Mailing a handwritten letter is a special occasion, so when you have time why not decorate the envelope? I admit the one below is a little ambitious and I’m not sure it would get past the mail slot in a modern post office, but it’s fun.
Here are two more examples.
Inspiring, humorous artwork!
But pattern decoration can be fun, too. A friend recently shared with me pictures of envelopes she designed for her cards. She adds acrylic embellishments to wallpaper samples and uses magazine and calendar pages for linings. I like her joyful colors, a wonderful greeting to find in the mailbox among plain business envelopes and ads.
The next time you write to someone, think about the kind of image they’d enjoy. Maybe you have a stack of home and garden or other magazines. Find a full-page illustration with an open space for the address. Turn it over and crease it around your letter, not too tightly. Unfold it, trim it, and glue the side flaps.
On my shelf just now I found an old issue of the American Art Review with a full-page painting in an article about a museum. It has the empty space I’m looking for, with a good subject and colors that fit the sample note I wrote on a half-sheet of yellow paper.
Here’s one more decorated envelope from The Illustrated Letter.
A personal letter in the mail is a spirit-lifter, a great gift these days. Have fun!
This is so wonderful and so creative! I can’t wait to send another letter!!
Another wonderful creative idea from you, Deda. It made me sit down immediately and start going through magazines. It is a really fun idea. A friend of mine use to tear off the front of Christmas cards and use the back as a postcard. A good way to use up the cards and extend the holiday spirit.