April is National Letter Writing Month and I am very excited to be celebrating by participating in the Write_On campaign!
Created and hosted by Egg Press & Hello!Lucky, Write_On promotes joy, creativity, and connection through snail mail. The goal is to write 30 letters in 30 days during the month of April. It’s such a lovely idea, isn’t it? We are already on day 10 of April but you can start now or write a letter a week or whatever feels comfortable for you!
I have had SO much fun joining in on this challenge and I encourage you to do it as well! It’s been awesome creating things to send and practicing lettering on envelopes but one of my favorite parts is that people don’t expect to get mail anymore (unless it’s a bill or ad) so it’s fun to surprise your friends and family with a hand written letter. In the days of texts and emails, let’s celebrate the thought and love that goes into hand-written correspondence!
Need some inspiration? Below is a list of 30 ideas to help you get started! You can also see what I have been sending over on my Instagram @atiliay / #write_on_atiliay. And be sure to check out the #write_on hashtag–I am positive you will think of all kinds of ideas to mail to your loved ones after looking through the feed!
Happy National Letter Writing Month!
30 Ideas For Happy Mail:
1. Send mail to Egg Press and Hello!Lucky to thank them for this awesome campaign they have created!
2. Send mail to the last person who mailed you something.
3. Send a birthday card instead of texting / emailing / facebooking. Get ahead of the game–see who else has birthdays coming up and get cards written for them and ready to send.
4. Send Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants inspired mail. It’s a fun way to mail a birthday message / gift or care package to someone who is away and your group of friends is scattered in different places. Start it off with a card and send it to the next person to sign. Have each person save and include each envelope so the final recipient can see all the places the card has been. Along the way you can add different gifts and treats. The recipient should have an awesome package to open up by the end of this!
5. Leave a letter for a loved one to find in the pockets of their jacket, taped to the bathroom mirror, in their car, in their lunch, etc.
6. Send someone 30 reasons why they are awesome. Use mini envelopes and put a reason in each one. Seal them and have your recipient open one a day.
7. Write an encouraging or inspiring note or quote for someone to find. Place your note in an envelope and address it to, “You! (Yeah, you!)”. Leave it at a doctor’s waiting room, a grocery or drug store, inside your favorite book at the library, at a bus stop, stationery store, etc. Bonus: add an envelope and notecard and ask them to do the same.
8. Did you read a magazine or newspaper article and it reminded you of someone in your life? Cut it out and send it to them. You can even write them a letter directly onto the article you are sending them in the margins or backside.
9. Make plans via snail mail! Send an invitation to a friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with. List different dates for them to choose from. You can also include an RSVP card and stamped envelope so they can mail you their response.
10. Are you a stationery hoarder? Put your pretty paper finds to good use! Match pieces of stationery with people they remind you of and pen them a note.
11. For someone who loves reading–send them a copy of one of your favorite books you think they would like! Leave notes, pressed flowers, photos, and mementos for the reader to find as they read the book. You can do this for someone who loves comics, zines, etc. Another idea is to write them a letter in several different parts and hide it throughout the book.
12. Have someone write a letter to their future self. Take the letter and mail it back to them in 5 years (or more or less)! I am doing this with my boyfriend’s niece and nephew who are 11 and 14 and am planning on mailing them their letters when they graduate high school. I created prompts for them to make it a little easier–you can download The Dear Future Self sheet in PDF form here if you’d like to use it!
13. Send a recipe to someone. (Don’t forget if they have any dietary preferences or allergies). For extra points, add a shopping list too.
14. Send mail to someone living in the same house as you.
15. Send letters to your childhood / high school / college friends with a picture of you guys from back in the day and write about a fun memory that has stayed with you all these years later.
16. Don’t forget that Mother’s Day is coming up on May 8th–put a card or package in the mail for your mom at the end of April to make sure she receives it by the 8th.
17. Write to your social media friends. This is such a fun one–not sure where to start? Create a post asking who would like to exchange mail!)
18. See if anyone else you know is participating in #write_on and send them a letter!
19. Send a thank you letter to your groomer to thank them for caring for your pets and making them so fresh and so clean!
20. Send a letter to a teacher who has influenced you.
21. Create a new generation of snail mail lovers! Send a letter to kids in your life telling them about National Letter Writing Month. Include an envelope with a stamp and encourage them to write back to you so they know how much fun both receiving and sending mail can be!
22. Write a letter to a co-worker or cubicle buddy–let them know how much you enjoy working with them.
23. Is there someone in your life who could use a little bit of motivation or inspiration? Send them post it notes with positive quotes and sayings on them so they can put stick them up in their space.
24. Find a program that sends mail to folks in the military or children in hospitals and help brighten up their day with a letter.
25. Send someone a fun activity such as a coloring page, crossword puzzle, brain teasers, etc.
26. Send a letter to a blogger, author, or podcast host to tell them how much you enjoy their work and how it has affected you.
27. Send a letter from your pet to one of their pet friends!
28. Go on Instagram and / or Pinterest to get envelope art ideas then try some of your own. Be creative and have fun–don’t worry about being perfect. Send it to your artistic friend who you know will appreciate and love it.
29. Pick up some local postcards and send them to your out-of-state and country friends or someone who is temporarily away (for school or a job).
30. If you know someone who loves nature, gardening, flowers, send them a letter on seed paper they can plant! Finish off the letter with beautiful floral stamps that are currently available at USPS.
