Welcome back to the craft room and today’s Flashback Friday Small Envelopes and Box post. Back in June of 2008, I remember following a tutorial to create 4″ x 4″ greeting cards. I thought they were absolutely adorable and, of course, decided they needed matching envelopes. Once those were finished, I realized I also needed a place to store them—so I set out to create a simple box to hold everything together. Let me show you what I came up with.
Making 4 x 4 Envelopes
Here’s an easy pattern for creating your own envelopes to perfectly fit 4″ x 4″ cards.
Start with a piece of paper measuring 9″ x 5 1/8″. Using your scoring tool, score along the long sides ½” in from each edge. Next, score the short side at 3 7/8″ from the bottom, then 4 1/8″ from that score line, and finally 1″ from the previous line.
Cut away the ½” side flaps from both the top and bottom sections, along with the small center triangles as shown below.
After trimming away the excess paper, your envelope should look like this.
Fold along all score lines and apply adhesive to the flaps. If you’d like, round the corners of the top flap for a softer finish—and just like that, you have a handmade envelope ready to go.
Let’s Make a Box!
This cute little box is the perfect way to store your 4″ x 4″ note cards. For best results, use a heavier cardstock so the finished box is sturdy and holds its shape.
Box Bottom
Start with a 6 ½” square piece of cardstock. Score 1″ in from each side.
Cut along the score lines as shown below, then fold on all score lines.
Add adhesive to the small tabs and secure them in place to form the box bottom.
Box Top
For the lid, begin with a 5 5/8″ square piece of cardstock and score ½” from each edge. After scoring, decorate the top however you like. Assemble it the same way as the box bottom to complete the lid.
A2 Size Card Box
This box is sized perfectly for 4 ¼” x 5 ½” A2 cards, like the ones you’d find on the SheetLoad of Cards site. You’ll need two pieces of cardstock with the following measurements:
- Box Bottom: 7 ¾” x 6 5/8″, scored 1″ all the way around
- Box Top: 6 13/16″ x 5 11/16″, scored ½” all the way around
These measurements create a snug-fitting box and lid. If the fit feels too tight, simply increase the box top dimensions by 1/16″ on all sides. Finish assembling the box the same way as the 4″ x 4″ version—and remember, it’s always easier to decorate your box before taping it together.
Thank you for joining me for today’s Flashback Friday Small Envelopes and Box post. While this envelope and box design was wonderfully simple and worked perfectly at the time, it’s been fun to look back and see how much my approach has evolved over the years. Since then, I’ve discovered more flexible and reliable ways to create boxes in virtually any size—making it even easier to customize storage for handmade cards and envelopes.
If you’re interested in a more adaptable method, I invite you to check out my How to Make Any Size Box post, where I walk through a technique you can use again and again for different projects and card sizes.
Now I’d love to hear from you—do you usually purchase envelopes, or do you enjoy making your own to match your cards? Let me know in the comments below. Until have a wonderful weekend and I’ll see you back in the craft room soon!
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