Gel Card mailing question???

[wantmorestamps]

I am doing an "Under the Sea" theme for my DD b-day party and I would really like to do a gel card with the Fishy Friends set. I read that you should use a padded envelope for mailing. Do I really need to or would I be fine in a reqular envelope? It would cost me a fortune in postage to mail them all in padded envelopes. Please help!!! Thanks!

[mopsandt]

I have mailed several and have had no problems. I used regular envelopes and was careful about the amount of gel used.

[Michelerey]

I've never mailed one of these, so I don't know for sure, but I think you'd be much safer using a padded envelope (or hand delivering). The Post Office is so automated now that I think you'd risk having the baggie punctured in a regular envelope. This would ruin your artwork and people might not even get the invitation. I don't think the Post Office would be too happy with you either since it might ruin other mail as well. I know they always ask me these days if my packages and envelopes contain anything "LIQUID, fragile, perishable, etc...." I personally wouldn't risk it.

[denier]

do you have to mail all of them out? if most people you will invite live in the imediate area you could put them directly in the mailbox. then you could use the bubble mailers for the out of towners. that might save you some money.

[Motherof6]

I too would hand them out personally to the local ones. If you have to mail put just enough gel and padded envelope. It is against the law (federal) to put anything in someone else's mailbox so I would not do that

[LadyScrppr]

Use minimal gel and you will be fine. I have mailed them with no problems.

[YESINDIDI]

Make one using the suggestion for minimum gel and mail it to your addy and see how it does.

didi

[row4d]

There's also the option of having the post office hand cancel the invitations. I've seen quite a few people do this with fancy wedding invitations that they didn't want to risk getting mangled by the automatic canceler.

[LadyScrppr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by YESINDIDI

Make one using the suggestion for minimum gel and mail it to your addy and see how it does.

didi

good idea

[pblair38]

I just today mailed several (about 10) of the invitations to my son's birthday party. I used padded envelopes from Office Depot that were 12 for $5.50, which wasn't too bad for padded.

I didn't have a gel card, but I did have a card that included two regular crayons, and the total weight was less than 2 oz., so the postage was $.60 each. Not too much more than the $.37, so I went ahead and did it.

However, different people have different definitions of "too expensive". Your Mileage May Vary!

Penny

[Disneywed]

Ack....I mailed out a RAK that was my first gel card yesterday and it was in a regular envelope.....uh oh

[dawnmercedes]

I mailed a gel card in a regular envie from MI to OH with out any problem. I used the directions as listed on the resource page, using those eyelets to hold the card together. And the gel wasn't thicker than the eyelets.

And the card wasn't hand canceled either.

Dawn

[wantmorestamps]

Thank you for all of your responses. All very good ideas. I think I am going to hand deliver what I can and then mail the others in padded envelopes. I thought it would be more expensive than that. But we usually have about 25 invites going out and that would be pretty pricy to bubble mail them all. Thanks again!