Is there anything better than receiving a handwritten letter in the mail?  I can’t help but feel like a kid on Christmas morning when I find a thoughtful note tucked in between the bills and sale flyers and coupon booklets that find their way into my mailbox. Letter writing used to be considered old-fashioned and outdated, but I firmly believe it’s making a comeback. People are drawn to beauty, simplicity, and to connect. In an age full of technology and instant gratification, old-fashioned letter writing is a sweet reprise from our busy lives. I’ve begun a tradition called Mail-it Monday. The name is pretty self-explanatory, but essentially my goal is to write/send at least one letter every Monday! More than one is fantastic but set a manageable goal for your lifestyle. 

Who

Not sure who to write to? I encourage you to make a list of people in your life who could benefit from a sweet letter. Recently I did this and had such a long list! I included a few family members, friends I haven’t seen in a few months, and a dear church member who is having some health issues. Feel free to add to this list throughout the weeks/months as you think of new letter recipients!

What

What to write about? This is always a tricky one. There are a few things that always help me when sitting down to write a letter. First, a friendly letter should have a few things: 1) a greeting,  2) a question for the recipient to respond to, 3) “interesting” content and 4) a closing/farewell. 

1)I promise it isn’t as complicated or daunting as it seems! Your greeting can be lengthy or short and informal depending on who you are addressing. I usually begin my letters “Dear …” or simply “Name of recipient (ie. Gigi)”. 

2) Your question can be anything! “How are you”? “What books have you been reading lately”? “Is there anything interesting you’ve done this week”?

3) “Interesting” doesn’t mean extraordinary. Interesting could be talking about what you cooked for dinner last night, what the baby has been doing, or any number of things that we often think of as mundane, but are what make up our daily lives. 

4) You can say “farewell” however you want, and it can be as short of a quip or as long as you want. Make sure to sign your name and add the date somewhere before you seal your letter and mail it off!

Next, thank-you notes: my mother made it a habit for us from a young age to always write thank-you’s (and send them!) before we were able to use a gift we received. I do my best to continue this with myself and my family. To write a lovely thank-you note, I begin with a greeting, then a memory/thought about the gift giver, followed by a thank-you, a description of what will be done with the gift, and lastly a farewell. Here’s an example: 

Dear Gigi, 

We had such a wonderful time visiting you and papa, we miss you already! You will have to let us know how the chickens are doing in their new coop. Thank you very much for the wool diaper soakers for the baby. We are all excited to sleep a bit better when he stays dry all night! We can’t wait to plan another visit to see you again soon. 

Lots of love, 

Your daughter & family

How

Looking for the perfect card to send to your loved ones? You can go crazy spending a ton of money on cards and envelopes and stickers and accessories. Trust me, I have. Over the years, though, I’ve found Hobby Lobby sales to be the best place for me to snag some cards and envelopes at a reasonable price. Just recently I picked up a pack of 50 cards and envelopes (covered in adorable sunflowers and a variety of other prints including bumblebees) for under $5! Pick up a few stamps and you are good to go. 

If you’re like me and want to add a little spice to your mailing endeavors, you can paste/tape/include lots of little treasures with your cards. I’ve included homemade confetti (from dried plants/flowers or scrap paper), bags of tea, polaroid or standard pictures, stickers, perfume spritzed on paper, unique tissue paper, handmade bracelets, or any number of other things. If it fits it ships! Just keep in mind that fragile things may not hold up well to mailing without being put in bubble wrap or more intense packaging than an envelope. 

Another thing I love to add to my letters is some washi tape or a wax seal on the envelope to beautify the experience. Lately, I’ve been adding dried flower petals to the wax seal and have been having so much fun with it. You can also decorate your envelope with some fun doodles or little notes. I like to write “Kindly deliver to:” and “thank you post officer” on mine, but that is certainly not necessary! 

Go forth and write!

Now that you’re armed with lots of ideas for letter writing and decorating, let’s get writing and send out some notes for our friends and family! Let me know in the comments who you are going to mail something to first – and tag me on Instagram (@makeshifthomestead) with any fun letters you’re sending out (without sharing personal info of course)!