Owl Ink Wedding Envelopes

Owl Ink Wedding Envelopes

 

I’ve been sitting on these photos for a while, waiting patiently for them to show up in their recipients’ mailboxes before posting anything. They’re now out, so here is a brief photo recap of my first major calligraphy project!

Almost 200 envelopes seems quite intimidating, but I split them up into batches and tried to do at least 10-20 at any one time. First I did all single names, as I didn’t have to worry about running out of space on the top line. Then, I did married couples with a shared last name. Lastly, I did couples with separate names, as most of these had to be done in two separate lines. It was a fun challenge!

I will be attending this wedding in the fall, so it was kind of funny to send the completed envelopes out, and then find one back in my mailbox a few days later :P

Full names and/or addresses have been obscured or edited out for privacy. Thank you to Joyce for letting me use your full address for showcase purposes ♥

A huge thank you to Traci and David for the honor of being a part of your wedding!

 

MATERIALS USED: 

 

Owl Ink Wedding Envelopes

 

Owl Ink Wedding Envelopes

 

Owl Ink Wedding Envelopes

 

Owl Ink Wedding Envelopes

DIY Envelope Address Template

 

DIY Envelope Address Template

One of my friends is getting married in August, and asked if I would like to take on the task of addressing her wedding invitation envelopes. I was very honored and excited to take on this project!

A small box arrived shortly after, filled with “Cement Grey” Paper Source A7 envelopes — almost 200 of them. I decided it would be best to create some sort of guide for the address lines, similar to THIS or THIS. While the template was a little bit of initial work, it has greatly sped up my process, so I wanted to share it with you!

STEP 1: Acquire a thick card stock of a color that is different from your envelopes (I used a yellowish-cream card cut from an old gift box). You can use white, but having an eye-catching color just makes it easier to find in a sea of envelopes.

STEP 2: Trace your envelope size on the card stock and cut it out carefully.

 

DIY Envelope Address Template

 

STEP 3: Using one of the envelopes as a guide, generally eyeball where you want the three (or more, but I am only using three) address lines to be.

NOTE: Make sure to leave enough space for stamps! Especially if you choose to use multiple smaller (non-Forever) stamps to add up to the total postage cost.

STEP 4: Draw your guide lines with a pencil. Use a ruler to make sure everything is straight!

 

DIY Envelope Address Template

 

STEP 5: Using your blade, cut a small gap around the baseline. Make sure this is also straight, AND wide enough so that your pencil tip of choice will fit through it snugly. If it’s too loose, the lines will be slightly uneven.

 

DIY Envelope Address Template

 

STEP 6: Repeat for the other two baselines. You’re done with your template!

For this particular envelope project, my friend requested that the recipient’s name and city to be done in calligraphy, with the address itself to be done in print. So, the third line has slightly more space to accommodate a flowy calligraphy script. Of course, the line heights can be done however you’d like them — just make sure to measure it out!

 

DIY Envelope Address Template

 

STEP 7: To use the template, place it squarely on top of your envelope. Stick your pencil tip into the grooves, and lightly draw your three baselines. Use a light touch, as you only need the lines to be barely visible.

 

DIY Envelope Address Template

 

STEP 8: Repeat for as many envelopes as you need. Easy! The more challenging part is the calligraphy itself, which I am currently in the process of completing. So, that will be a future post!

[UPDATE: Lindsey of The Postman’s Knock also shared her version of the envelope address template on her fantastic blog here!]

 

DIY Envelope Address Template