TRANSLUCENT ENVELOPES 3 WAYS

Transparent and translucent design is having a major moment right now. From clear coats and colorful acrylic details to see-through nails and accessories, this airy, layered look is popping up everywhere—and it translates beautifully into paper goods. One of my favorite ways to play with the trend is through DIY translucent envelopes, where the contents become part of the design instead of something you hide.

These envelopes are made from tracing paper or vellum, giving them a soft, frosted look that feels both modern and handmade. What I love most about working with translucent materials is the ability to experiment with color, pattern, and typography—whether that’s confetti peeking through the back, a minimalist grid overlay, or a bold name showing through from the card inside. Each envelope ends up feeling personal, creative, and a little unexpected.

In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through how to make translucent envelopes step by step, starting with a simple square of paper. Then I’ll share three easy ways to decorate vellum envelopes that work for parties, happy mail, special occasions, or just elevating an everyday note. If you’re looking for a fun paper DIY that feels on-trend but totally customizable, these translucent envelopes are a perfect place to start.

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I cut my envelopes out of tracing paper, but vellum paper works beautifully for translucent envelopes and has a slightly sturdier feel. My squares were 9in by 9in, and I followed the directions below to make the envelopes. Once you've made your envelopes, scroll down for three different ways to add some fun personality to them.

Materials Neededfor DIY Translucent Envelopes

• Tracing paper or vellum paper
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Glue or adhesive tape
• Scissors or paper cutter
• Black marker or Sharpie
• Optional: circle punch, confetti, paint pens, markers, colored pencils

How to Make a DIY Paper Envelope

1. Fold the paper in half diagonally to make a triangle
2. Unfold
3. Fold the other half
4. Unfold
5. Fold the left corner toward the center crease
6. Fold the right corner toward the center crease
7. Fold up the bottom corner
8. Fold up the bottom left corner
9. Fold up the bottom right corner
10. Apply glue to the lower corners and fold the bottom flap up to seal
11. Fold the top triangle down to the middle
12. The envelope is all finished

1. Confetti
Make the envelope and write the person's name in black marker in the upper left corner. Cut out a 5.5in by 7in piece of heavy white paper, then fold the paper in half to make a card. Once you've finished writing the card, insert it into the envelope. Then use circle punches to create various sizes and colors of confetti (or pre-made confetti if you want to save time). Slip the confetti behind the card so that it shows through the back and seal the envelope.

2. Minimal Grid
Make the envelope, and then measure out a grid with lines every quarter of an inch. Use a ruler and a sharpie pen to draw out the grid. I cut a 5.5in by 7in piece of heavy white paper, and folded it in half to make a card. Then on the back of the card I wrote in thick pink letters the name of the person the letter was addressed to. Once you have written on the inside of the card, insert it in the envelope so that the name shows through the grid and seal the envelope.

3. Colorful Pattern
Make the envelope and draw a pattern on the back with paint, markers, or colored pencils. Then cut out a 5.5in by 7in piece of heavy white paper, and fold it in half to make a card. Once you've finished writing the card, write the person's name on the back in black letters. Insert the card in the envelope and seal it.

Interested in more fun DIYs? Check out more ideas here!