Day Five: Parchment paper envelopes for all your little Valentines.

It’s what’s inside that counts, right? But, it doesn’t hurt if what’s inside comes wrapped in a pretty box, as any girl who has ever received a blue box from Tiffany’s knows.  Sometimes, especially if what you’re giving isn’t homemade or seems too commercial (hello Via Lattes from Starbucks) a sweet envelope or pretty package can express your true feelings. “This might be a bit commercial: but I was thinking of you, just the same!”   

Remember this?

This was the handmade Valentine that I sent to long-distance friends in 2011. I printed it out and glittered the band on his hat. Then I glued it to red card stock and included a lolly. Tucked it into a red envelope and off it went. 

And then I waited. And waited. And discovered, much to my horror: nobody really liked my Valentine. 

Um, it was a dud. I don’t think any of my friends even got the reference — it was just too, “out there”. Too “handmade” (is there such a thing?) I was sad.  I had hoped to create a fun little way of saying, “I’m thinking of you”, but instead just confused people. The whole thing fell flat. 

And I think there still might be glitter in our carpet. 

I’ll confess, when Valentine’s Day rolled around in 2012 I was still stinging from the rejection. “Maybe people just don’t get the idea?” So, instead of sending out handmade cards to friends for the holidays, I opted out.  I’m not sure many people noticed. 

Funny how our feelings get hurt, right?

But, this year, I am determined and frankly, have learned my lesson? The truth is, I miss my long distance friends terribly. And the we often say to one another, “I wish I lived closer so we could grab a cup of coffee.”  So, when Starbucks offered these trial Via Lattes, I scooped up a bunch. I’m sure our barista thought I was some strange sort of coffee hoarder. But, while completely corporate, these little make at home coffee packs say what good old Telly could not! 

Of course, I can’t just mail these as they are. Can I? Noooooo. So, I created these really simple little envelopes for my Via Valentines. They’re easy to make, although they do require a sewing machine. If you don’t have a machine, fear not. Even wrapping your little corporate gift in a bit of parchment paper and tying it up with a ribbon works beautifully. Just that little extra touch can make a very impersonal gift card feel festive!

Not every gift you give has to be handmade. But that doesn’t mean you can’t add a bit of splash and personality to the gift giving process!

DIY Parchment Paper Envelopes

What you will need: 

• Roll of parchment paper (hey all, Costco sells this by the 2 pack in enormous sizes for pennies in comparison to the local super market. I keep one roll in my studio, the other in the pantry!)
• Scissors, rotary blade, pinking shears
• Scrap Fabric (I used Liberty of London)
• Sewing Machine
• Cutting Board and rulers

Step One: 

Place the item you want to wrap on the your cutting board to get an idea of its size. You’ll want to add a bit if your item is thick like mine is. 

Step Two: 

Fold your paper in half at the bottom. And then, using a ruler and rotary blade, cut your “envelope to the size you want. I cut mine a wee bit shorter than the Via packets because I wanted them to poke out of the envelope. 

Step Three:

Cut out your heart. I free handed this — and remember, handmade doesn’t need to be perfect. Any kind of fabric will work here. 

Step Four: 

Sew your heart onto the front. You’ll want unfold your paper when you do this. So that you are only sewing the heart onto the front side of the envelope. (You can also skip this step and simply glue your heart on the front of your envelope.)

Once you sew across the short side of the envelope. You can then refold your envelope and sew the sides together to create the envelope. 

Step Five

Trim your excess strings and edges if you so wish. Then using the pinking shears, cut the top part of the envelope to create the little zig zag edge. If you have speciality scissors that create fun edges that would be a lovely touch too!

Tie your package up with a  bit of twine. 

And you’re done. A pretty little package to hold whatever you decide to give this Valentine’s Day. 

PS… the original idea for these is from Stay Lucky. You can see her photos her bags here.