Hanukkah Gift Envelopes

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Originally published December 7, 2012 and updated November 13, 2020.

Hanukkah gift envelopes are the perfect gift for celebrating the holiday. They are a charming handmade gift and can be created with beginning level hand sewing skills.

My friend K. celebrates Hanukkah.  She was telling me last week that she has established a family tradition of giving her children gifts in envelopes for each day of Hanukkah. 

My family celebrates Christmas.  I thought I’d whip up an early Christmas gift for K. that she can use in her family’s celebration of Hanukkah.  I just had to make sure to get it done in time for Hanukkah, which started before Christmas that year. 

One of the many things that are important to me about my friendship with K., is that we share our traditions with each other. It’s a wonderful way to strengthen our friendship and our families enjoy sharing holidays together, too.

Hanukkah Gift Envelopes

Supplies

• Felt – You can purchase felt from the bolt, which makes it easier to to make a larger envelope than purchasing pre-cut squares of felt.
• White embroidery thread
• Embroidery needle
• Paper and pencil
• Paper Scissors
• Fabric Scissors

I drew my own envelope template on a piece of paper, but you could unfold an envelope and use it as a template. Just realize you won’t need the side pieces that fold out. You’ll be sewing the side of the envelope together, so cut your template to resemble mine.

I simply placed the template on the felt and cut around it. You don’t have to worry about being extremely precise.

Sew the sides of the envelope together. I did this on the sewing machine, but you could sew it by hand.

I used a blanket stitch to edge the flap of the envelope. It’s an easy beginner’s stitch for embroidery. You can learn how to sew a blanket stitch here.

I then embroidered the children’s names on 3 of the envelopes.  My original intention was to make 8 envelopes for each child. But… time got away from me.  I guess I have a gift idea for K. for next year.

To embroider the names, I simply wrote them on lightweight paper, tracing paper is perfect, and then used an outline stitch to sew the names through the paper onto the fabric. Once I was done, I gently tore the paper away, leaving just the embroidered names.

My friend, K., puts different monetary amounts in the envelope each night for the children. Knowing me, I’d add a handwritten note from mom, too.

She collects bills with meaningful dates for printing locations for the children to make the gift even more special.

I’ve shared other Hanukkah DIY gifts I’ve made for K. and her family over the years and added some ideas from other bloggers.

I’ve also shared other thoughtful gift ideas for many occasions:

• Birthday Care Package
• Best Subscription Boxes for Older Women
• Best Subscription Boxes for Men
• Unique Gifts for Mom
• 25 DIY Gifts for Men
• Practical Housewarming Gifts
• The Perfect Gift for Everyone on Your List

Happy Hanukkah! Who do you know that would love a thoughtful gift of these DIY Hanukkah gift envelopes?

Find all our best gift ideas for everyone on your list in the table below. You can scroll though the table and look for ideas or search for specific ideas with the magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner (on desktop). Click on the topic and then click through the specific article.