Post Office Requirements

I've decided to add the US post office requirements for 1st class envelopes to my blog where I can find them!  (I just spent WAY too long searching the USPS site for this information.)  Since I make my own envelopes and card bases at times, I want to remember the ratio required to be classed as "rectangular".  And for pricing, I need to remember other things on this list.  SO, as of their web-site on 3/25/2017:

Standard Sized Envelopes

Envelopes must be rectangular to qualify for letter prices.  This means that the aspect ratio of the envelope (length divided by height) is at least 1.3 and not more than 2.5.

Size Requirements

	Minimum	Maximum
Height	3 1/2"	6 1/8"
Length	5"	11 1/2"
Thickness	0.007"	1/4"
Weight	None	N/A

Non-Standard Sized Mail - like square or vertical envelopes, lumpy or rigid envelopes, or mail with clasps, string, or buttons, cannot use their automated processing machines. Hand-cancelled mail is charged a non-machineable surcharge - equivalent to the price for mailing an extra ounce.

I've used these measurements to create a table for my own use.  

I make NO GUARANTEES that I did the math correctly, or that the numbers here represent current post office requirements.  I'm simply posting it here for your use, but strongly encourage you to double-check my math (rounded to 1/8" increments) and the current post office regulations for yourself!

 

NOTE that standard envelopes MUST be no more than 1/4" thick - between 1/4" and 3/4" must go as a "large envelope".  I recommend making yourself a template that has a 1/4" slot and a 3/4" slot to test your envelopes!!! 

Also note that if it weighs exactly one ounce on your scales, you better add postage for an extra ounce!  The post office will charge your recipient much more than that if they deem it overweight!

 

You may also be interested in this *.pdf of additional mailing hints that I came across - put together by TheMadStamper.  The postage rates are out of date, but much of the other information is still useful.  Here's a link to her blog post with a couple of useful videos about mailing our hand made cards.

Rectangle Requirements for U.S. Post Office

Envelope size (approximate card size)

HEIGHT	APROX. MIN. LENGTH	APPROX. MAX. LENGTH
3 ½”  (3 ¼”)	5” (4 ¾”)	8 ¾” (8 ½”)
3 ¾”  (3 ½”)	5” (4 ¾”)	9 3/8” (9 1/8”)
4” (3 ¾”)	5 ¼” (5”)	10” (9 ¾”)
4 ¼” (4”)	5 3/4” (5 ½”)	10 ½” (10 ¼”)
4 ½” (4 ¼”)	5 7/8”  (5 5/8”)	11 ¼” (11”)
4 ¾” (4 ½”)	6 1/4” (6”)	11 ½” (11 ¼”)
5” (4 ¾”)	6 ½” (6 ¼”)	11 ½” (11 ¼”)
5 ¼” (5”)	6 7/8” (6 5/8”)	11 ½” (11 ¼”)
5 ½” (5 ¼”)	7 ¼” (7”)	11 ½” (11 ¼”)
5 ¾” (5 ½”)	7 3/8” (7 1/8”)	11 ½” (11 ¼”)
6” (5 ¾”)	7 ¾” (7 ½”)	11 ½” (11 ¼”)
6 1/8” (5 7/8”)	7 7/8” (7 5/8”)	11 ½” (11 ¼”)

 

Red & Black Purse

I enjoyed making that Hunkydory Clutch Bag so much that I just had to make another!  This "purse" started as a plain piece of 6" x 12" red card stock (laid horizontally and scored at 2", 6", 7", & 8" and then trimmed at the 11 3/4" line).  The idea came from the Paper Wishes Message Board. 

OUTSIDE:

• Background - I covered the main outside area with some HOTP specialty paper called "Peacock Red".  In real life it looks like tooled leather - very pretty.  
• Clasp & Catch - The clasp & catch were cut from black Mirri card stock using a HOT die for the catch (from 9 Tiny Tags & Little Labels) & a Sizzix die for the clasp (from "Bonjour Paris").  I then embossed them both with a Darice embossing folder ("Damask").  The clasp is attached with a brad (mostly because the die cuts a small hole there!) & double-stick tape.  The catch is attached with double-sided foam tape.  

At this point the clutch looked like this:

• Finishing Touches - I really wanted it to look more like a purse, so I added fine line border Dazzles (HOTP) for faux stitching, and some 1/8" satin ribbon for the "strap".  You see the result in the first picture.

 INSIDE:

• Background paper: The patterned paper on the inside is also HOTP - from an old paper pack called "Cardmaker's Classic Creative Pack.  

• Message Area: The center piece was cut using a die from Spellbinder's Decorative Labels Eight and matted with black paper.  The flowers are ones purchased from Paper Wishes - I layered several on top of each other (they no longer carry these).  The leaves were cut from plain green paper with my Silhouette. I'm not sure the occasion for which I'll use this card, so haven't added a sentiment yet.

Hunkydory Clutch Bag

This card was inspired by a post on the Paper Wishes Message Board - here.  It's hard to tell in the picture since I didn't get an angle showing the side, but this card is designed as a clutch purse.  I think it's really pretty, but it didn't look as much like a clutch as I wanted - wish I had embossed the part of the card base that serves as the lower edge of the card front.  For the final product I decided to take the greeting off the front and move it to the inside (opposite corner from the tulip).  This made it look much more like a clutch from the outside.  Here's the inside:

The card base was cut from a piece of metallic silver poster board that was white on the other side.  I used card stock and die cuts from Floral Shimmer Hunkydory card kit to decorate this card.  Here's a closeup of the area I left for writing a message.

Fixing a Major Mistake

I don't usually pay much attention to the suggested card layouts that come in the Hunkydory kits, but one in particular caught my eye this time because the fold was very unique (Floral Shimmer kit).  It looked reasonably easy to reproduce, so I decided to try it.  I found a nice piece of printed card stock in the kit and scored and cut it as the picture showed.  It came out beautifully and the basic card looked just like what was shown in the picture.  

There was only one problem.   There was no way to fold it flat to go in an envelope for mailing!!!!  I'm sure their original handled that some way, but I couldn't figure it out.  And here I had scored and cut one of those beautiful pieces of card stock in a way that didn't work!  I sure didn't want to waste it.  SO, I tried to figure out how I might re-fold it in a way that hid the fact that I had originally planned something different.  This card was the result.  

I have no idea what to call it, but it looks quite nice in real life.  The element in the center is a spinner.  It's created by gluing small card stock strips  on the inside of the upper and lower "marquees".  They are folded in the center and then have little tabs at the ends for gluing to the card base.  I looped a piece of invisible thread over the center fold of the small strip at the top and then tied it over the bottom one.  Then I simply glued front and back spinner pieces back to back with the thread firmly sandwiched between them.  This is wound up before closing the card so that when the card is open it will spin.  Here are closeups of the two sides of the spinner:

And here's another angle picturing the whole card.