@Erica McPhee : I may not be posting in the correct place. Please just move this where it needs to go, if I’m in the wrong place!
I frequently line envelopes for invitations. I find gift wrap paper in a print that goes with the invitation “theme” or color. I usually find 2 or 3 patterns for the sender to choose between. I love toile patterns, but floral is usually nice, too. I had a recent bride who picked an abstract pattern that I pretty strongly (although privately), disliked. If an envelope is prelined, it makes it hard to letter on the envelopes because you can’t see the lettering guide. I try to talk the brides or other senders out of prelining the envelopes before I letter them, if I get that opportunity.
To line the lettered envelopes, open up the flap of the envelope & trace around the outside edges of the envelopes onto thin poster board. When possible, I use the bottom left corner of the cardboard. When I lay the envelope on the cardboard to trace around it, I extend the pattern 1/4” over the bottom & left sides of the cardboard & then cut out the envelope pattern on the right side and on top of the traced envelope. This insures that the pattern will be slightly shorter and thinner than the envelope, so you can still use the glue on the envelope to seal it. I hope that makes sense!
I try the cut out patterns of envelopes onto the width of the gift wrap paper (with right side of the pattern touching the left side of the next pattern, so I can make as few cuts as possible. I only do that after assuring that the trial one fits properly into the envelope. If it does, I apply an Elmer’s glue stick around the top & two sides of the back of the paper & place it into the envelopes. There’s no need to glue the bottom edge, as it’s safely tucked into the envelope! I usually trace the envelope pattern across the width of the paper. If the flap has a point”, I’ll often lay out templets across the width of the gift wrap paper with the envelope points poking “up” & lay out the next row of envelopes having their points pointing “down” to fit into the gaps formed by the upward points of the row below. Obviously, you can’t do this if the paper pattern has an “up” pattern of some kind( like human figures, animals, etc.).
I hope that this makes sense and that this information is helpful to someone!!
Janis
