April is National Letter Writing Month and home to the social media-housed writing challenge, Write_On. For the past few years stationery companies Egg Press and Hello! Lucky have been encouraging snail mail lovers to send a handwritten note every day for 30 days during the month of April. The response has been enormous; on Instagram alone to date more than 8,000 photos and videos have been tagged with #Write_On, showing off the mail that’s hit mailboxes all over the world.
While younger children can’t partake in the social media component of Write_On, they can still take the challenge to send a piece of mail as often as they can in April. As part of the fun that comes with Write_On, Egg Press and Hello Lucky! have given 10,000 free stationery kits this year to those who took the writing pledge. The kits have been spoken for, but that doesn’t have to stop your writer to be. This week I’ve created three simple greeting cards made with kids in mind so that they can join in on the snail mail action, too.
Materials
- White card stock
- Ready-to-mail 4-bar envelopes
- Paper trimmer or ruler and scissors
- Bone folder and paper scoring board
- Various embellishments: washi tapes, stickers, ink pads, markers and more
Instructions
To get started making the card, cut a piece of cardstock to a rectangle shape that’s 4.75″ wide and 7″ long.
Score the center of your card on your scoring board. If you don’t have a scoring board, simply fold the card in half.
Make sure your card has a crisp fold by rubbing the bone folder along the fold several times.
Your DIY cards are ready for decorations!
Card No. 1: Washi Tape Stripes
If your family is collecting a lot of fun washi tape rolls, this is a great way to show them off. Simply rip long strips of tape off the roll and position onto the front of the card, alternating patterns or colors. Trim the excess tape from the card with non-stick scissors, like this brand from Duck Tape for Fiskars.
Card No. 2: Scratch-and-Sniff Snail Mail
Smelly stickers are sometimes some of the most fun stickers to collect! These stickers from We Made It are scented and very colorful. Have fun showing off a favorite color or character.
Card No. 3: Thumbprint Family Portrait
This card is truly one of a kind because your fingerprints are one of a kind! A quick inking of your child’s thumb, with a washable ink pad, is all you need to leave a lasting mark on the front of this card. Add faces and stick figure bodies and it’s ready for a silly message inside.
Look for more snail mail inspiration online by following along with the #Write_On posts this April.
