Hi there, crafty peeps! I’ve got a product review/tutorial for you today, courtesy of Green Sneakers, the company behind Kreate-a-lope® envelope templates. I’ve been asked to check out their awesome product and here I am today to show you what I made of it. What fun!
What are Kreate-a-lopes®? They’re sturdy, durable plastic templates that let you create your own, customized envies in minutes - without using a cutting tool! No kidding.

I would like to show you a little project I made, using the standard A2 sized template - perfect for myself since it’s the size I do most of my cards in.
I started with 12×12 patterned paper from Melissa Frances, Decoration. It’s white on one side which suited my needs, since I wanted a white envelope which I’d decorate further afterwards, with the pattern inside. Just a little twist…

I lined up the template with the edges of the sheet, minimizing the loss of paper. I like to make the most of my supplies! Because the template is clear, you can see exactly what parts of the pattern will show up when you have your envelope folded and finished. The window in the center indicates the front (which will be my inside in this case), and you can also see what parts will show at the back and which ones will be overlapping and therefore hidden from view. I think that’s a huge asset of these templates.

I tore away excess by pulling the paper against the edge of the template on a slight angle, until the paper was the same size and shape as the template.

If you like the slightly shabby look of the edges, you can leave it at this, otherwise you can either trace and cut around the template, or ‘tidy up’ after tearing by running around the edges with the craft knife and ruler, like I did.

After I had dealt with the edges, I lined up the template with the paper again. Normally, if you want the pattern on the outside, you flip the paper upside down first, but remember that I want mine inside? Right. So, we’re leaving it as it is, and then we need to fit the rectangle insert in the middle, gently remove the template while holding onto the insert and fold the edges around it. You need to fold the sides first, then the bottom and the upper flap last.

Once the sides are folded, you can go ahead and seal the envelope by applying some adhesive to the sides. I used a double sided tape but a special Lick & Stick Glue is also available for purchase on the company’s website.

Remember how I wrote that I’m supply savvy… once your shape is removed from the 12×12 sheet of paper, you’re left with a bunch of triangle shapes. I put one of them to a good use , by covering the upper flap of the envie with it and trimming the excess. I also used a thin strip to cover the bottom at the front.

I made a matching postcard to go with the envelope. We celebrated my mum-in-law’s birthday the other day, so this ensemble was made with her in mind.
The front of the envelope was decorated further with stamping, a wood veneer butterfly from Studio Calico and I also added a ribbon bow. The stamps come from the Waltzingmouse set called Roses In Bloom.

My verdict? 4.5 out of 5. I love this stuff, how clever and easy to use it is. I love that you can see exactly how the design will look like, before you even start assembling your envelope. A small minus is that tearing the paper is not going to give you nice smooth edges, so if you’re fussed about that bit, you’d rather need to trace and cut. However, they get cleaner the thinner paper you use. I’m a bit crazy about nice, sturdy, thick paper which is naturally harder to tear. All in all, it’s truly a unique and helpful design and I can see myself using it a lot!

I will be back in a couple of days, with one more project featuring a different size of Kreate-a-lope®, for today I’m leaving you with a couple of useful links, that will help you find out more about the product:

How-to video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDPbufpWmF0

Kickstarter campaign, aimed to broaden awareness of the product and raise funds for the new sizes:
https://www.greensneakers.com/EnvelopeTemplates/

See you later!