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The Etsy Blog

How-Tuesday: Transformer Envelope-Tote-Bag

anda

Story by Anda

Published on Nov 16, 2010 in Make

Photo by anda

With the holidays nearing, the time has come for thinking about clever, memorable, and eco-friendly ways to ship gifts to friends and family — you know, packaging that will really do your handmade gifts justice! This week’s How-Tuesday post, authored by Etsy’s own Anda Corrie, offers an ingenious solution with instructions on how to make your own mailing envelope that can be flipped inside out to reveal a ready-to-go tote bag. It’s a mailing envelope and a tote bag all in one, perfect for not only safely sending your presents through the mail, but it is in fact a present itself!

 

 

I first came up with this design in late 2007 for Etsy, when I was working on press kits and wanted to create envelopes that could be reusable in some way. We recently revisited the concept again here at Etsy Labs in Berlin — where rolls of Tyvek are much easier to get a hold of — and this time I decided to write up the tutorial so everyone could make envelope tote bags too. If you can’t find a big piece of Tyvek, I’d be interested in hearing your modifications, especially if someone can come up with a version using those Tyvek envelopes from the U.S. post office! Please do share a photo with us in the How-Tuesday Flickr group. Without further ado, here it is…

 

You’ll Need:

  • Sheet of Tyvek, at least 36″ x 20″ (90cm x 50cm) (or make homemade Tyvek with plastic bags)
  • Sewing machine and, ideally, a serger
  • White thread
  • Clear plastic packing tape or any wide tape that tears easily by hand
  • Baker’s twine, packing twine, sturdy string, etc., OR wide decorative tape that is not so sticky that it tears the Tyvek when removed. Test on a bit of Tyvek first!
  • Screen printing, Gocco, blockprinting, or stenciling supplies — or some other permanent way to decorate your tote (optional)

Measure one 36″ x 15″ (90cm x 36cm) rectangle and two long 3″ x 36″ (7cm x 90cm) strips of Tyvek and cut.

Fold the 3″ (7cm) strips lengthwise and serge the long edge closed. These will be the straps of your bag. If you don’t have a serger you can use your sewing machine’s zig zag stitch, but a serger makes this project really simple and if you plan on making a lot of these you will definitely want to borrow one.

If you’re printing a design on your tote, measure about 3″ (5-7cm) from the top of the larger rectangle and print just below it. This is now the “right” side of your Tyvek.

With the right side of the Tyvek facing up, sew or serge one end of a strap about 3″ (5cm) in from edge. Attach the other end of the same strap about 3″ (5cm) before you reach the other side (see the second picture below). Repeat on the bottom of your large rectangle with the second strap.

Now, fold 1.5″ (3cm) over to the wrong side and straight stitch along top edge and just above the seam to secure straps. Repeat on opposite end of your rectangle.

With right sides out, fold rectangle in half so that the strap ends meet. Measure 2″ (5cm) from the fold and then fold back on both sides, so that your tote-to-be looks like the diagram below. Now serge along sides A and B. You should have a rectangular pocket (see photos).

Tuck the straps inside the pocket. This is your envelope. Fill it up with whatever you want to send. Now to close it! You want to seal your envelope in a way that will allow someone to open it without destroying the tote.

Fold over the top of your envelope like the picture below. Cut a length of twine slightly wider than the envelope and secure with a few pieces of tape. You want the twine to be as close to the folded-over “opening” of your tote as possible.

Now press clear tape over the twine, adhering it to the Tyvek and sealing your envelope at the same time.

Trim the twine and tape to the width of your envelope but leave about 1.5″ (3 cm) of twine at one end. Notch the tape where it meets the twine. The idea is, you pull the twine and tear open the tape to get the envelope open. We put stickers instructing our recipients to do so (it’s important to let your mail recipient know that their package is also a tote bag).

Method two is much easier but only works with tape that doesn’t rip your Tyvek apart. Simply fold over the top like before, but now tape it closed with pretty tape. The recipient carefully pulls off the tape  themselves. Easy! Again, remember to add a message on the outside of your envelope explaining how to open it.

Now send all kinds of gifts in packaging that’s fully reusable!

 If you make your own tote-bag-envelope, please share a photo with us in the How-Tuesday Flickr group!

Packaging How-To’s | More How-Tuesday Posts | How-Tuesdays auf Deutsch

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