How to Make a Lined Envelope for a 5x5" Card Using the MS Score Board

*These instructions make a nice lined envelope, but a quicker way to make one is to simply use a thin, decorative paper with  white on the reverse side from which to cut your envelope, using the white side for the outside of the envelope. Not as thick as a lined one, but still a nice touch.

Note: For ease of use, I have drawn a line from top to bottom on the 6" mark of my Score Board, using a fine-tipped permanent marker. I use this line all the time to line up parts of boxes that need to be scored, but are unable to fit square up against the side because of different sized pieces sticking out on the sides. Highly recommended. You will be using this line to make this envelope.

These instructions will produce a 5¼"x5¼" envelope that nicely fits a 5x5" card.

1. Cut an 8¼"x8¼" square of paper for the envelope.

2. Turn the paper wrong side up on the diagonal, and center the top and bottom points on

the 6" marked line. Score at 3⅜" and again at 8⅝". Rotate paper 90° and repeat scoring on the same numbers. Remove triangles where lines intersect, and fold all sides in on score lines.

3. I like to remove the overlap where the sides meet in the center of the envelope, but it isn't necessary. If you'd like to do this, open out the top and bottom flaps (all flaps are equal at this point, so choose which is top and bottom according to your paper if there's a pattern on it), and if your right handed, hold the tip of the right flap tightly in place over the left flap, insert a small sharp pair of scissors between the flaps and the inside of the envelope, and line up the blades with the 'V' where the two pieces meet and cut a straight, vertical line. Trim if necessary (it usually is.)

4. Fold up the bottom flap and adhere, being careful not get adhesive where it will stick to your card. I hold the envelope up to the light to see where my gluing area is. If you do go out of bounds with the adhesive, brush the offending sticky area lightly with cornstarch after sticking the bottom flap in place.

5. Brush a line of my Homemade Envelope Adhesive (see recipe on this blog), and allow to dry.

To fully line the envelope:

1. Choose a paper that complements your card, and lay it face up on your work surface. 

2. Lay your envelope back-side up on top of it so that the top corners match, and very lightly mark along the bottom edge of the envelope with a pencil. 

3. Slide envelope up 1" from this line toward the top corner, and draw a second line along the bottom edge of the envelope, and up each side. 

4. Cut out liner along these lines, trimming about 1/16 inch from the sides so the the liner is 1/8" narrower than your envelope. 

5. Slip the liner all the way inside the envelope and score, aligning the score line with that of the envelope. 

6. Fold the flap of the liner down so that it's back side is exposed. Apply double sided tape to the back side of the liner.  Fold envelope flap down and press to adhere. Adhesive should be applied only to the flap.

A partial lining can be done the same way by cutting it so that it ends an inch below the 'V' opening, but make sure the card doesn't show through your envelope where the lining stops. Learned this the hard way. Tacky, tacky, tacky.