Instructor: Bari Zaki

No group Zoom workshops are currently scheduled. That said, the full-length live recording is available, either on its own, or with the option of scheduling a private or semiprivate workshop (in addition to the recording). No previous envelope making experience is necessary. See the dropdown below for pricing.

What you’ll make: Three styles of ‘envelopment’ without a template: a backless, (as featured in our MORE Art of the Hand-folded Envelope kit), an enveloped booklet, and an origami-esque gusset. All three are mailable, and beautifully envelop a missive or several flat enclosures.

We begin with a brief introduction to paper grain and a review of workshop tools. Then we will warm up our nimble fingers by hand-folding an envelope without a template from a piece of lightweight drawing paper.

Style #1 – The Backless: I’ll present a little show & tell of backless envelopes I’ve made and received. We will discuss the different ‘pairing’ options from heavy card stock to lightweight magazine (or book) pages. Then we will make two backless formats, one landscape (wide) and one portrait (tall, and usually requiring large-envelope rate postage—but SO worth it!). 

Style #2 – Enveloped booklet: We begin with measuring, scoring and hand-folding our envelope. Then we fold our Plover Bond into a 2-page (4 serendipitous sides) signature and stitch it into the bottom fold. Next you will learn how to line this envelope with a decorative paper of your choosing. For the finale we will embellish the exterior with washi-tape. 

Style #3 – Origami-esque gusset: With this style we go straight to a neat sequence of folds, and before you know it, you will have made a charming gusset envelope—a blush of accomplishment ensues. 

What you’ll learn along the way: 

1. Selecting the best glue stick for the job (BZS sells one Japanese and one Italian)

2. Determining when double-sided tape is your best adhesive

3. Appreciating the range of paper weights and styles

4. Folding with vs. against the grain

5. Choosing papers for each envelope

6. Lining an envelope 

7. Thinking thematically about postage

8. Labeling as a decorative element

9. Asking (and answering!) all your envelope queries

Your kit includes all the materials (but not the tools) you’ll need to make three styles of envelopment, with xoxtra materials to make more on your own with the live recording to keep you company. 

4 sheets of Cambridge Imprint paper, from the UK (12 x 12)

4 sheets of Grafiche Tassotti, from Italy (12 x 12)

5 sheets of Shizen, from India (8½ x 11)

13 sheets of cardstock from French Paper Co.., from Michigan (8½ x 11)

2 sheets of lightweight drawing paper (8½ x 11)

6 sheets of Plover Bond (8½ x 13)

1 sheet of BZS labels (details forthwith)

10 strips of double adhesive tape

1 length of Natural waxed linen thread 

1 sweet surprise page of envelope fodder for dessert

Tools needed: bonefolder, triangle ruler, metal ruler, Xacto knife lightweight awl, straight bookbinding needle (18 gauge). I offer a 20% discount on any tools ordered for the workshop (via refund after your workshop purchase). You can purchase these tools individually here.

Ancillary tools needed: glue-stick, cutting mat, scrap paper for glueing on.

If you’d like to purchase an additional set of materials, you certainly can. However, you cannot accomplish this in the dropdown menu (because one set of materials is included with the workshop fee). To order additional sets of materials, please e me and I will be in touch extremely promptly. It’s $125 per additional set, with no shipping fee if you order at the same time as your workshop registration. 

Nota bene: Customers who have previously purchased a MORE Art of the Hand-folded Envelope kit will receive a 15% discount on the Hand-folded Envelope Happiness workshop. Students who register for the workshop and would also like to acquire a MORE kit, will receive a 15% discount on the kit

This recording is 4-ish hours in total. It includes the “natural pauses” from the original workshop session, giving you time to complete the various steps. You can pause the video wherever and as often as you’d like, but you may not need to at all.

To schedule a date & time for a private or semiprivate, add this class to your cart, and then email barizakistudio@gmail.com with your preferred date(s) and time of day. Feel free to call or e me with any questions (773-294-7766 or barizakistudio@gmail.com).

I look forward to sharing my long-standing love of bookbinding, and beautiful materials with you.