• 70 ideas
  • Checked October 2026

Envelope Art Ideas

Three envelope drawings per press, each with the side it goes on and where the address stays clear.

Envelope Art Ideas

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  1. A shirt collar and tie drawn where the flap meetsBack, pen and one color. The V is the collar. The tie hangs to the bottom edge with a simple pattern.
  2. A zipper drawn along the flap seam, half undoneBack, pen only. Small teeth along both edges of the V and a pull tab where they meet.
  3. The flap as a monster's mouth with teeth along the VBack, pen and one color. Eyes above the flap, zigzag teeth on its edge. Opening the flap opens the mouth.

Next step Patterns to cover the backWhat to draw on the card inside

All 70 ideas

Around the stamp 16

  • A clothesline along the top, the stamp clipped up among the shirts Front, pen and two colors. Socks and shirts hang to the left of the stamp. Nothing drops into the address.
  • A giraffe stretching up the right edge to nibble the stamp Front, pen and two colors. Feet above the bottom strip, neck up the margin. Address to the left of the legs.
  • A hiker on the top edge carrying the stamp as a backpack Front, pen and one color. The top edge is the ridge line, with two pines. Nothing below the ridge.
  • A row of book spines along the top with the stamp as one cover Front, pen and two colors. Spines lean against the stamp. The shelf line sits above the address band.
  • A tower crane lowering the stamp into its corner Front, pen and one color. Crane mast up the right edge, hook lines to the stamp. Address clear to its left.
  • An arrow pointing at the stamp with the words tiny art Front, pen only. A curly arrow from the top middle. Letter the two words small, beside the tail.
  • An old television with the stamp for a screen Front, pen and one color. Antenna above, dials beside, four short legs. All of it stays in the top right corner.
  • Rays drawn around the stamp like a sunburst Front, pen and one color. Short lines on the stamp's left and lower sides, long and short in turn.
  • The stamp as a door at the top of stairs winding up the margin Front, pen only. The stairs wind up the right margin. The steps stop above the bottom strip.
  • The stamp as a flag flying from a sandcastle tower Front, pen and one color. The castle sits high in the right corner on a drawn dune. Address to the left.
  • The stamp as a framed picture hung from a drawn nail Front, pen only. A nail, a wire and a wallpaper stripe behind the corner. The address sits on bare wall below.
  • The stamp as a kite with its string trailing down the right edge Front, pen and one color. Bows on the tail, a small figure low on the left. The string stays out of the address.
  • The stamp as a painting on an easel with a tiny artist beside it Front, pen and one color. Easel legs drawn below the stamp, artist to its left. Address band untouched.
  • The stamp as a tent with a campfire beside it Front, pen and two colors. Guy ropes, a few stars and smoke curling toward the top edge, away from the address.
  • The stamp as a window with shutters and a cat asleep on the sill Front, pen only. Shutters either side, a flower box under. The wall below is left blank for the address.
  • The stamp as the sail of a small boat on a wavy top edge Front, pen and blue. Hull and mast under the stamp, waves along the top only. The middle stays dry.

The address as part of the picture 14

  • A small plane towing the address on a long banner Front, pen and one color. The plane flies at the left, the banner fills the middle. Letter the address large and plain.
  • The address in a speech bubble from a small robot in the corner Front, pen only. The robot sits low on the left, the bubble across the middle. Thin outline, plain letters.
  • The address on a banner strung between two trees at the side margins Front, pen and green. A tree at each side, a sagging banner between them with level lettering.
  • The address on a billboard standing over tiny hills Front, pen and one color. Two legs, a plain white board, small hills kept above the bottom strip.
  • The address on a jar label, the jar full of fireflies Front, pen and yellow. The label is a white rectangle across the jar. Fireflies stay above and beside it.
  • The address on a library card tucked in a drawn pocket Front, pen only. A ruled card with the name on the first line. The pocket's edge sits below the last line.
  • The address on a luggage tag tied with a looped string Front, pen and one color. The tag fills the middle band, its string looping up toward the stamp.
  • The address on a ribbon unrolling from a spool in three level folds Front, pen and one color. A spool at the left with ribbon coming off it. One address line on each fold.
  • The address on a ruled notebook page with a drawn spiral Front, pen and blue. The spiral runs down the left, the ruled lines hold the address, a margin line in red.
  • The address on a scroll held open by two birds Front, pen and one color. Birds at the top corners of the scroll, curls at its ends. Plain capitals inside.
  • The address on a theater marquee with bulbs around the edge Front, pen and one color. The bulbs are small circles outside the board. The board itself is plain white.
  • The address on a three-armed signpost, one line per arm Front, pen only. Post down the middle, arms pointing right. Each arm is wide enough for a full line.
  • The address on the side of a drawn delivery van Front, pen and two colors. The van's side panel is the address block. Wheels sit above the bottom strip.
  • The address written on sheet music, between the staves Front, pen only. Rule the staves across the middle band, a clef at the left. A few notes drift to the top left only.

