Envelope Book Tutorial

For Little Treasures or Clutter

Make an envelope book like this one to store mementos such as ticket stubs, photos and other small ephemera.

With a kids' theme, an envelope book can be used for trading cards of all sorts or a budding stamp collection.

Artists can use one for ATCs and inchies. Have one at your desk or in your car to organize postage stamps and return address labels or coupons and receipts.

These handy organizers can also corral paper clips and rubber bands ... you name it ... as long as it's flat!

Envelope books are very versatile, easy to assemble and they make great gifts.

The directions which follow are for a 5 x 10-inch book, but are easily adjustable for any envelope size you wish to use.

Envelope Book Materials

• 6 legal size envelopes
• Johnson & Johnson First Aid Cloth Tape or Book Binding tape 1" wide
• 9 x 10-inch piece of lightweight cardboard (not corrugated)
• Colored cardstock
• ¼-inch hole punch
• 24 inches of double-sided Satin Ribbon
• Remnant of fabric at least 11 x 12 inches
• Ruler
• Dritz Fray Check
• Decorative scissors
• Bone Folder
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Glue Stick
• Aleene's Tacky Glue
• Sharpie Permanent Marker in black

Assembling the Envelope Book

Cut a piece of lightweight cardboard 9 x 10 inches for the outside of the book. This measurement should allow for ¼ inch around the sides of the book.

Cut a piece of fabric to cover the outside and overlap to the inside by 1 inch.

Score with bone folder and bend the cardboard in half so the envelopes will fit inside the fold. Glue the fabric to the outside with the glue stick.

Turn the edges of the fabric to the inside, fold the corners and glue in place as shown with Tacky Glue.

Let dry completely.

Mark the center of the two long edges and punch a ¼-inch hole near each edge of the cardboard.

Dab a small amount of Fray Check around each punched hole on the outside and inside. This will keep the fabric from fraying later.

Glue the length of ribbon across the center of the cardboard pulling the ends through the holes to the outside and making sure the ends are the same length. Set aside to dry.

Cut two 8 ½ x 9 ½-inch pieces of cardstock.

Use the decorative scissors along the bottom and top edges and along one long edge.

Leave the other edge straight for placing in the fold. Glue the 2 pieces to the inside of the book lining up the straight edges about ?-inch away from the fold in the cardboard.

Stack the envelopes on top of each other so that all the flaps are face down and facing the same direction.

Cut a piece of cloth or book binding tape the full length of the first envelope. Lay the tape down along the bottom edge of the envelope leaving half the tape free.

Turn the envelope over. Take the next envelope and lay its bottom edge along the other side of the tape.

The envelope bottoms should meet on the tape.

Continue in this manner until all the envelopes are taped together and all the flaps are facing down and along the outer edge of the book.

Cut another piece of tape as before and stick to the bottom edge of one side of the envelope stack.

Use the decorative scissors to trim the edge of the other half. Stick to the inside of the book.

Do the same on the other side with another piece of tape.

Use black marker to print what each envelope will hold. Envelopes can also be decorated if you like.

You could also decorate and label the envelopes using a computer graphic program like Photoshop, Photoshop Elements or a greeting card program like PrintShop.