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10 Snail Mail Essentials (+ free stationery printable!)

Snail Mail Essentials

Hello friend!

Today’s post is all about Snail Mail and what you need to make your letters cute. As a writer, I find that writing a letter to a long-distance friend is a much more meaningful way to communicate than texting or Facebook messaging. Plus, who doesn’t love getting cute letters in the mail?!

There’s something so special about receiving a thoughtful letter – you know that whoever sent it to you spent time not only writing you a personal message, but also choosing stationery and mailing it off to you.

Although a kind letter alone is enough to show you care, you know I’m all about decorating and crafting! And when it comes to snail mail, I think the decorating part is just as fun for the sender as it is for the receiver!

Luckily, it doesn’t take a whole lot of supplies to create cute snail mail. You can get as detailed and creative as you want! When it comes to snail mail, it truly is the thought that counts.

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As you can see, I love to mix and match different stationery items to create a personal letter. And whether you have one washi tape or one hundred, you can create something beautiful. It’s all in how you put it together.

So here’s my list of 10 Snail Mail Essentials:

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  1. Stationery/Letter Paper – Although a note-card looks cute and generally comes with an envelope (check out #9 on this list), sometimes you need a little more room to write to your pen pal. I created this city-scape stationery and am offering it as a free download for BrightMail subscribers to print and send! Click here to sign up for BrightMail and receive access to the WBT Library (including this printable stationery), or, if you’re already a subscriber, click here to go straight to the Library and enter your password! P.s. I printed the stationery sheet 2 copies to a page for a half-size version.
  2. Washi Tape – Is there ever a craft project that I don’t use washi tape in? Probably not. I love using washi tape to decorate envelopes and letter paper, or to attach smaller items/papers to a notecard. It’s functional AND it’s dang cute. Some of my favorite tapes come from the Target One Spot – so if you’re looking to try some out, I’d start there!
  3. Good Pens – Now, the bad thing about some notecards is that a lot of pens will become a smeary mess. Enter: the Sharpie and the Pilot Multiball. Both of these pens will write on glossier stationery paper without smearing.
  4. Stickers – Having some cute stickers to jazz up an envelope is never a bad idea. I like using alphabet stickers, seals (like the gold hearts from Target), and decorative stickers (like in the Ban.do Sticker Book Part 2) to add a unique and personal touch to the letters I send.
  5. Labels – If you have a dark-colored or patterned envelope, having some kind of label will make sure the address is readable. I don’t always use a label, but when I do, it’s these Sugar Paper Labels with a gold scallop edge (which are sadly now out of stock). Keep an eye out for mailing labels around the holidays when gift-wrapping supplies are in full stock.
  6. Rubber Stamps & Ink – I also like to use rubber stamps to personalize letters and stationery. Surprise! One of my favorites is the “Please Deliver To:” banner stamp with the wood handle, which I put on the front of otherwise plain envelopes.
  7. Goodies – This is totally optional, but sending your pen pal a few goodies is sure to make their day. I will sometimes send decorated paperclips, stickers, sticky notes, washi tape samples, or perfume samples along with my letter, just to give it a little something extra!
  8. Postage Stamps – Okay, this is not optional. If you’re sending someone snail mail through postal service, you’re going to need a stamp. I love these floral stamps that have been available at my local post office throughout the spring, but there are all kinds out there (you can even make your own).
  9. Notecards – Finally, a use for those Target One Spot Notecard Sets you’ve been hoarding! Or is that just me? I personally love the Target One Spot Notecard Sets – you get eight cards and eight envelopes for $1! Frugal, functional, and fun. The envelopes are always cute too!
  10. Pen Pals – The last thing you need is someone to send your letter to. If you don’t already have a pen pal, try reaching out to your friends, family, or social-media crushes and asking if they’d like to become one. Or, maybe you just want to surprise someone you know with a letter! It doesn’t have to be life-long commitment; whether you’re exchanging letters with a pen pal or sending a one-time note just as a thoughtful gesture, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the process of writing, creating, and bringing someone else joy.

And that’s one through ten! That’s all you need to send some cute snail mail to your BFFs. Well, that, and your kind words 🙂

If you want to see some of my snail mail creations, be sure to follow me on Instagram! I often post photos of outgoing mail, and sometimes my pen pals tag me in photos too.

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What are your snail mail essentials? Let me know in the comments!

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Hello friend! This post is all about Snail Mail and what you need to make your letters cute. Click through to check out my 10 Snail Mail Essentials and to download a FREE stationery printable!
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7 Comments

  • Diana

    I have to try those notecards you mentioned from Target. I usually get mine on clearance at Marshall’s. I have a penpal I’ve been writing to for about two years, and it’s always so fun to get her letters in the mail. We send each other brochures from around our areas, too.

    June 20, 2016 at 8:29 am Reply
    • Haley

      I’ve found some great cards at Marshall’s too! I always have to check out the stationery section 🙂 And sending brochures or postcards from your town is a great idea. Especially if your pen pal lives in another state, country, or even on another continent!
      Thanks for reading and commenting!
      xo, Haley

      June 20, 2016 at 8:43 am Reply
  • Imelda

    Oh, I do love snail mail – it’s just that people tend to thank me for their letters via Facebook, which is sort of discouraging. 😀 Nevertheless, I make my own greeting cards and love to send them (unless I find them too beautiful to actually post, LOL)

    July 14, 2016 at 2:00 am Reply
    • Haley

      That is a bummer! Perhaps a small gift of snail-mail essentials will encourage them to write back the old-fashioned way 🙂 Thanks for commenting.
      xo, Haley

      July 14, 2016 at 8:35 am Reply
  • Linda

    Haley – I have been a rubber stamper longer than you have been on this planet. I got hooked in 1990 and it has been an enduring hobby (but I blog about gardening, go figure!). I have 2 different sized Xyron machines that will turn any sheet of paper into a sticker. I use my computer to make sheets of funny sayings (with or without boxes around them) that I then run thru the Xyron. Somewhere on my blog I tell how to use the computer to turn photos into postcards.

    November 26, 2016 at 3:04 pm Reply
    • Haley

      Isn’t stamping fun?! It’s very therapeutic at times too. I have a mini Xyron Machine to make small stickers, but a large one would definitely be fun to play around with as well. Thanks for commenting, Linda!

      xo, Haley

      December 3, 2016 at 10:37 am Reply
  • My Crafty Essentials - Organizing with Scrapbook.com Clear Craft Storage Boxes - Whatever Bright Things

    […] I’m also using a smaller Clear Craft Storage Box* to organize my Snail Mail Supplies. With six 4″x6″ inner boxes, there is just enough space for my stamps, seals, and other pen pal essentials. […]

    April 12, 2018 at 9:39 am Reply
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