A Beginner’s Snail Mail Station

Oh, how I love snail mail! I make no secret of it, receiving a letter through the post or settling down to pen a note or a long, chatty letter makes me happy. It is a simple hobby to have, and it’s also quite inexpensive, and today I want to share with you a beginner’s snail mail station.

Stationery for sending happy mail can vary in price, but you can spend as much or as little as you want.

You can choose to post domestically or internationally, depending on your preferences and budget around postage costs. I have around a third of my pen pals here in the UK, and then I also write to people in Europe, USA and Australia.

Today I wanted to share with you a beginner’s snail mail station to show you how easy it is to get started with happy mail and give you an idea about the supplies you’ll want to get in. Oh, and also to share pretty stationery photographs!

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Invest in a snail mail box

First and foremost, it’s worth investing in a large pretty box to hold your snail mail supplies.

This is the basis of your beginner’s snail mail station as it will keep everything all in one place for you so that everything’s to hand when you want to sit and write.

As I have been sending out happy mail for some time, I have a lot more than this box. I currently have two boxes like this and a writing bureau all filled with pen pal stationery.

Be warned, your collection might grow!

Choose your happy mail pens

Get yourself a nice selection of pens.

You don’t need loads, unless you are planning on creating mail art, in which case you might want to get a larger range. Just make sure that the pens you choose are comfortable to write with as you might be penning some long letters.

I like to have colourful pens, gel pens, roller balls, and do think about how well they will write on the stationery you have selected. I like the colours and smoothness of these gelly roll pens, but beware pf smudging!

I talk more about pens for happy mail in this video over on my YouTube channel, if you are on the lookout for the perfect pens to snail mail with. 

I like pens! In fact, whenever I watch this video, I want to go and buy loads more!

Pens all sorted then, let’s move on to paper. 

Writing paper and envelopes for your beginner’s snail mail station

I own a lot ( A LOT!) of Paperchase writing sets. I always get them in the sales and I have been fortunate to receive them as gifts. They are always nice designs and quality.

You can grab a huge variety online at Amazon so you needn’t leave your house for these writing sets, and they have something to suit most tastes and budgets. The Works and garden centres are also good for paper and note cards and I adore kikki.K, though don’t get there very often.

I do also design writing paper here so you can download a variety of designs and get writing immediately on pretty paper. My pen pal packs also come with fun pen pal tags and templates alongside them as an added bonus. 

I would then recommend buying separate envelopes and writing paper, in case you are writing longer letters, and this can sometimes be a great inexpensive option.

I recently picked up a paper pack and some A5 envelopes (they are both in the picture above) from Poundland. They are perfect for letter writing, and I then pretty the envelopes up with washi tape.

 

Washi tape is essential

You must have washi tape! It is the law of snail mail, the law I say! Washi tape is great for decorating plain paper, prettying up envelopes, using as a part of mail art and of course sealing letters. And it is so very pretty.

Paper treats

I have written this post on things you can include with your happy mail. I like to keep a little box with goodies in it and these are great as little gifts or to create mail tags with.

Snail mail optional extras

In addition to the above basics, you might want to go for a few snail mail extras.

You might enjoy creating putting together pocket letters, treat yourself to a gorgeous letter rack, buy a wax sealing kit or get stampers for paper and envelopes. I would also recommend using an address book to keep track of everyone and you might want to get some personalised address labels.

For further ideas, pop over to my Pen Pal Supplies shop on Amazon and do check out 10 Inspiring Instagram Accounts for Snail Mailers.

If you are looking for pen pals, check out Where to Find Pen Pals, join the Bring Back Paper Facebook group, and keep your eye on this blog as I often run pen pal sign ups. Find out more about Bring Back Paper here and shop the range now – everyone needs a snail mail mug in their lives!

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If you’re new to Bring Back Paper, you can find out more about it all here. You can join our Facebook group here and you can sign up to join my mailing list below, for all the latest news, updates, ideas and activities. 

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