Every once in a while I get the yearning to re-listen to my set of Harry Potter audiobooks narrated by Jim Dale. I first listened to them in middle school, and they’ve been on repeat pretty much ever since. By the way…I am 31! The books, audiobooks and movies are not only one of the joys of my childhood, but adulthood too! Restarting the series renews the magic all over again.

One of the things we all wish we could receive is our Hogwarts letter! In the Sorcerer’s Stone, the letters are written to Harry on beautiful, sumptuous parchment with emerald green ink. I imagine the paper having imperfect, deckled edges; sealed with a big red wax seal with the school’s crest and red ribbons tying it up, embossed with little peck marks from the delivery owl.

So, in the spirit of Harry Potter and Back-to-School, I decided to give my own DIY Hogwarts Letters a shot. These are handmade, from every cut to burn mark and wax seal! In this batch, I made 24 envelopes that actually double as letters, so you are not using as much paper. This is a great idea for parents who want to surprise their kids with a fun note, or as we used here, a welcome/back to school message for classroom students. These actual letters will go to my mom’s 5th grade students this month to welcome her to their classroom! I wish I could do this for all of my students, but I teach 100+ kids and I would be making envelopes for daaaaays…

The Process

1. After printing a welcome message, I cut fine resume paper using a template for a small 4-bar envelope (mine are from Paper Source) using an X-Acto Knife.

2. Using the same template, I scored the paper where the folds would go; this ensured easy, seamless folding and straight lines. Then, I folded the envelopes into its basic shape (very loosely).

3. I went outside for ventilation and used a candle lighter to lightly burn the edges of the envelope’s bars. This part was really fun and ensures that no two letters are alike!

4. Finally, I sealed with a wax seal with brilliant red and gold wax for a true Hogwarts feel!

ciao, xo!