How to Make Envelopes Out of Book Pages
If you love giving new life to old materials, you’ll adore this project! In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through how to make envelopes out of book pages—a creative, budget-friendly idea that adds instant vintage charm to your junk journals, happy mail, or handmade gifts. Each envelope becomes its own little piece of art, filled with the texture, typography, and character only a well-loved book can bring.
How to Make Envelopes Out of Book Pages
This is a super easy craft and you’ll be hard-pressed to find materials to make them. Add a little cardstock and any kind of ephemera and you’ll be on your way to filling your ephemera stash with lovely items to tuck into your junk journal.
Tools & Supplies Needed
book pages
glue (I use Bearly Art Precision Craft Glue)
metal ruler
scissors (I love these Cutter Bee scissors)
ribbon and/or lace
paper scraps
charms
pear shaped safety pins
ephemera/stickers
12x1mm magnets
Instructions
Gather your book pages
I like to choose various types of book pages because sometimes I want a vintage look, and sometimes I want something that is more colorful.
Prepare the pages.
Some of your pages may be thin if they come from old books. If that's the case, you can glue two pages together. Make sure to glue them together with one page upside down and one right side up. Match the straight edges together, then trim the uneven ones. This is a good time to ink your edges if that's the look you're going for.
Fold your pages.
Create your envelopes by folding your pages to form a pocket and a flap. Make sure to leave about half an inch or more between the top of the pocket and the fold of the flap.
Form the envelope.
At this point you will glue the sides closed to form the pocket. Fold the flap down.
Decorate.
Add ribbon, stickers, ephemera and other embellishments to create a finished look. Add a magnetic closure if you wish.
Now that you know how to make envelopes out of book pages, go gather your favorite old novels, atlases, or poetry collections and start folding! Every page has its own story to tell, and when you turn it into an envelope, you’re giving that story a brand-new purpose. If you’d love more ideas like this—plus exclusive tutorials and creative inspiration—come join my Patreon community, where we craft together and keep the magic of junk journal making alive every month.
