I'm addicted to tiny little envelopes and fork bows!

I've yearned for the We Are Memory Keepers (WRMK) Envelope Punch Board ever since it was introduced a few years ago. Although I could make envelopes with the Martha Stewart score board, I finally caved in and bought myself a WRMK envelope punch board a few months ago, because I was sure I NEEDED it!

Lookie.... lookie what I made!  I'm so hooked.

And I did need it, and I love it! I've watched a ton of YouTube videos to find out how to use it. There are so many uses for this little cutie envelope punch board........

But...........wait! ...........the other day, I found one of my favorite uses for it, and that is making little 3x4 envelopes out of gorgeous designer papers, and using them as money and gift card holders....... and hanging them on your tree, with the little gift tucked inside! Ingenious!

The gal who did the video (and I can't for the life of me find it now or remember her name- and believe me, I searched), used the 3x4 envelope standing up on the short side end, leaving the flap open on top. She left the top flap unscored and open, punched a hole in it, put some twine or ribbon for a loop, and voila.... ready for a gift card or money, to be hung on the tree! You need double sided paper for this one.  Again I say..... INGENIOUS!  Why didn't I think of that?

On my little envelopes, I chose not to make them for hanging.  I wanted to be able to close them and seal them to put under the tree as a gift.  The ones you close and seal can be made with one-sided paper.  These are so much prettier than those blah white envelopes you get from the stores when you buy a gift card.

A piece of 6x6 paper makes a cute little 3x4 envelope, perfect for gift cards or a money holder.  I had just bought a Simple Stories Country Christmas 6x6 double sized paper pad. I made a whole bunch of the little holders already, but they are long gone and mailed to friends and family. So of course, I HAD to make a bunch more, just in case I needed them! The top tag that is hanging on the tree, uses the Simple Stories papers. I love them!

White on the inside - I use score tape for closing and put it on all of the envelopes at once.

It's amazing all the things you can make with this envelope punch board!  There are tons of YouTube videos to show you how to make bows, little boxes, gift tags, tabs for tags, and envelope mini albums. 

The Crafty Gemini has some really good tutorials on using the WRMK Envelope Punch board if you are interested in finding out more about it. Here's a link to one of her tutorials, We Are Memory Keepers tutorial. She has several good ones.

Here's a tutorial on YouTube by LiveLoveScrap for making paper bows.  Card below is one I made last Christmas with a WRMK paper bow. So many things you can do with this punch board.

These little gift envelopes are so much fun, and fast, and a way to use all that darling 6x6 paper that you have hoarded (um... collected)! I had just bought a pad of Jolee's Boutique Holiday papers by ekSuccess and wanted to use the papers for something, as my cards were all done!  I needed some little gift card envelopes and hadn't thought of using my envelope punch board. Why? I don't know.

I guess making a simple skinny envelope with the opening at the top just hadn't occurred to me.

I had fun decorating each one with little bows, buttons, strips of glitter tape (from Close to My Heart) and odds and ends stickers from my stash. I had sat in front of the TV one night weeks ago, making little "fork bows" from green and red ribbon, and some gold ribbon, as I knew I'd use tons of bows on my cards and other projects. I'm glad I did because I've used every single one.

This is a fork bow - all the bows I use now are fork bows!

If you want to find out how to make a "fork bow", which is super easy to make the perfect little (or big) bow, just do a search on You Tube.  There are alot of videos out there. You actually use a fork (any size) and the bow comes out perfect every time. Here's a very good video by Deb Valder: Variations of fork bows. 

Here's a pretty little red gingham fork bow below. The paper is some Christmas paper from My Mind's Eye, Countdown to Christmas, that I've had for several years. I just can't seem to use it up! It keeps popping up in my projects. The green paper above is also from this pad of paper.

Here's what these look like undecorated (below), which of course, you can use that way, and just close it with a little piece of sticky tape..... but since I can't leave something alone, I would pop on a little button with a glue dot (at least).

When you put the flap on the end so the envelope is tall, it looks more like a little coin envelope (top picture of the one hanging on the tree). When you put the flap on the longer side, it looks more like a traditional, though mini, envelope.

I had so much fun making these, I could not stop. And I'm in no way trying to promote the envelope punch board or getting paid for this post! (Stampin' Up also has a similar envelope punch board). I just love it, that's all.

Here's some little mini envelopes I made, even smaller! These were for some little mini thank you cards I made. So cute...

Just thought I'd share. These are so bright and fun... a little bright splash of color in an otherwise dull and gray day..... a little bit of joy I'm sending your way.