Recycled Note Of The Week: Envelopalooza

Every week we use this space to feature a recycled note or three from some of our favorite online sources. This week I thought it might be fun to feature envelopes only: creative and 100% recycled (and repurposed!) alternatives to standard letter carriers you can use to transport the smallest or largest of notes.

Below are some of my favorites (And please feel free to link to your own favorites in the comments, too!):

Romeo & Juliet Envelopes

Send a little Shakespeare mail to your favourite literature buff or teacher or student or Shakespeare enthusiast or actor or playwright or really anyone who likes to read or write! These play(ful) envelopes were made from a worn and tired text of Star Crossed Lovers A.K.A. Romeo and Juliet. For all your love letter needs.

Recycled Sepia and Black & White Mini-Envelopes

The above listing is for a set of fifteen, one-of-a-kind mini, gift-sized envelopes, and each comes with a coordinating flat or folded notecard from reclaimed paper. These are all handtraced, handcut and glued, and “made from reclaimed dead vintage books about the Ozarks and the history of Massachusetts.”

Handmade Recycled Brown Paper Envelopes

These envelopes are comprised of handmade 100% post consumer waste paper. From the seller:

Colored waste paper like tissue paper is used to color each batch of paper so everyone is slightly different and some colors are limited. If I add things such as flowers, thread, crayon, ribbon, easter grass and so on they are always recycled as well.

Sesame Street Children’s Book Envelopes

This listing is for a set of fourteen envelopes handcrafted from the pages of “The Sesame Street Pet Show” children’s book. It also includes flat white notecards. This same etsy shop has an envelope set made from a Curious George children’s book, and vintage Chronicles of Narnia.

Recycled Mini Envelopes

This listing is for 50! mini recycled envelopes sewn with fluorescent threads, perfect for bestowing small gifts and love notes.

Recycled Map Envelopes

recycled map envelopes!
you get 15!

measure about 4 1/2″ x 6 1/8″

These envelopes are made out of outdated road maps of California. They are lovingly cut and glued by me. I’ve used them many times and they hold up just fine, plus they are super awesome. Each one is different.

Under My Skin Envelopes

This listing includes a set of 10 unique envelopes, hand chosen and handmade from a variety of anatomical images from a discarded vintage book “Art Anatomy” by Diana Stanley (1979). The images vary from muscular and skeletal, sketches of the human body and portraits.

Repurposed Envelope Set

The above listing is for eight envelopes total, all made from repurposed magazines and/or books. Each envelope is unique and varies in subject matter, individually cut by hand and tied together with vintage yarn and sequin.

Star Trek Repurposed Envelopes

“Star date 24365.29816 it seems we have arrived somewhere in etsy where a gift is available to buy that is made by upcycling. Mmmm interesting, a thorough analysis is required I think. Good god, nowhere before have I seen such stationary.”

(The seller also wants you to know that these particular envelopes are (awesome, and) made of thick durable paper, unlike magazine or thin comic book paper.)

Nordlichter-Set of 6 map envelopes

Beautiful, handmade, one-of-a-kind envelopes. These envelopes are made of German road maps. Each envelope is unique and has a self-adhesive closure. This set contains 3 big and 3 small envelopes, showing the cities of Braunschweig and Salzgitter, Celle, Bielefeld, Gütersloh, Osnabrück, Magdeburg…

And because these are great enough to feature twice,
Rockvelopes-10 Repurposed Band Flyer Envelopes

Collected from the telephone poles in my neighborhood before they ended up as litter or bio-degraded in the elements, ten assorted band/event flyers have found new life as the coolest envelopes I’ve ever seen.

Don’t worry kids — flyers were all expired before I pulled them down, ’cause I’m not out to sabotage local bands. I just hate to see such nice looking paper go to waste.

An original 5 Minutes for Going Green post. Read more about all things Kerri Anne, including her renewed commitment to green living and her affinity for talking in movie quotes at kerrianne.org.