{"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 a paper envelope from a single sheet with no glue and no tape. Eight steps, and the flap locks into a pocket to hold it shut.","totalDurationSeconds":348,"difficulty":"easy","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","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","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","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","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","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","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","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","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."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-07-29T14:25:15.497Z","published":"2026-07-29T14:25:11.365Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep 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."}