Quick Crafts: Mini Cards & Origami Envelopes

These simple, hand-made mini cards in their little origami envelopes are super fun and fast to put together. They're a terrific craft for kids, and they're perfect for little notes or themed treasure hunts. They also make brilliant gift tags you can pull out of your hat at the last minute when you're re-gifting that bottle of wine from the back of the fridge!

Best of all, you don't need anything more than 10 minutes, a printer and some paper to finish this project.

Time and Materials: 10 Minutes

• A standard printer, preferably color
• Paper - standard photocopy paper and heavier paper
• Scissors (or a paper cutter, if you're a control freak)

Step 1: Select and Make Your Envelope
The origami envelope is made from patterned paper. You do not need to use traditional origami or craft paper, though - you can print your very own origami paper. I printed this pretty and fresh pattern onto standard photocopy paper (it's easier to fold) on my color printer, and simply trimmed the edges to the square shape required.

To make your envelope, follow the directions here. Your finished envelope should look something like this:

Step 2: Select and Make Your Cards
You can use any kind of photo or illustration that takes your fancy for your card requirements. Today is Easter, so I used these funky retro Easter eggs to match my envelope.

Whatever image you select, you need to paste it into Word or a similar program along the right-hand side of the page. Print it out on the heaviest paper you have to hand - it will stand up better. Then fold the paper along the image's left border. This should give you the folded-over card effect; simply trim it to the shape you want, making sure you leave enough paper on the left margin to act as your card's hinge.

And that's really it - simple, fun and fast home made mini cards in under 10 minutes!