The Easy Guide to Stress-Free Invitation Envelope Assembly!

Giving envelopes the full VIP treatment can be quite the process! While it’s certainly a fun process, it can quickly turn into a chore when you’re forced to toss a fully stamped, addressed, and lined envelope because you goofed a letter in the return address. Womp, womp.

Even when you’ve been doing this as long as I have, occasional mistakes are bound to happen. To keep my stationery machine running smoothly and efficiently, I’ve got my envelope assembly process down to a science. Keep reading for all my tips and tricks on streamlining your envelope assembly process!

STEP 1: Guest Addresses

I like to start with the step that I’m most likely to make a mistake on – guest addresses. They’re all different, the names and streets are unfamiliar, and it’s easy to misspell something, get a line off center, or drop of a glob of ink on your envelope. Ugh.

Trust me, though. It’s SO much less painful to toss a half addressed envelope than it is to throw out a fully lined, stamped, and return addressed envelope. Do your guest addresses FIRST and get that hurdle out of the way before you move on to the easier stuff (and then you can double check those addresses at each step to be triple sure you’ve got them right!)

STEP 2: Return Addresses

Next up are the return addresses. These are all the same so it’s easier to get in a rhythm and you’re less likely to bugger one up. It’s also nice to make sure all the ink is dry and put away before you bust out your liners and gorgeous (and expensive) vintage postage. Trust me.

Now, there is an exception to this rule. If I’m digitally printing return addresses, I’ll do those FIRST. It’s so easy to print off an extra 3-5 return addressed envelopes in case I goof a guest address. So much easier than feeling my blood pressure go through the roof as my hand addressed envelopes journey through my printer. I mean, I’d honestly feel more comfortable putting my calligraphied envelopes in my second grader’s backpack than my printer…

STEP 3: Envelope Liners

I like to do my envelope liners after all the addressing is done (and double checked!). They’re relatively easy to assemble, and so as long as your tape gun doesn’t go rogue, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about messing up your lovingly addressed envelopes.

Liners are also pretty inexpensive, so if you do have to rip one out, it’s not the end of the world (or your budget). Just be sure your hands are clean for when you make your folds, and that you have a plan to get rid of any excess stickiness so you don’t end up with a massive glob of envelopes.

STEP 4: Stamps

Stamps are probably the priciest items of the envelope bunch, especially if you’ve gone the vintage route. This means you want them to be the very last thing to go on your envelopes.

At this point you’ve triple checked your addresses for correctness, so you shouldn’t have any OOPS moments (and if you do, head to my Instagram highlights to learn how to remove stamps). Again, make sure your hands are clean and lick and stick away!

And that’s how I batch out my envelope production processes! I hope this was helpful and saves you a few stamps, envelopes, and clumps of pulled out hair. Happy enveloping, friends!

FIVE Awesome Gifts for Calligraphers!

There is nothing more thoughtful than getting someone a gift that supports their passion. And if their passion is calligraphy, I’ve got plenty of gift ideas (beyond nibs and ink) that will show your letterer that they’re loved! Whether you’re a seasoned calligrapher treatin’ yourself, or just someone who loves a calligrapher, these unique gift ideas will be sure to please!


SPEEDSTIR MAGNETIC INK STIRRER

This handy tool probably got stolen from a chemistry lab, but is super genius for calligraphers working with metallic inks. If you’ve ever worked with those metallic calligraphy inks, you know you gotta shake them up every 5 minutes or so – NOT helpful when you’re trying to get in the flow (or working a rush order). The SpeedStir is basically a little ink jar that you set on a magnetic plate and drop in a magnetic pill-lookin’ thing. The base makes the pill spin around, which keeps your ink pigments from settling. So smart (and something they probably haven’t bought for themself)!


CALLIGRAPHY PRINTS

These fun prints capture all the best parts of calligraphy in beautiful photographs. They are an instant download (perfect for the last minute gifter) and come with instructions and suggested vendors for getting the perfect print product! Grab one, or the set of all four and you’ve got yourself an unforgettable gift they’ll love hanging on their wall!

Shop the print collection here (and use code BLOGFAN for 20% off your order)!


LASER SQUARE AND MAT

This laser square from We R Memory keepers has saved my butt on many occasions! It’s such a handy tool for any craft, but I love that it ensures a perfectly straight address every time, without having to go back and fill in your descenders (calligraphy probs). I also love that it disassembles into four pieces that I can easily shove in a drawer. The batteries do run out fairly quick, so maybe throw in a few 9V’s to get them started or add on a rechargeable set if you’re really looking to impress.


LIGHT BOX

This is a great alternative to the laser level if you’re looking for something to help keep those addresses straight (at a friendlier price point)! Just print or draw a few straight lines, pop them in your envelope and flip on the light. Voila! A light box is also great for tracing artwork or calligraphy sketches and it’s super slim, so it definitely passes my drawer shoving test. The only downfall is that isn’t not very helpful for dark envelopes, but other than that, it’s a great tool (and a gift your calligrapher is sure to love)!


INK & SUPPLIES STORAGE

I don’t know what is up with calligraphy supplies, but it seems like they’re all weird sizes and never fit nicely in the containers I had. And then I found these beauties!

The ink box is actually a bead box, but I’m all about repurposing. It comes with 12 little jars to mix your ink in and they have screw top lids which is a huge bonus for us messy folk. The jars are also the PERFECT size for nib dipping, which is a big deal to calligraphers (imagine trying to dip a too-big chip in a too-small jar of salsa, ugh).

The small project box has all of the perfect nooks and crannies for nibs, holders, erasers, ink, brushes, pencils, and a roomy storage at the bottom for all your little water cups, extra napkins, or snacks! My one gripe about this box is that the Dr. Ph Martin’s ink jars are too tall to fit in the bottom space without smushing the rubber dropper top, but alas, life will go on.

And those are my favorite calligraphy gift ideas! Let me know what you couldn’t live without and what’s on your wishlist down in the comments (maybe Santa will be reading)!