Love in the post: Heart confetti

It’s the time of year for sending love in the post. Spread joy and affection with heart confetti in bespoke envelopes, for anyone who could do with a thoughtful surprise.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: You'll need

You’ll need:

  • Paper: plain or coloured, book pages or map…
  • Scissors
  • Pencil
  • Alphabet rubber stamps
  • Ink pad
  • A4 (or US Letter size) sheet of ‘nice’ paper for the envelope. I’ve used a page of sheet music
  • Washi tape (optional)
  • Address label, if the paper is too decorated to read
  • Glue stick for the address label, if used

Step by step:

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: First fold
  1. Hearts first! I’ve torn a few pages from a falling-apart copy of a well-worn old favourite. Fold each sheet in half vertically (for medium-sized hearts) or in quarters for smaller hearts (as shown top left.)
The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Draw hearts

2. Draw full-bodies heart shapes in pencil.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Cut out hearts

3. Cut out the hearts with snippy tiny scissors, if you have them. Or use a scalpel and save the left over shapes for another project.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Alphabet stamps

4. When you have enough hearts (When is enough?!) bring out your ink pad and rubber stamps.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Get stamping

5. Get stamping.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: I Love You

6. Don’t worry about wonky lettering….it’s the thought that counts.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Origami envelope

7. Now for the envelope!

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: First fold of the envelope

8. Fold the page in half width ways, and open out again.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: 2nd envelope fold

9. Fold the top left corner down to the centre line…..

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: 3rd envelope fold

10. ….And bring the top right hand corner down to meet in the centre.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Like a sailor hat

11. Fold the long straight bottom edge up to align with the bottom edge of the triangle.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Mid fold of envelope

12. And then fold it over itself, nearly like a sailor’s hat, except it doesn’t open out at the bottom. Take the top point….

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Point folded to bottom edge

13. …and fold it down to touch the bottom edge.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Side in to centre

14. Bring the left side of the envelope in to the middle.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Repeat on other side

15. Repeat with the right hand side, so that they meet in the middle.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Angle fold

16. Fold each side up at an angle. The line should run from the bottom corner to where the side of the triangle and the bottom flap intersects.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Two angled folds

17. Repeat on the other side.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Tuck in point

18. Finally tuck the point of the triangle into the pocket.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Finished envelope

19. Voila! A self-sealing envelope, with elegant narrow proportions.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Add address label

20. Add a label if desired. (This one came from Present & Correct.)

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Place heart messages inside

21. Unfold the envelope enough to tuck in your special messages.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Add confetti

22. Add lots of smaller hearts too.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Finished, ready to post

23. Get in the post ASAP or hide your billet doux away until the 14th February.

The Travelling Bookbinder: Heart Confetti: Paperlove close up

I’m sending as much book and paper love as you need.

Thank you for tagging @paperhazell and #confettihearts on the socials.

Happy Valentine’s!

16 thoughts on “Love in the post: Heart confetti

  1. this does not work for me.
    can you give dimensions for the paper used for the envelope, please?

    1. Hello Sandra, How frustrating that this doesn’t work for you. The ‘You’ll need’ list specifies A4 or US letter size paper for the envelope. The music paper I used in the example was slightly smaller than that. Please e-mail a picture if I can help more. Bests, Rachel

  2. What a great project! I definitely need to give this a try. A perfect idea for a special valentine’s greeting. Thank you…. xo

  3. thank you Rachel for another inspiring project – your enthusiasm is contagious
    loving your postings on instagram what a fabulous place Iona must be – looking forward to seeing your ‘gathering’ project – Lesley xx

  4. Lovely idea.
    I haven’t tried it yet but think the book is Little Women???
    There were a couple of clues on one of the hearts!

    1. Eagle eyes Patricia! It was indeed Little Women – a falling-apart copy, otherwise I wouldn’t have dared..

  5. in mum for lockdown so she is my lifetime Valentine- Just made hers for when we sit down to bubbles and a special lunch. SO delightfully easy xx

    1. Dear Kate, So glad your ma got to be with you – special lunch AND a homemade Valentine!Good loving lady! XX

  6. Thank you very much Hazel, yet another variation on a theme, how clever. Now back to my Are You Book Enough project for February, which I am really enjoying, using a simple slit book but with lovely old hand made paper – 1934 I think. You certainly set me on a lovely new direction in life with your Paper Love Course three years ago.
    Janet xxx

    1. Aw thanks for your message Janet – so glad that your PaperLove continues! All luck for Are You Book Enough project! V bests, Rachel XX

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