Folding your own envelope -Origami style

Fold your own envelope from a single sheet of A4 or letter sized paper.

Step 1 Start with letter sized (or A4) sheet of paper.

begin with a letter or A4 sized sheet. Whatever you write on the reverse side of the sheet will be wholly contained inside the final sheet.

Comments

[dravenous]

i normally like dont have a clue how these things are done but was worth it trying for the 1st soooo much FUN thanks for the tips i can fold one....wooohooo but it took some time...now i got something to pass on its a bit old scwlish but well worth it..sweet

[nightninja87]

thanks this website saved my butt again i was making a gift for my gf and couldnt remember how to make this envelope was in one of my origami books and cant find it thanks for this ible

[stopanator]

fun way to make and no need for envelopes :)

[nate121]

i say to many steps

[maeve]

Maybe but its ok if you put it on "show all steps". I thoought it was handy because usually I get stuck with origami stuff but all the pictures and simple steps helped.

[airship]

This is cool, but NOT legal to mail in the US. This is from the U.S. Postal Service Web site:
To be eligible for mailing at the postage rates for letters, a piece must be:

• Rectangular
• At least 3-½ inches high x 5 inches long x .007 inch thick.

Folded, this item is, by my measurements, 2 3/8" high x 4 1/4" long, so it's both too short and too narrow.
Not only do you not get the letter rate for something this small, you can't mail it at all.
Too bad, 'cause it's cool.

[maeve]

Phew! Here in Ireland this is uncategorised, but what the heck, THEY STILL DELIVER IT!

[ANTQNUT]

wow. why did you go through all that work to prove someone, that probably spent a long time working on this envelope instructable, wrong. wow.

[cirano]

ease up. it is good info airship provided. It doesn't undermine the ible anyway, the envelope fold is still pretty cool. More info never make diy things uncool.

[kibbler]

I sent it, and it worked. Those post office peeps don't really care.

[edunbarr]

Shoot, I get stuff smaller than what the PO considers "regulation size" all the time! Post cards from loan companies, Christmas greetings from my dentist's office... I don't understand why something like this would be "illegal" to mail when I get tiny stuff all the time??

[saul]

i have to check on this now. i admit to not checking my sources after being told it was legal. what a buggar. i guess it is back to the folding drawing board, or using bigger paper....

[maeve]

Don't bother, it will still get delivered.

[maeve]

PS Ithink this is soooooo cooooooool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[thatsgenius]

dude thats so awsome! not only are you saving money, its fun to make.

[gimmetc]

thanks very much and it was easy and produced a nice envelope, but the A4 letter size makes envelopes that are 2 in X 4 in

[tjk94]

I have also noticed that if you put a giftcard in the "pocket" shown in step 19 it fits perfectly (its the same pocket you use to close the envelope in the end).

[15zhangfra]

lol

[15zhangfra]

i love this, im a fan of small stuff

[15zhangfra]

ders also 2 pockets.opun opening the flap part you have the pocket u used to tuck the flap in and the flaps base

[sydburn]

excellent directions, very well made

[unknownname]

***** 5 Stars ***** (If You Think You Ended Up With A Small Envelope, You Would Think To Find A Larger Piece Of Paper With The Same Scale) I Laughed The First Time Giving It To The Post Office But They Take Them :)

[snowmoonelk]

Fab but too tiny!

[icecubejr]

Can somone please tell me how to download the pattern it dosnt work

[456acdc5443]

thanks now I don't have to spend a hole bunch of money on envelopes

[cheepy]

I Love This Envelope! IT IS COOL! I am gonna make my own envelopes all the time now!! Thank Saul!

[originalwynne]

i didnt quite get step 22 do you think you could post a clearer pic or a vid? thanx

[Elotopia]

I love this pattern! Have been making envelopes like crazy!

[whopoder]

Perfect! The best envelope ori-style! I saw this long time ago... i think. No matter! Ty for this instructable :)

[aliciaecm]

That sucks about the US postal service. Here in the UK we can send whatever we like. My friend posted me a message in a travel sized shampoo bottle, and my tutor at college painted a white stripe around a pebble, wrote an address on it and stuck on a stamp and it got posted fine. Great instructable! I always have trouble making envelopes.

[DillyDog]

I just tried this with a piece of A3 and it works just great. It is a perfect size for posting. Works out to be about C6 in size. Thanks for the idea. I think I'll do all of my personal mail this way now!

[b-dog132]

if u love origamie go to origami-culb.com

[oushkul]

BTW. It folds to 3 1/2 by 6 inches :o) Should get around your minimum size issues...

[oushkul]

I'm new to the site. Love some of your ideas. I've got a way to fold A4 into a natural looking envelope which has a really cool way to open. I'll post it shortly as a new project.... Happy folding....

[ssvalenteno]

Hey Saul Great post, I am a origami nut good job describing the folds and good pics, fuzzy yet clear to understand

[Ingerson]

Don't worry too much about the minimum size regulations: just think of the unusual things Wired Magagine recieves it their "Return to Sender" competition. Snippet from their website: "Every month, WIRED magazine features a cool piece of reader-submitted concept art. Past winners include a guitar, a vintage computer, a boomerang, sneakers, and military MREs. Refashion your refuse into a conceptualist objet d'art, slap a mailing label on it (no boxes allowed!)" so a small envelope will get their just fine. mamato: please do an instructables step by step for the Florentine fold: the end result looks great but I keeping getting confused by the diagrams in that link you left.

[erikabuentello]

great!

[sharath]

it works great save for the tiny size. well, using different size of paper could be the soln, but can someone modify the folds such that it works for A4 paper.

[mamato]

i kinda like the florentine fold which i used for christmas cards: http://www.ghh.com/elf/FlorentineLetterfold.html

it's simpler, quicker, and i believe has a better original to final size ratio so it might fit into the uspo criteria.

with this folding, the stamp also works as a seal... what else could you ask for ;)

[eleraama]

Or glue/tape two pieces of 8.5x14 together (which I think is A4, or legal, and is fairly common in offices)