Stamp It Send It + Write_On
Sarah of Stamp It Send It is a Snail Mail Queen and Master Pen Pal who sends out over 500 pieces of mail every year! We asked Sarah to share some of her creative ideas with us on how to repurpose all the mail you received during Write_On. You can follow her adventures in letter-writing on Instagram: @stampitsendit. Thank you Sarah!
Writing mail and sending letters is amazing, but I think the best part of this exchange is receiving beautiful handmade mail and being surprised when you see it in your mailbox.
One of the most frequent questions that I get from fellow penpals and concerned friends is what do I do with the mail I receive after I respond? That's why the great ladies at Egg Press and Write_On are letting me share some ideas to re-use and recycle mail you get too!
Usually when I write and send mail, I like to wait to open my incoming mail until I can sit down and fully respond. As I do so, I save parts and papers that I think I can re-use in future letters. Such as, saving trim on a cute stationery paper, or fancy scrapbook paper from a card and I almost always cut the fronts off of cards and sew them onto new blank cards, because it gives my cards a fun look and a second life.
Flip letters are also a great way to utilize scraps because you can tape down pieces that have been written on to hide that they're being re-utilized or use them as the flaps to add detail and layers. Seen here, I used the inside of an envelope from a bill because those patterns are always fun and colorful.
Pocket letters are also super fun to create and send. Purchasing or thrifting old baseball card or business card plastic holders is easy and cheap and then you cut and place nine different papers, pictures, or little goodies in each of the sleeves. Seen here, I included some cut stickers, an old map, a picture of me and my boyfriend, and playing card with washi tape samples -- but the options you can include are endless. Since the sleeves are two sided, you can use a piece of paper that has a note on the back and then cover it with another and no one would know! Even better, you can fold the plastic sleeve itself into thirds and fit in a standard legal envelope and it's only a 49 cent stamp to send (typically).
I feel a lot of pressure at times to hold onto each persons letters, because so much time and care goes into each handmade item and it's also a story -- I just haven't found myself ever looking back again at an old letter. I just like to save special words and anecdotes or pieces of handwritten parts, and have found that's enough. However, I know of several friends that have a folder for each penpal and keep each letter organized that way. Whatever your routine is, establish what works best for you and that it is always inspiring and helpful to your process. That's what I always comfort myself with when I gently rip apart, save pieces and ultimately discard a letter. I hope my friends aren't offended and that they like that their work is getting shared with new members of the snail mail community.
Moving forward, I hope this post has helped you to look at your mail in a new way and inspire you to grab a glass of wine and write to someone today.
