Makin’ magic…
This post celebrates creativity in a more meandering, crafty way. A little less business, a little more magic. Only venture in if you’re into infusing your written goals and intentions with some magic. Plus there’s some cute crafty envelope making..
I do like to notice little things that feel like they make more magic in my own life – like the way the winter light shines in sideways through a leaf skeleton; or seeing a sign with really beautiful lettering; or any flower in any setting.. I also love making the mundane more special by infusing stories, rituals and gratitude into daily life.
This is an important part of staying emotionally healthy and hopeful for me. I try to be aware of current events and do what I can to effect change, and sometimes life just feels disheartening and heavy. Finding ways to see the hope shining through in a Tuesday afternoon parking lot is a simple way to stay grounded in reality but still hopeful for change.
So today, I wanted to share a super fun and simple way to make a little magic amidst the madness… I now introduce… One of my favorite little things… Handmade envelopes ready for your own little messages, wishes, prayers, intentions, and glimmers.
I like to write out my wishes and intentions and put them inside tiny envelopes or decorated boxes.. Especially my big dreams. I love folding handmade paper envelopes out of pretty magazine pages and writing my personal goals and dreams in there on gold paper..
Do I sometimes add in a special leaf or shiny bead for added luck? Pshaw.. yes, of course I do. I leave myself little gifts to find later, because I like to tuck away these envelopes and let them do their thing – let them work their magic in a dark drawer or under a plant..
The magic of these cute handmade envelopes is really in what goes inside of them. What is your heart’s hope? What dreams are you ready to plant? Are there any prayers you would like to keep safe and enveloped in a protective little packet? Things you’ve grieved and are now ready to release?
My first experience with this envelope concept was with the little red and gold Chinese Lunar New Year envelopes. I found these at my first visit to Pearl River Mart while visiting my sister in New York many years ago.. I didn’t understand the fullness of the tradition then, and I don’t know if I can explain it as thoroughly as this article about Lucky Red Envelopes from Google, but I did know they were used for good luck, and I loved small bright objects, so…
I would add my own coins, bills, and messages to these envelopes and hide them away in a drawer or behind something. When I found them later, it seemed like a good time to open them up and remember what I’d written. Sometimes, I’d feel like I was making magic happen – especially when I found and envelope that had a really specific wish written on it, and that wish had become a reality.
I’m not claiming that this is a full on manifestation ritual – but I mean, who knows? Maybe it is 😉
So if you’re curious and want to reap the benefits of setting intentions in a way that’s a lot more fun than just using an intention setting worksheet, why not write down some of your most potent wishes, or even those crusty old latent dreams you tend to put on the back burner? Then, throw them into a cute envelope for magic making to commence.
I have a file that I put ideas into called, “Someday, Maybe,” and I think a little envelope with the same sentiment would be a great place for those ideas that seem a little outlandish or unattainable.. A little pocket for the magic to simmer in..
You can fold your own little envelope pockets out of any pretty paper you have. I like using magazines, but also have used wrapping paper, fabric, actual envelopes I decorated, and anything else significant to me..
If you’re at a loss for pretty wrapping paper or magazine pages, I created a diy envelope template that you can download, print, cut, and fold into little envelopes.
Download your free DIY Envelope Template Here
I created four different cute envelope designs, but I easily could have created 20 – I feel like I have a lot of categories for my dreams and wishes!
Just a little heads up that there are two versions of the Let Go envelopes – one is a spicier version.. You can choose which pages to print once you download the pdf file.
Below is a little explanation of how I imagined using each of the envelopes.
Printable DIY Envelope Template Styles
The Dream Seeds envelope
Dream seeds.. You gotta plant those. Otherwise they just rattle around in your inner seed packet, and it gets pretty rattly in there, dreams just bopping about..
So use this Dream Seeds envelope to hold those little love notes you write to your future.. Let it house your wildest dreams, and infuse them with joy and hope.. Feel your clarity of intent, ma friend..
Tuck away this cute envelope or put it on display – and maybe one day you’ll be manifesting your dreams all over the place… Everywhere you look will be dreams just popping up and coming true amidst little envelopes..
Prayers for Change envelope
Prayers for change, prayers for peace, prayers for a just world for all.
Call it a prayer, or call it an intention; I wanted to create a space to remind us that we can still focus on a world where peace and nonviolence is possible. In these envelopes we can write our wishes, hopes and prayers for peace and liberation, for freedom and change, and for an end to what continues to harm humanity.
These little prayer envelopes can help create a way to vocalize our wishes for peace – to hold our visions for a day where our collective calls for peace outshine the current conquests for dominance.
Gratitude Glimmers envelope
And gratitude glimmers.. Those times when being present in the moment is the best feeling ever, and you just take a “heart photo.” I mean, I think I’m having one right now seeing the light reflect from the shiny monstera leaves.. And right after a much appreciated hot cup of coffee.
Opportunities for gratitude are everywhere.
So, write those moments down, fill this envelope up, dump it out and fill it again. Carry it in your fanny pack! Throw it in your pocket! Make carrying a little Gratitude Glimmer envelope a whole thing – a vibe, you might say…
Let Go envelope
The only real constant is change.. That’s kind of hard to accept. Sometimes letting go of what was or what is, can be a ch-ch-challenge!
But when you’re ready, you’re ready. You’ve processed the thing. You’ve faced the truth. You’ve cried, cursed, stewed, resented, stamped your feet, beat some pillows, digested, roared, and finally have an understanding of where you’re standing and what has happened. You’re in a different place now.
If it’s time to let it go, you’ll know. And if you write it down and slip it into a cute little envelope, I feel like that really just.. solidifies the deal. Like a letter to Santa Clause, a note in the Let Go envelope sends a message to the “bad juju sweeping fairies” to come along, sweep up the remnants of sorrow and brittle broken dreams and flush them into some universal black hole for transformation into something new. I mean.. I can’t really list that as a guarantee on the envelope, but..
This envelope comes in two versions – the Let Go version, and the Let that $#!t Go version.
Whether you do decide to make envelopes, collage pretty boxes, or write your wishes on your mirror, I think goals and intentions become a little more potent when we write down the things that have the most meaning to us. It’s not the envelope (as adorable as they can be) that makes this little intention setting ritual a magical thing – it’s our hopes and commitments and willingness to keep moving toward our dreams.
I hope you enjoy crafting some sort of lucky envelopes for your own magical and practical endeavors. Remember – you can make your own envelopes and send them in the mail to friends too – just be sure to check with the postal service to create a “mailable” size and to pay attention to where you can and can’t have text. I’ve done this too, and everyone loves to get a letter in the mail – especially when it arrives in a hand crafted envelope. Promise.
Happy folding and stuffing and roaring!
– – > Handy link to download your envelope templates – now go set some intentions 😉
Other posts you may enjoy:
Solstice and Equinox – Nature Inspired Art to Celebrate the Seasons
The Power of Art – Healing From Grief Through Creative Expression
