Pochibukuro (money envelope)
One sheet, four folds, an envelope a folded note fits.
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Example
Example: New Year envelopes for three children, with the names in English
Three envelopes of New Year money (otoshidama) for Kenta, Mia and Leo, whose names are written in English letters. What it says: お年玉 — New Year money; pattern Dots, colour Red, writing Horizontal, so the names read across the panel; paper A4, or US Letter.
- Type the three names, one per line, and leave Copies of each at 1. お年玉 goes across the top of each panel and the name near the bottom.
- Choose Horizontal: in vertical writing each letter stands under the one before (K, e, n, t, a down the panel), which suits Japanese, not English names.
- Each envelope is a net of 95 × 140 mm around its 65 × 105 mm panel, so A4 takes four and US Letter only two.
- Print, cut along the solid outline, fold the side strips in and the bottom up, and tuck the flap in behind.
| Paper | Envelopes a sheet | Sheets for 3 names |
|---|---|---|
| A4 (210 × 297 mm) | 4, two rows of two | 1, with one place left empty |
| US Letter (216 × 279 mm) | 2, side by side | 2 |
pochibukuro.pdf: three red-dotted envelopes saying お年玉, with Kenta, Mia and Leo written across them. A note folded in three slips into each, and nothing of ours is printed on them.
How it works
- Choose what the envelope says, and type a name for each one — one per line.
- Pick a pattern and a colour, and download the PDF. Four envelopes fit on an A4 sheet.
- Cut along the solid outlines.
- Turn the sheet printed side down, fold the two side strips in, fold the bottom up, and tuck the top flap in behind it.
Frequently asked questions
- Is any glue needed?
- No. The strips fold behind the panel and the flap tucks in, which is how a fold-only pochibukuro works. A small sticker or a piece of washi tape on the flap keeps it shut if you like.
- Will a banknote fit?
- The panel is 65 × 105 mm. A Japanese note folded in three, the customary way, fits; so does a US dollar bill (156 × 66 mm), which folded in three is 52 × 66 mm and slides in upright.
- What paper should I use?
- Ordinary printer paper folds well; a slightly heavier paper (about 100 gsm) feels better in the hand and still folds.
- How many fit on a sheet of US Letter?
- Two. Each envelope with its folding strips is 95 × 140 mm, and Letter is 279 mm tall, less than a millimetre short of room for two rows. A4, at 297 mm, takes two rows of two, so for many envelopes it uses half the paper.
- Can the names be in English?
- Yes. Choose Horizontal writing and the name runs across the panel. In vertical writing the letters are stacked one under another, the way Japanese is written down a page.
- Is there a watermark?
- No. It is handed over with money inside it, so there is nothing of ours anywhere on it.