Flap and back 16

  • A drawn seal with your initial where the flap closes Back, pen and red. A wobbly circle with a letter in it and two ribbon tails. Ink, not wax.
  • A fox whose face narrows down the flap to a black nose tip Back, pen and orange. Ears at the top corners, eyes on the flap, white cheeks below the fold.
  • A paper plane looping across the back to land on the flap Back, pen only. One dotted flight path with two loops. The plane rests at the flap's point.
  • A pattern of tiny leaves covering the whole back Back, pen and green. One small leaf repeated in rows, like the lining of a fancy envelope.
  • A shirt collar and tie drawn where the flap meets Back, pen and one color. The V is the collar. The tie hangs to the bottom edge with a simple pattern.
  • A sleeping cat stretched along the edge of the flap Flap, pen only. The cat's back follows the fold. Its tail hangs down the point of the flap.
  • A stitched border around the back with a drawn needle Back, pen and one color. Dashes follow all four edges. The needle and a loop of thread sit at one corner.
  • A zipper drawn along the flap seam, half undone Back, pen only. Small teeth along both edges of the V and a pull tab where they meet.
  • Bunting following the V of the flap Flap, pen and three colors. Small triangles hang from both slanting edges. A bow at the point.
  • The flap as a monster's mouth with teeth along the V Back, pen and one color. Eyes above the flap, zigzag teeth on its edge. Opening the flap opens the mouth.
  • The flap as a snowy summit with climbers on the slope Back, pen and blue. Snow line near the point, three dots roped together on one edge.
  • The flap as a tent with a yellow glow in the doorway and stars above Back, pen and yellow. Guy lines out to the sides and a yellow glow where the tent opens.
  • The flap as a tiled roof over a little cottage front Back, pen and two colors. Tiles on the flap, a door and two windows below it, a path to the bottom edge.
  • The point of the flap as a bird's beak Back, pen and one color. Two round eyes above the point, feather ticks out to the sides.
  • Two dot eyes that turn the V of the flap into a smiling mouth Back, pen only. Two dot eyes above the fold are all it needs. Add eyebrows to change the mood.
  • Your initial in a circle on the point of the flap Flap, pen only. One letter, a ring around it, two short lines either side.

Occasions 14

  • A globe and a dotted flight path for a pen pal Front, pen and blue. Globe low on the left, above the strip. The path arcs over the address to the stamp.
  • A pine tree and a tent for a letter to summer camp Front, pen and green. The tree up the left margin, the tent at its foot, a dotted trail toward the stamp.
  • A row of little houses on the left for a new-home card Front, pen and two colors. Three narrow houses stacked up the margin. One door in the second color.
  • A thank-you bunch of wildflowers up the left side Front, pen and three colors. Stems start above the bottom strip. Blooms stop short of the top left corner.
  • A trail of clovers leading to the stamp for good luck Front, pen and green. The trail curves over the top of the address. The last clover touches the stamp.
  • An apple and a pencil in the margin for a teacher Front, pen and red. Apple on the left, pencil lying under the return address. Middle left blank.
  • Bats flying from the left toward the stamp for Halloween Front, pen only. Five bats, growing as they near the corner. A thin moon behind the last one.
  • Birthday balloons rising up the left margin Front, pen and three colors. Balloons high on the left, strings gathered above the bottom strip. Address in the middle.
  • Birthday candles along the top edge, as if the envelope were a cake Front, pen and two colors. Flames point up and stop short of the stamp corner. Icing drips stay short.
  • Confetti falling in the left margin for a party invitation Front, pen and four colors. Dots, curls and stars, thick at the top left and gone by the middle.
  • Graduation caps thrown in the air along the top Front, pen and one color. Caps at different tilts with tassels flying. Nothing lower than the address.
  • Leaves drifting down the left edge for Thanksgiving Front, pen and three colors. Maple and oak shapes, turning as they fall. They land above the bottom strip.
  • Snowflakes drifting down from the top edge for a winter card Front, pen and blue. Big flakes at the top edge, smaller lower down, none inside the address band.
  • Tiny footprints across the top for a new baby Front, pen and one color. Pairs of prints walk from the left toward the stamp, along the top edge only.

Easy: small doodles 10

  • A bee whose dotted route curls once on its way to the stamp Front, pen and yellow. The trail leaves the top left and stays above the address.
  • A cloud and five raindrops well above the address Front, pen and blue. The cloud sits in the top middle. The drops stop above the first line of the address.
  • A ladder leaning up to the stamp, a tiny climber halfway Front, pen only. Two rails and six rungs along the right margin. Its feet stand above the bottom strip.
  • A leafy vine with paired leaves climbing the left margin Front, pen and green. One wavy stem. It starts above the bottom strip and stops short of the top corner.
  • A paper plane with a dotted loop along the top Front, pen only. The plane points at the stamp. The loop is drawn in the top middle, above the address.
  • A quarter sun with six rays peeking from behind the stamp Front, pen and yellow. Draw only what would show at the stamp's left and bottom edges.
  • A tiny envelope drawn on the envelope, squiggles for its address Front, pen only. Small, in the left margin, with a flap line and three squiggle lines for an address.
  • Cat paw prints wandering along the top edge to the stamp Front, pen only. Pairs of small prints from the left corner toward the stamp. Keep them above the address.
  • One small bird perched above the first line of the address Front, pen only. A round body, a beak and two legs. It sits on a short drawn twig, not on the letters.
  • Three tiny stars in a row under the stamp Front, pen only. Small, open, five-point stars. They sit between the stamp and the address band.

How it works

An envelope has a stamp in one corner and an address in the middle, and a drawing has to work around both. These 70 envelope art ideas use the stamp, frame the address or decorate the flap.

Read the full guide

Where the drawing can go

On mail in the United States the stamp goes in the upper right corner; where the postal manual requires a return address, it goes in the upper left. The postal service recommends the address in a band from 5/8 inch to 2 3/4 inches above the bottom edge, and its standards for business mail keep the lower right strip clear for a barcode. The delivery address stays off the flap and the back.

Envelope doodles

Easy: small doodles keeps to a pen alone or a pen and one color: a quarter sun peeking from behind the stamp, cat paw prints along the top edge, a smile made by the flap.

  • Write the address first, in plain dark letters. Then draw around it.
  • Where the address is part of the picture, keep the lettering plain, dark and level.

Questions and answers

Where does the stamp go on an envelope?

At the top right of the address side. That is the US Postal Service's rule, and the Around the stamp group draws around that corner. This page is unofficial and not affiliated with the Postal Service, whose Domestic Mail Manual is the rule.

Where should you not draw on an envelope?

Over the address, where the stamp itself sits, or along the bottom strip. The US Postal Service asks for clear space for the address, the postage with its postmark, and other mail markings. Other countries set their own layouts.

What can you draw on the back of an envelope?

Whatever you like: the delivery address and the stamp are on the other side. Flap and back has 16, most using the V of the flap: a monster's mouth with teeth along the V, a zipper half undone, a shirt collar and tie.

What do you need to decorate an envelope?

A pen and a few colors are enough for everything here, and most need a pen alone or one or two colors. Each hint starts with the side and the tools, such as Front, pen and two colors.

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