Create an Envelope Book: A Keepsake Holder and a Journal in One

I didn't know envelope books existed until I started doing mail art swaps through the Nervousness group. Simply put, an envelope book is one where the pages are comprised of envelopes. For this project, we'll be using three different sized envelopes: one for the page, two to adhere to the pages.

Step One: Gather Your Supplies

• One greeting card sized envelope, carefully taken apart to use as a template
  
• Six pieces of decorative paper (you choose the colors and patterns). These will be used to make the largest envelopes
  
• Two pieces of a solid colored paper
  
• Two pieces of a patterned paper
  
• Bone folder
  
• Print out templates for two different sized mini-envelopes (links featured on this page)
  
• Six pieces of foil (could be the inside of a Stash tea wrapper, foils from candy, etc.)
  
• Six pieces of colored tissue paper
  
• Three pieces of ribbon
  
• dry adhesive (a gluestick has worked best for me on these projects)
  
• scissors
  
• pencil

NOTE: remember to coordinate all your colors together when making your paper selections.

Step Two: Trace and cut out all your envelopes

Step Three: Piecing it all together

• assemble all of your envelopes
  
• face all of your large envelopes with the smooth side up and adhere small pieces of square tissue paper to add texture and interest to the background
  
• adhere one piece of foil over the tissue paper sections
  
• adhere two different small envelopes as the final layer of your page layout

Step Four: How to assemble your book

• punch three holes on the edge of each large envelope, evenly spaced apart (using a dayplanner calendar page works well as a template)
  
• thread a piece of ribbon through each hole and tie it into a bow

You can use a more complicated binding method if you choose. I've sewn bindings together, glued bindings togehter and brought them to copy centers to be professionally bound. It all depends on how simple or complex you'd like to get with this project. I've also used plain paper and tea stained each page to create a "vintage style" book.