DIY: envelopes

I don't like using plain envelopes unless I'm sending bills.

1 plain or used envelope of a size and shape you particularly like

any kind of paper you like (I've used an old poster, kraft paper, neon paper, a page from a Japanese kid's book, magazine pages, newspaper, scraps of wallpaper, maps, and wrapping paper)

pencil

scissors

glue or double-sided tape (or any tape -- Japanese washi tape would be pretty!)

ruler (optional for folding)

Take the old boring envelope and unfold it by lifting the glued corners apart. Be very careful not to rip any of the edges. This now becomes your pattern.

Place the unfolded envelope pattern flat down on your paper and carefully trace around it.

Cut out the shape by following your trace lines. I like to cut just inside the pencil mark. The flaps tend to match up a little better that way. You can either use the ruler to match up the edges for a straight and sharp fold, eyeball it, or use the unfolded envelope to help fold the paper back into an envelope shape.

Use the envelope template as a guide to where you should glue or tape the new pretty envelope closed and you're done!

{examples and ideas}

On simple kraft paper like this, you can add interest by closing it up with masking tape. I cut mine with scalloped scissors and I used the same tape for an address box on the front.

You can also get creative with how you cut the edges. I used the scalloped scissors again on the flap of this pink envelope just to give it a little more interest. 

You can also glue/tape your envelope shut any way you'd like to once you've cut it out. These two are from the same envelope pattern. The Hokusai wave envelope is how the original envelope looked. I just turned the silver one (old Christmas wrapping paper) on its side and glued the bottom three flaps together instead. Make sure to remember to address and stamp this envelope the long way around so it keeps its neat elongated look on both sides.

And you can fold patterned paper backwards so the pattern is a pretty surprise on the inside once it's opened again. I used antique wallpaper here but you can find a lot of one-sided patterned papers at craft stores these days.

{also}

There are a lot of places on the internet where you can find envelope patterns, too. I've done that, but I always find that the envelope is either too small or I didn't like how it looked folded up. Since then, I haven't really bothered to take the time to search better patterns out so I can print them and then cut them out and then go through the steps above. At least with this method, I know exactly what I'm getting and it's simple and quick.

Try it out the next time you have to send something via snail mail. Speaking from experience, it's super exciting and cool to get something unusual and different in the mail!

for more DIYs check out this post

early morning storm

I was chasing storm clouds this morning.

orange storm from Idle Wife on Vimeo.

And then the storm clouds chased me.

rain and thunder from Idle Wife on Vimeo.

I was totally soaked.

lucky charms

I spotted a four-leaf clover yesterday, and it reminded me of my tiniest hidden collection.

I get to add one more.

pop rocks ice cream sandwiches

Hello, pop rocks...

Hello, plain vanilla ice cream sandwich....

Meet your new best friend!

It's pretty and messy and all you can hear is crackling!

I think these would be a really great party dessert. I was by myself and giggling like a maniacal fool. So I imagine that with more people, the crazed giggling would multiply.

Pop rocks are just plain fun (and they taste pretty great with ice cream, too).

a little how-to

1 ice cream sandwich (you could make your own if you're so inclined)

1 package of Pop Rocks candy

Pour the candy out onto a plate or other suitable surface. Roll the edges of the ice cream sandwich around in the pop rocks; use your fingers to squish it on to any ice cream that remains uncovered.

Enjoy!

{note} I'm sure you can find Pop Rocks just about anywhere. They're pretty common these days. I found these at Save-On Foods in the bulk candy aisle. On this particular day, they happened to be two packages for a dollar.

{noted} I think it would look really pretty if you bought a few different colours of Pop Rocks and mixed them together to make a popping rainbow covering. Just saying.

greek eats

Want to know what I've been doing the last couple of weeks? Eating. That's what. The Greeks are responsible for some friggin' good cuisine. And let me tell you, it's made up of a lot of olive oil. And sugar. And meat. And some more olive oil -- for luck, you know. And while everything was so delicious, I've never wanted to participate in a cleanse or detox so much in my life!

Do you know those sesame snacks? The thin sesame crackers that are held together with honey? These look like those only they're thicker. We also haven't eaten them yet. We've been too full.

Caprice cookie sticks are a thin chocolate wafer cookie with chocolate filling. You can buy these at Hellas Foods, actually. They're really good. They were eaten in a flash.

Greek orange cookies. They're not very sweet, but you can taste a very slight hint of orange and they're very bread-y, but I like that.

These are the orange cookies before baking. The above were brought from Greece and then we made them again here. Truth: I think I single-handedly ate all of these by myself.

These are the best burgers I've ever had ever. I'm sad I didn't take a picture of one finished, but they were too delicious to set down! This recipe was also made again and formed into meatballs, half of which are currently frozen and awaiting one of those "I don't know what to cook" days.

Greek pancakes have no sugar so you don't have to feel guilty about slathering them with jam or Nutella. But they're also fried in olive oil so... maybe there's no winning here.

Jam cookies. I was lead to believe that this recipe would make "diet jam candies" which I was really excited about until I saw that they were actually cookies with a tiny bit of jam in the center, extra on the olive oil, bake-fried, and then doused in syrup. I can't tell you how bummed I was when I saw flour being added. I really honestly thought we'd be using a jar of jam and they'd be like gummies or turkish delights. They are pretty good, though.

I would definitely find room for more of these chewy coconut candies. They're so good. I have to find them somewhere!

Not pictured: Stuffed tomatoes (these are my favourite), stuffed eggplants (little shoes), avgolemono rice meatballs (youvarlakia), pork souvlaki, spaghetti and meatballs, Turkish eggplants and tomatoes, extra garlic-y tzatziki, mushroom pie (this is so easy and will seriously knock your socks off), and sweet dumplings (the box kind again, but rounder and prettier)

Once I have some of the recipes nailed down a little better (a drinking glass was used for most of the measurements and the rest were eyeballed), I'll be sure to post some of the best ones here for you!