When was the last time you tried something different? When was the last time you did something completely indulgent, something just for you? When was the last time you made a new friend?
If you’re struggling to remember when you last did any of these things, take this as your sign to do something today. And what would I suggest? That you start pen palling today, of course!
Whether you had pen pals as a child, wrote to people for a while as an adult but it came to a halt or you’ve never had a pen pal in your life, this is your time to start.
I’ve written a lot of blog posts about pen pals and happy mail over the years so you’ll find stacks of ideas and inspiration here and over on my happy mail YouTube channel. I can also talk you through the process from start to finish here, so read on and we’ll get you started.
Where to find a pen pal?
If you’re reading this as I post it, you’ll find that this month I’m running a pen pal sign up, the only one I’ll run this year, so get involved in that if you’re still in time for it.
Don’t worry if you’re too late for the sign up, though, you can still start pen palling today, there are other options!
Pop over and join our Bring Back Paper Facebook group as there are loads of paper-loving people over there. You can scroll the page, use the search facility to see who is looking for pen pals or make a post sharing a little about you and asking for pen pals.
Another easy way is to visit Instagram and search the ‘penpalswanted’ hashtag, where you’ll find plenty of people looking for new friends.
The kind of things you’ll want to think about are your own interests and looking for people with things in common or perhaps whether there are countries or cities you’d be particularly interested in finding a pen pal from. Both of these are just suggestions, as sometimes you’ll just be happy to write to someone anywhere, any age, any interests, who just seems fun and the friendship can take off.
Writing to a new pen pal
OK, you’ve found someone to write to. A pen pal, hooray! But, what now?
Now for the fun part, the letter.
I shared writing a first letter to a new pen pal over on my YouTube channel recently if you’d like a little inspiration or perhaps you’ll find my letter writing prompts post useful.
If you’re still struggling to decide what to write, try how to write the best pen pal letter for a few more ideas.
You don’t need to overthink it, just put pen to paper and get that letter started.
Speaking of pen to paper, you might already have pretty stationery to use, so you’re all set. But don’t worry if not, there are plenty of other options.
You can write a letter on any old piece of paper, even Kraft rolls or good quality gift wrap can be used if you’ve nothing else to hand.
If you’d like to pretty it up a little, use can simply coloured pens, or if you have them, stickers, washi tape or stamps.
Alternatively, you can pop to my store and check out the pen pal stationery I have there. It’s all available to instantly download so you can print endless copies off and the packs include writing paper and various mail tags and templates to get you started. I love to use the About Me pages when writing to a new pen pal, they’re a handy way to get to know one another. I usually complete one and send one for them to fill in and return to me.
And that’s it, you’re all set! You’ve a new pen pal, go write and have fun.
Embracing pen palling as a hobby
Now, if you find that this is something that really appeals to you and you want to embrace this hobby a little more, there’s lots more I can share with you.
Don’t feel you have to do this, though. Pen palling is about sending a letter to someone and them enjoying reading your news and replying. That’s it, and that’s all it ever needs to be.
It’s just that for some of us, we like to indulge in our love of stationery and paper a little with this and get creative from time to time.
You might like to include happy mail extras, relax with a little mail art or send some themed mail.
There are loads of blog posts here that can give you ideas, search happy mail, snail mail or pen pals and you’ll get lots of suggestions.
You can also pop over to YouTube where I regularly share pen pal videos, anything from simple mail art, papery tutorials to chatty pen pal with me’s.
If you’re new here, you can rest assured that I share ideas and suggestions that anyone can do. I possess zero artistic ability, in fact, the Husband suggested that some doodles I did recently resembled those of a child’s. Thankfully I can take honest criticism and thankfully I do love him! He’s not wrong though, and he is one of those people that possesses oodles of artistic ability so I’m over it! This is to say that if I can do it, believe me, you can do it too. Just take a look at a few ideas and they’re just there for you to have a little fun.
I do hope this has helped you to start pen palling today. Happy writing!
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.