DIY recycled calendar envelopes

It’s time to change calendars and I couldn’t let the perfect Sierra Club landscapes of last year go to waste, so I made some envelopes.  

Supplies

old calendar pages

ruler

scissors

glue

washi tape (optional)

I made 4×6 envelopes. I started by drawing a big 8inch by 10inch square on the back. I usually free hand the rest of this but here is a template to show you what I do.

Cut out the large rectangle. Then take 1 inch off of each side of the bottom flap and 1 inch off each side of the top flap. I also trim the top flap at this point, which are the diagonal lines I drew in.

Just add some washi tape around the edge and you’re ready to send it. I suggest using a white paint marker or metallic Sharpie for addressing darker pages.

I also used a couple pages to line envelopes I had on hand. Simply trace the envelope on the image, cut it out, slide into the envelope, and the secure it to the flap with a line of glue.

DIY friendship bracelet kit with *FREE PRINTABLES*

I put together this friendship bracelet kit to send to a certain 9-year-old I know. She doesn’t have any experience making bracelets, so I went with a really simple design. If you want something more complicated there are lots of patterns around the web.

Supplies:

embroidery floss in a few colors

cardboard

safety pin or tape

instruction sheet

envelope

I went to the trouble of putting my floss on spools, because it will be much less likely to turn into a tangled ball. Since it is going to a 9-year-old, this is very important. It also allows you to use up embroidery floss you already have.

Cut your cardboard into spools. You can cut a template out of graph paper or just wing it. I cut the cardboard into 2inch squares then cut in the indentions freely. Cut a slit in one end of the spool to secure the loose end of floss. Then just wrap the embroidery floss around the spools.

Click on the image above to open it full size and print out the instruction sheet.

Then follow the instructions to include a completed bracelet as an example.

Put it all together in a cute envelope and you’re done. I made my envelope out of vellum; I like that it alludes to the contents yet, without knowing you still can’t quite guess what it will be.

DIY photo postcards

Did you know you can mail a photo just like a postcard? Nothing fancy, no work. Just put a stamp on it, and mail it. I think that’s awesome, but I’m not sure how well it will hold up. So I made my photo postcards a little sturdier by sewing on a backing. Super simple, plus I love the texture added by the stitching.

Supplies:

photos

card stock/thin cardboard

scissors

glue

sewing machine and thread

I didn’t have any good photos lying around, so I printed some childhood photos that I scanned a while back. I added text to some in Photoshop.

You can use whatever you have around the house as the backing. I used an old folder and a cereal box for mine. Just cut to size. Since I was printing pictures,  I printed the lines onto my backing using this template from Martha Stewart. Of course, you can always draw them in or sew them in.

Put a dab of glue in the middle of the photo and attach it to your backing. You don’t want to glue the edge because it will gunk up your needle. Once it is dry, use your machine to sew around the edge. Begin and end by adding a back stitch to secure your thread.

Now write a note and add a stamp!

P.S. The current postage rate for postcards is $0.33

Pen Pal Kit with *FREE PRINTABLES*

Everyone loves mail! Chris and I sent a pen palling kit to his little sister this week. She is 9 and she wrote him during the school year for class. Her letters were great and it gave him a chance connect with her in a different way. It was interesting to see what was important to her and what she choose to write about.  He’s learned things that he wouldn’t have even thought to ask about, like she learned cursive this year and after about 4 letters it started to be readable. Did I mention her drawings? Amazing. Anyway, he is hoping this will keep her interested now that it’s not a requirement.

But this would also be a great way to start pen palling with someone you don’t get to see enough.

Items to include:

Photo Box to put it all in

Envelopes

Postage Stamps

Construction Paper/Scrapbook Paper/White Paper/Stationary

Die-cut shapes

Stickers (letters and cool things)

Tape

Glue stick

Scissors

Pencils/Pens/Markers/Colored Pencils/Glitter Pens

Notebook (optional, we decided to send a notebook back and forth rather than traditional letters, so the conversation is complete for her to look back at later)

Choose a notebook that appeals to you and personalize it. On the back inside cover, we added a handmade envelope to send secret messages, pictures, and other finds. And on the first page, we put a map of the US with our location and her location marked so she has a better understanding of where we are.

Make your letter fun and personal. If your pen pal is young, it is important to give them examples of what they can do through your letter. And there is so much you can do. You could paste in comics and photos . Or start a correspondence game of tic-tack-toe or hangman. Or write a secret code key and include a message to decipher. Be sure to give them something to write back about. To get the process started, you can print these fill in the blank questions for your pen pal to answer.

Lastly, we attached our address to the lid of the box, so it can’t get lost. If your pen-pal hasn’t mailed a letter before, you may want to use this as an address label and an example of how their envelope should look.

FREE PRINTABLES click on the images above to open them as full size PDFs, then you can save or print the files from there!

P.S. How great would this be as a going away present?