hinges to close the envelope.
Tear or cut a panel from the book page and glue onto the top right of the bottom panel.
Tear or cut triangles from the parchment/baking paper and the painted background paper and glue onto the bottom left edge of the bottom panel.
Cut out an image from the children's book to add as a decoration.
If you would like to watch the video where I show you the full process of how to make this envelope, then please click on the video below:
