Homemade Envelope Glue

At our class last night, we made our own envelopes. So, of course you need a way to seal it shut. I Googled some envelope glue recipes and I'll share them with you, but I haven't tried any. Here's the first result from Friendship by Mail. They have several recipes:

ENVELOPE GLUE RECIPE #1 - Licky Sticky Glue from Karen Craig:

Ingredients:

1 tsp Elmer's Glue

1/2 tsp. vinegar

2 drops mint flavoring

WOW.,. is that simple or what? Thank You Karen!

ENVELOPE GLUE RECIPE #2:

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons white vinegar

(4) 0.1 oz. packets unflavored gelatin

1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or any flavor that you like)

Directions:

Bring vinegar to a boil in a small pan.

Add gelatin and stir until dissolved.

Add extract and stir until mixed.

Brush on thin layer onto back of an envelope flap...Let dry.

Moisten to apply.

Store excess glue in a sealed container and melt again for future use by putting in a pan of warm water.

ENVELOPE GLUE RECIPE #3:

Bring the vinegar to a boil (18 tablespoons).

Add gelatin (1 small package).

Stir until completely dissolved.

Pour into a small container with a tight seal.

Allow to cool.

When mixture is cool, brush onto handmade envelopes.

Allow to dry.

Wet when ready to seal the envelope. Store the remaining mixture for later!

ENVELOPE GLUE RECIPE #4:

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons white vinegar 4 1 oz. packets unflavored gelatin 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or any flavor that you like)

Directions:

Bring vinegar to a boil in a small pan.

Add gelatin and stir until dissolved.

Add extract and stir until mixed.

Brush on thin layer onto back of an envelope flap.

Let dry.

Moisten to apply.

Store excess glue in a sealed container and melt again for future use by putting in a pan of warm water.

They also just suggest putting two sided tape on the envelope then you can remove the backing before sticking it down.

From About.com

Materials Needed:

• 1 Envelope Plain, Unflavored Gelatin
• 4 Tablespoons Water
• 1/2 Teaspoon Light Corn Syrup
• 1/2 Teaspoon Lemon or Peppermint Extract
• Old Paint Brush or Foam Brush

Instructions:
Pour the envelope of gelatin into a small cup with 1 tablespoon of cool water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. In a small pot, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of water. Pour in the gelatin water mixture and stir. Dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water and then remove it from the heat.

Add the corn syrup to your hot mixture and stir until it is dissolved; then add the lemon or peppermint extract and stir well. Set your glue aside and allow it to cool.

Once your mixture is cool enough to touch, use an old paint brush or a foam brush to apply a thin layer of the glue to your envelope. Let it sit undisturbed until dry. If they start to curl, simply flatten them once the glue is dry by leaving them under a phone book or other heavy object for awhile.

To use your envelope, moisten the back by licking it or dabbing it with a damp cloth, and stick it to paper. The glue can be stored in the refrigerator and should be heated to thin it out when you are ready to use it again.

Let me know how it turns out!