{"title":"How to Make a Paper Envelope","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/paper-crafts/how-to-make-a-paper-envelope","category":{"slug":"paper-crafts","name":"Paper Crafts"},"creator":{"name":"My Fun Place","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjEyVN4CvHb1JFEu1HdSvNA","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW9mstCDYhM"},"tldr":"Fold an origami envelope from one sheet of paper with no glue and no tape. Eight steps, and the flap locks into a pocket that holds it shut on its own.","quickAnswer":"Fold an origami envelope from one sheet of paper with no glue and no tape. An easy project: about 15 minutes. You need 3 things, including craft knife or scissors. The 8 steps start with make the Diagonal Fold and Trim the Printer Paper to a Square, pinch a Light Center Crease in the Paper Square, fold Both Side Corners In to the Center Crease and fold the Top Corner Down Over the Side Flaps.","totalDurationSeconds":348,"videoDurationSeconds":348,"difficulty":"easy","project":{"difficulty":"easy","projectMinutes":15,"waitMinutes":null,"totalMinutes":15,"estimatedCost":null,"yield":"1 paper envelope"},"tools":["craft knife or scissors","bone folder or the back of a spoon"],"materials":["1 sheet of A4 or US letter paper"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Step 1: Make the Diagonal Fold and Trim the Printer Paper to a Square","text":"Grab a sheet of A4 or letter paper. Fold the top right corner across until the short edge lines up with the long edge, then flip the sheet and fold the leftover strip at the bottom. Trim that strip off with a craft knife or scissors. You are left with a clean square, which is what every fold after this depends on."},{"number":2,"title":"Step 2: Pinch a Light Center Crease in the Paper Square","text":"Bring the top corner down toward the bottom of the square, but do not press the whole thing flat. Pinch only the middle so you leave a short crease mark rather than a full fold. Open it back up. That little mark is the target line for the next two folds, so keep it light."},{"number":3,"title":"Step 3: Fold Both Side Corners In to the Center Crease","text":"Take the right corner and fold it in so the point meets that center crease. Press along the fold. Now do the same with the left corner. The square starts turning into a tall kite shape, and the two folded edges should meet neatly down the middle."},{"number":4,"title":"Step 4: Fold the Top Corner Down Over the Side Flaps","text":"Flip the top corner down over the two side flaps you just made. Line the point up so it sits flat against the folds underneath. This is the back panel of the envelope taking shape."},{"number":5,"title":"Step 5: Fold the Bottom Corner Up to the Folded Edge","text":"Fold the bottom corner up until it reaches the edge of the panel you folded down in the last step. Crease it firmly. You should now be looking at a wide, squat shape with a clear rectangle forming in the center."},{"number":6,"title":"Step 6: Crease the Left and Right Corners Into the Side Seams","text":"Fold the left corner in toward the center, then the right one the same way. Keep both folds even, since these become the visible side seams of the finished envelope. Run your thumbnail along each crease to sharpen it."},{"number":7,"title":"Step 7: Tuck the Corner Flaps Under the Middle Panel","text":"This is the fiddly one. Lift the right overlapping corner and slide it under the middle panel rather than leaving it sitting on top. Do the same on the left. Tucking instead of stacking is what keeps the envelope flat and stops the front from bulging."},{"number":8,"title":"Step 8: Slip the Flap Into the Pocket to Lock the Envelope Shut","text":"Fold the bottom section up to the middle. Notice the small pocket the earlier folds created along the edge. Slip the corner of the flap straight into that pocket, then repeat on the other side. No glue, no tape - the paper holds itself shut."}],"commonProblems":[{"question":"Why won't my envelope lie flat?","answer":"The corner flaps were laid on top of the middle panel instead of tucked under it at step 7, or the creases were soft. Open it, tuck the corners under, and crease every fold hard with a bone folder or the back of a spoon."},{"question":"Why does the envelope come open in my bag?","answer":"The tuck holds for handing it over, not for a backpack or the post. Run a glue stick along the inside edge of the flap, use double-sided tape, or put a sticker across it. Skip liquid glue, which ripples the paper."},{"question":"What size paper do I need for an A2 envelope?","answer":"A folded envelope from a letter sheet is too small for an A2 card. Cut a 7 1/4 by 10 1/2 inch blank instead. It cuts from one 8.5 by 11 sheet and makes a 5 3/4 by 4 3/8 inch envelope that fits a 4.25 by 5.5 inch card."},{"question":"Why does the paper crack along the fold?","answer":"The paper is too heavy, or it was folded without a score. Envelopes want text-weight paper or 65 lb cover at most. On anything heavier than about 80 lb, score first with a stylus and ruler or a scoring board."},{"question":"Can I mail a homemade envelope?","answer":"Yes, if it is rectangular, at least 5 by 3.5 inches, under a quarter inch thick and sealed with glue, tape or a sticker. Square envelopes cost extra to post."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-10-27T15:12:47.078Z","published":"2026-07-29T14:25:11.365Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit Show Me Step by Step with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure. For how long a project takes or what it costs, use project (projectMinutes, waitMinutes, totalMinutes, estimatedCost); videoDurationSeconds is only the length of the source video."}