5 fun ways to address envelopes

Most of the time, people use a very traditional method of addressing envelopes – the return address is in the upper left-hand corner and the recipient’s is in the center. However, there are so many other fun and creative ways you can decorate the envelope with its destination and original location.

Your recipients will love this little piece of art and its contents. Here are five fun ways to address your next envelope:

1. Slanted letters
Traditionally, addresses are written horizontally in small to medium letters. However, this basic look can remind people of bills and advertisements. To break away from this feeling, try slanting the letters and writing from one corner to the other. Use a few different methods to see which you like best. For instance, if you write in small script, you could transcribe the whole address in one line. If you write in large letters though, you’ll use several lines and take up most of the paper. Both ways are a bit of a fun twist that are easy yet creative.

2. Artwork
Draw a picture or scene on the front of your envelope. After the image outline has been created, figure out a way to incorporate the address into the artwork. For example, if you sketched a picture of a person napping near a pond with a fishing pole stuck in the bank, you could turn the fishing line into the address. This is a fun way to send some original artwork and give your friend a decorative piece of paper to hold onto.

3. Print and transfer
If you don’t feel particularly artistic and haven’t learned the how to do lettering or calligraphy, don’t worry. Other methods can help you achieve the beautifully adorned envelopes you’ve seen on Pinterest. Typing the address into Word using the fonts you want is one approach you could try. Using tracing paper, copy the words and then transfer them onto your envelope. You’ll have perfectly even letters and an embellished script you can be proud of.

4. Custom embosser
Place your return address on the back of your envelope using a customized embosser. The raised material will create an interesting texture, and the neat lettering will impress your recipients. This is particularly useful if you’re planning to send out a lot of messages. You can quickly add your location to each paper without spending a lot of time writing it on each envelope.

5. Contrasting materials
Your addresses don’t always have to be super embellished for them to stand out. Instead, you can bedeck the envelope with an intricate design and attach a plain piece of paper with the addresses to the envelope. For example, create an envelope out of white lace and adhere a black piece of paper to the front to house the address. The contrasting appearance will give the letter an interesting look that your pen pals will appreciate.

Really crazy addressing
Don’t limit your addressing ideas. As long as the writing is legible, your card should reach its destination. However, you may not want to get as creative as one man from England who decided to challenge the postal service. Instead of writing a regular location or even an address of any sort, he sent messages that contained cryptic addresses. For example, one letter’s destination was actually written in Morse code.

This man was lucky his letters were received. It’s a fun idea, but if you want to ensure your cards get to the right person, you may want to stick to less mysterious methods. The next time you sit down to fill out holiday cards or party invitations, keep these addressing options in mind.