Handmade Card Organization + GIVEAWAY

Hello! I get a lot of questions about my handmade card organization, so I finally put a video together. I also share my favorite envelopes and more…

Handmade Card Organization Video by Jennifer McGuire Ink

[All supplies are linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post. Compensated affiliate links used at no cost to you. To watch the video in HD on YouTube, click HERE.]

Oh how I love to organize!

Envelopes & Envelope Organization

Let’s first talk envelopes…

Many people ask what envelopes I use. I mostly use A2 (4 3/8” x 5 ¾”) envelopes and have 4 favorites…

  • Gina K Envelopes – These are high quality, square-flap, and come in 36 gorgeous colors. (They look great with their cardstocks, too!) You can get them in packs of 10. I like the square-flap for stamping messages or adding washi tape. I use the Sweet Corn color the most.
  • Hero Arts Envelopes – I have used these for years and adore the decorative flap and white core. They come in packs of 12 . Very unique design and super smooth.
  • Cards & Pockets Envelopes – One of my readers told me about these and I had to try them. They have a large V-shaped-flap (Euro flap) and are available in MANY colors. You can get as many as you want of each color, but unfortunately the colors do not come labeled. (At least they didn’t for me. Was hard to guess since I ordered a lot of colors!) I do like their metallics (pearlized) envelopes.
  • Memory Box Envelopes – I also have used these for years and love the colors and white core. The rounded-flap is fun! However, they can be hard to find.

I also like several specialty envelopes, including Avery Elle Vellum Envelopes (you can mail them), Simon Says Stamp Wood Envelopes, and Hero Arts Kraft Envelopes.

Here are the look at the Gina K envelopes, and a few of the Cards & Pockets envelopes… (Click to make bigger.)

Handmade Card Organization Video by Jennifer McGuire Ink Handmade Card Organization Video by Jennifer McGuire Ink

Handmade Card Organization Video by Jennifer McGuire Ink

Handmade Card Organization Video by Jennifer McGuire Ink

Here is some info on my envelope organization:

  • I store A2 envelopes in the InterDesign Fridge Binz which snuggly fits A LOT of envelopes! This works great for me… and I use this container for many things in my craftroom.
  • Other size envelopes are stored separately.
  • In order to know what colors I may need to order more of, I created an envelope ring with each labeled. (Unfortunately I am not sure of the names of the Cards & Pockets colors as they did not come in a labeled package. The others do.)

Here are my envelopes in the InterDesign Fridge Binz container…

Handmade Card Organization Video by Jennifer McGuire Ink

Mailing Organization

I like to keep all my mailing needs together so that I can quickly get cards in the mail… and often! Here are some tips:

  • Laying in the top of my drawer, I have a zipper pouch holding various postage stamps and return address labels. Easy access!
  • In a (discontinued) 3-compartment container, I hold other various mailing needs, including pieces of padding for cards with embellishments, send-this-card-on post-it notes, gift cards, personalized stamps, and washi tape.
  • For super bulky or delicate cards, I use inexpensive, padded envelopes.

Here is the pouch with postage and such…

Handmade Card Organization Video by Jennifer McGuire Ink

… and envelopes, washi and more…

Handmade Card Organization Video by Jennifer McGuire Ink

Handmade Card Organization

I find it extremely helpful to have my cards organized so that I can get them to loved ones quickly and easily. Here are the details…

  • I have each card and a matching envelope in a thin sleeve to keep them together and protected. (You can recycle these sleeves. They come in packs of 10 or 100.)
  • I store all my cards in the same InterDesign Fridge Binz container and have them divided into occasions. They fit snug, but it works for me! You could instead stand the cards up.
  • My dividers are made from cut-up plastic folders, with a label (I love the new model of my label maker!) and rounded corners.

Here is a look…

Handmade Card Organization Video by Jennifer McGuire Ink

Ohhh… the hours that went into making these cards. But think of all the smiles they will give!!

Handmade Card Organization Video by Jennifer McGuire Ink

This system has been helpful to me. I am hoping a few of the tips help you, too.

Giveaway

I am giving away a $50 gift certificate to Gina K Designs to a lucky winner! You can stock up on yummy envelopes. For your chance, leave a comment below by 11:59pmEST on 8/4/16 telling me which color envelopes you use the most. (The winner’s name will be randomly selected, emailed and posted on my “Winners page” after the giveaway closes. International folks are eligible, too! Giveaway is personally donated!)

Supplies

Interested in the products I used? To make them easy for you to find, I have listed them below. (Compensated Affiliate links used at no cost to you. Affiliate and product disclosure can be found here. All products were personally purchased. As always, this post was NOT sponsored.) Click on the pictures or the letters below each picture to go to a favorite store: Simon Says Stamp (SSS), Ellen Hutson (EH), Amazon (AZ), etc.


Leave a Comment

1,379 thoughts on “Handmade Card Organization + GIVEAWAY”

  1. Pink, pink and more pink! Oh how I would love to have all of those gorgeous papers and envelopes and so lovingly organized, too! You inspire me!

  2. I normally use white envelopes that I can buy from the local book store. They have a nice sturdy quality with an adhesive strip for sealing. Very convenient if you’re sending out some 80 Christmas cards.

