30 SNAIL MAIL IDEAS TO TRY
1. Get to know someone better by asking them 10 questions.
I think there's something extra special about reading answers to questions vs a spoken conversation--you can really pay attention to them, re-read them, and think about them. It's also a special piece of someone you get to keep in letter form. Not sure what to ask? Find some ideas here: Fun Questions To Ask, 200 (Not Boring) Questions To Ask To Get To Know Someone, 36 Questions To Fall In Love (I don't think these questions have to be just for falling in love!), We're Not Really Strangers Instagram.
2. Share a word and its definition.
It could be a word from another language you speak (I think it's really interesting to learn words that don't exist in your native language!), a word you love the sound of, a word you love the meaning of, a new one you recently learned.
3. Let someone know you are rooting for them and cheering them on!
4. Share a smile.
Send a postcard and fill it with things that have made you smile recently--ask your recipient to send you the same! I have been doing this with my friend and pen pal Andrea and it’s something I always look forward to reading--everything she shares and imagining her reaction makes me smile too!
5. Don't forget the envelope.
Get creative and decorate the envelope to make it stand out and even more fun to receive! Add washi tape, stickers, use rubber stamps, get creative with your lettering. And don't forget the back of the envelope! For ideas check out my friend Andrea's Instagram and look for snail mail and envelope decorating hashtags too.
You can also make your own envelope as well, using magazine or catalog pages, brown paper grocery bags, scrapbook paper, and more!
One last envelope idea is to pick a food, color, movie, animal, or theme your recipient would really enjoy--use that to make the envelope special!
6. Send a sweet treat.
I recommend Maya’s Cookies (they are delicious and all vegan plus gluten free options are available!), Karma Baker (another yummy vegan bakery), and Old Time Candy for some retro and nostalgic treats!
7. Write for good:
Folks in the service, a nursing home, a children’s hospital. There are also organizations who coordinate mail for people who would like them such as More Love Letters.
8. Make someone laugh.
Share the last thing you found hilarious, a meme, a joke, a situation you were in, describe in detail a video you just watched or include the link.
9. Tell someone you are proud of them--
And why.
10. Participate in Postcrossing.
Send a postcard and receive a postcard through Postcrossing --it's such a great idea!
11. Write to yourself.
Seal it up and open it a year from now.
12. Send your favorite piece of stationery or greeting card for your recipient to use.
Leave it blank/in its original packaging. This is a good one for us stationery hoarders :)
13. Share a list of your 10 favorite songs.
Extra points for making and adding a link to a playlist at the end of your list! (Does anyone remember mix CDs or better yet mix cassette tapes!?)
14. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Send a letter there!
15. Send a note just to say hello!
16. Make it a game.
Turn your letter into a puzzle by cutting it up into pieces, send a quiz or word search, create a crossword puzzle or trivia questions, etc.
17. Send a photograph.
18. Write to a stranger.
Write your favorite uplifting quote and leave it in a public place for a stranger to find.
19. Send mail to the person who lives the furthest away from you.
20. Write to someone under the age of 10.
And don't forget to ask them to write back--it'll be one of the best letters you ever receive!
21. Say thank you.
22. List 5 things you love about your recipient.
Here's a postcard I made that can help you do that :)
23. Encourage snail mailing.
Include an envelope and postage so that your recipient can send a letter of their own.
24. Fold it up.
Incorporate paper folding into your snail mail: here are some ideas from Pinterest, easy origami to try, or see if you remember the ways you used to fold notes back in high school (if you are old enough to have had to write notes then because texting, DMs, and emails didn't exist yet lol :))
25. Send a secret.
Send a secret (anonymously) to Post Secret. It's an amazing project, blog, and book series. These are real secrets from real people--some are serious, some are funny, some have truly touched me, some made me cry, and some have made me smile.
26. Write a letter that you will never mail.
It can be to yourself or to someone. Never sending it may seem counter productive but it can be cathartic to get your thoughts on paper, identify your feelings, help you process it, and maybe bring you some closure.
27. Send a poem, your favorite passage from a book, a line from an article, or another form of the written word.
Send something that really resonated with you that you feel the recipient may enjoy or relate to as well.
28. Share your favorite memory of your recipient.
It can be an experience you shared together, the first time you met, something that always reminds them of you.
29. Tell someone you appreciate them--
and why. You can never say it enough.
30. Send a book.
Instruct the recipient to send it to someone else after they finish reading it.
A FEW SNAIL MAILING TIPS
- Gather all your supplies and put them in a basket! It'll make it easier to access the entire month and easy to clean up.
- Need cards, postcards, or stationery? I got you covered! :) I also love searching on Etsy for local artists, illustrators, and card makers to support and buy snail mail supplies from.
- Remember to leave room on your envelope for stamps. If I am lettering on an envelope, I always pencil in the box where the stamp(s) will go.
- If mailing anything thick, heavy, or non-bendable, be sure to include the correct amount of postage.
- You can purchase stamps at usps.com, they have some really beautiful designs.
- Double check the recipient's address!
- If using fancy fonts, I recommend lettering in pencil first to avoid any errors. Be sure to let the ink COMPLETELY dry before erasing to avoid smearing!
- To make sure addresses are clear and legible, I like to write the recipients name in calligraphy/cursive but print the address.
- If you are posting envelopes on social media, be sure that the address is not visible! Take a photo before adding the address or use something to cover it up, blur it out, or remove it.
