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.

 

 

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!

 

 

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.

 

 

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!

 

 

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.

 

 

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!]