  3. I usually go for the cheapest since that’s all I can afford.. so that would be WHITE! Thanks so much for the chance to win and your organization is so AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

  4. I love your great ideas on organization. The videos are such a help. Thank you for all that you do to help others.

  5. Thank you for the card organization ideas. I have some of the mailer packing foam sheets and will be cutting it up for covering embellished cards before mailing in a white Stampin’ Up! envelope.

  6. Thank you for sharing this. I usually try to make my own envelopes matching the color of the card. If I don’t have a particular color paper, I use white. So white would be the most frequently sought after color for envelope in my craft room.

  7. I use white the most, make my own sometimes, but obviously need to get some of these beautiful colors! I love the peacock teal!

  8. Love love love all the envelope color options!!! You are the most organized crafty person I know I need those bins in my life!!!!!!

  9. I need this, or I think I need this. I am the “Queen of Organizing” I spend more time organizing my crafting space than I do crafting because I cannot craft unless everything is in its place. My finished card file is similar to yours, but of course yours is so much better and professional. I sound like a broken record on these comments, but Thank you for all you do…

  10. Sadly most of my envelopes are white or cream. It never dawned on me to look for colored ones!! Now you have me down a rabbit hole… so many pretty colors!

  11. Right now, I am mostly using boring white one! I do try to dress them up with some stamping to match my cards, though. 🙂

  12. I mostly use white envelopes ~ just because they are quick and easy to find and matches with everything. Any other colour requires me to make them by hand. Absolutely love those colourful envelopes!!

  13. I usually use white envelopes as I tend to mount entire fronts on white cards. Not as pretty as your cards Jen, but it’s the least expensive method for me. I love getting coloured envelopes in the post I must admit! Yellow is my favourite.

  14. I use ivory and white a lot. I LOVE these colors and will get some to use. AWESOME! Thanks for the tips on organizing my craft room!

  15. I LOVE that you have shared your card organization, I have struggled to come up with something that works, isnt a major investment and I think this will work perfectly for me
    thank you thank you thank you.

  16. I use mostly white or off white envelopes and coordinate design from the card onto outside of envelope , but the rainbow of beautiful possibilities has inspired me!

  17. I mostly use cream but the colors on the video were gorgeous, I just never think to branch out! Love seeing your dog, so adorable!

  18. I’ve mostly been using white, but I love the Gina K colors in your video. You’re organization is amazing!!

  19. The stores in town don’t sell colored envelopes so I am limited to white or creme. I store my dies and clear stamps using the fridge containers and will now switch my cards to thr fridge container system too. Thanks for the video!

  20. Thanks for all of the detail that went into this blog post and video! I primarily use white envelopes but love the colors that are available. The lovely lavender is so pretty!

  21. I most always use lavender or mauve envelopes for sympathy cards, as those are colors the victorians used during mourning periods. Other envelopes I use are white, cream and kraft, matching my card. Your video was awesome! I got a lot of ideas to use. Thank you for your hard work!

  22. I mostly use white A2 envelopes because they are so inexpensive and easy to find. I had no idea that Gina K. had so many gorgeous colors. Thanks for sharing all your process, organization and new product videos with us. It is truly inspiring. I like the idea of having a whole box of colored envelopes to match the cards I make – how fun would that be for my family and friends to get in the mail.

  23. Typically I use white so I can decorate them. HOWEVER, it depends on the card, birthdays always get a bright and cheery color (they’ve gotta see it coming in that stack of bills!) 🙂

  24. I mostly use white. I don’t even think about decorating or making the envelopes look good! I guess I’m always excited I completed a card!

  25. WHITE…..I know, but I like to line the inside and I guess that is just what is easiest for me. I would LOVE to have more color options and I do have a few, but I always reach for white. Thanks for the chance to win and the AWESOME ideas!!! Love, love, love your site!!!

  26. I tend to use white envelopes as that’s what I have on hand. I’m pretty new to card making so haven’t built up much of a stash yet! I have been getting more into coloured envelopes though, and have a kind of turqouise blue set of envelopes which I really like.

  27. I use white or ivory the most because that’s what I have the most of. I will buy card sets at HomeGoods to get the envelopes and often they are bright colors and pastels. I love matching the envelope to my card, I think it tells the recipient happy mail is enclosed. 🙂

    I love your videos! (And your organization!)

  28. Wow … love all the beautiful colors of envelopes. I feel a little boring … I usually just use white. LOL

  29. I use white envelopes most of the time but I usually decorate them. Sometimes I made coordinating envelopes out of patterned paper. I was adding decorative paper or washi to the outside of the envelopes but recently found out that the post office considers that “non-machinable” and it will require more postage.

  30. I personally like using white envelopes because I like people seeing a rather plain envelope (light stamping on it maybe?) but opening it to see a bright, colorful happy card emerge from it. It seems a shame to simply put it back into the boring envelope, so off to be displayed it goes! That’s just me though.

  31. The color envelopes look so nice all lined together. I usually use white envelopes but I remember how I loved finding a card that had a color envelope when I used to get my cards at Hallmark.

  32. White is my trusty standby, but I love baby blue envelopes!!! How tempting is a blue envelope in a stack of white mail?! 🙂

  33. I can never get enough organization tips, thank you for sharing yours. Also, I’m almost ashamed to admit that the only time I’ve used colored envelopes is when they came with the blank cards! I won’t be doing that anymore. Thank you Jennifer

  34. Just call me BORING because I mainly use white or cream envelopes. It’s just easier to buy them in bulk. I always stamp a little something on them that hints to what is inside. Thanks for a chance to win, too. 😀

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