Sew a Brown Paper Envelope

It is so nice to receive a handmade gift, and handmade packaging can make it even more special. Handmade packaging doesn’t have to be elaborate and time-consuming. I’ll be sending out my pencil cases and coin purses in brown paper envelopes just to make them a little bit more special. So I thought I’d share how to make these easy envelopes.

What You Need

• brown paper
• scissors
• pinking shears
• sewing machine and thread

What To Do

1. Start with a rectangle of paper. Mine was 54cm x 17cm but you could adjust it to fit your item. The finished size of this envelope is just smaller than a C5 size envelope.
2. Trim both the short ends with your pinking shears for a pretty edge.
3. Fold one end up about 23cm.
4. Stitch down each side of the folded section to hold it in place. I used red thread to contrast with my paper. Paper will make your sewing machine needle blunt over time, so I keep a separate needle for paper sewing.
5. Trim the long edges with your pinking shears too.
6. Fold down the top flap and secure with a sticker.

More Ideas

• You could do the same thing with wrapping paper or freezer paper.
• If you don’t have a sewing machine, you could hand stitch these envelopes easily.
• Get the kids to decorate the envelope with stickers, stamps or drawings.
• Add a matching tag or label to your package with washi tape.

When I first started selling from my Madeit store I used to send out my products in brown paper envelopes like this, but I was worried they might not stand up to travel very well so I stopped. These new envelopes I intend to slip inside a standard envelope for mailing.