How to Write an Aesthetic and Unique Snail Mail Letter to a Penpal
Dear reader,
This post is for those kindred spirits looking to master the art of letter writing to other kindred spirits.
It does not matter if you think you’re not artistic or creative enough. A simple pen and paper and your own organic thoughts, is all that is required. But how can you make your writing more aesthetic and unique in a letter? You have to allow your creative side to open up.
Not sure who to write to?
If you want to find someone outside of your family and friends, there are plenty of penpal websites you can post an ad or profile on. As long as you express your desire to find a friend who is also interested in writing real physical letters, you can easily find a new friend to write to the old fashioned way. Just be careful on which website you choose to use, and be safe. From my own knowledge, most people had the most success with finding snail mail penpals through reddit, though I have not actually done so myself. Either way, choose your friends wisely.
Perfect your handwriting
If you want your letter writing to look aesthetic, then of course your first step is to work on your handwriting and fonts.
Check out different fonts online and see how different letters look, and create your own style. Maybe you will want to use a fountain pen to make your writing look more old fashioned. Or you could just use any color pen or pencil that works with your taste.
Does it fit your personality? Does it look aesthetic to you?
Whether you’re writing in cursive or print, it doesn’t matter. You want to make it a unique snail mail letter. So just find the right style for you.
Then practice your writing style daily by writing in a journal. With practice, your handwriting for letter writing will be the loveliest thing to see upon opening the letter.
Decorate your letter (if you want to be fancy)
Of course if you want to invest more into letter writing, you could always use a few more materials to make your letters more beautiful.
For one, buying your own stationery is a great way to begin letter writing. You have your own personal touch to your letters with the way your paper and envelopes are designed.
You can also include other methods of decorating, such as using washi tape or stickers. Sometimes drawing your own doodles and designs are even more beautiful to make a unique snail mail letter.
Of course, just a simple letter is perfect on its own. So only work with extra material if you have a vision for what you want your letters to look like.
What to write about
One word of advice however, is don’t make the entire letter all about the aesthetic. You want to make it heartfelt and genuine don’t you? How can we accomplish that? Let’s begin with all the interesting content you should provide in writing for your penpal.
Write about life updates and current happenings
Talk about things that are happening in your life, that maybe you’ll want to remember in the future. When you get replies back about your life events, it’s fun to reflect on these later in life. Even for nostalgia’s sake, just write about how you feel about the current happenings in your life.
Write about where you are from
This is of course more for those writing to strangers or from completely different locations. If they are outside of your own country, that’s a whole world of opportunity for new discussions.
What’s happening in your part of the world? Are there any celebrations currently going on, or any holidays? What unique part of your culture do you want to share? What are your favorite things about the place you live? Give your penpal a taste of where you come from.
Share a story
Is there anything that happened in your life that you want to write about? If you’re not a good story teller, now’s your chance. Write about a childhood memory you have or a funny story you still laugh out loud about even till now.
Questions
Some basic questions can revolve around their interests and hobbies, or their dreams about the future. It all depends on where you want the conversation to go really. But here’s a list of potential questions you can ask for a unique snail mail letter.
- What’s the earliest memory you have?
- What’s your favorite season or holiday?
- Where have you traveled to?
- Where do you want to travel to?
- What does your bucket list look like?
- What’s the funniest movie you’ve ever seen?
- What’s your biggest fear?
- Do you have any pet peeves?
- What do you believe in?
- What are your favorite genres of music?
- What are your favorite book/movie tropes?
- Are you a coffee or tea drinker?
- Do you know any other languages?
- If you could live anywhere, where would you be?
- Do you have a favorite food?
Other things to include in the letter
Something I like to do is create a paper playlist of the music I currently love, on a small note paper or index card. You could also include anything below in your letter as well, in a decorative way.
- Song recommendations
- Book and movie recommendations
- Small gifts (ideas are in the list below)
- Small drawings/watercolor painting
- Quotes from your favorite books/movies/songs
- Small pressed flowers
- Recipes you want to share
Little gifts to add for a unique snail mail letter
- Stickers
- Photos/polaroid
- Postcards/antique postcards
- Tea sachets
- Washi tape
- Note Paper/letter paper
- Bookmarks
And that’s basically all the inspiration you need to get started. The rest is up to you and your creativity to guide you. I just want to motivate all of the kindred spirits out there to continue using the old fashioned method of correspondence, through the beautiful art of letter writing.
With that, I hope you have a lovely day!
Sincerely,
Maeve
About Us
We're Maeve and Kart – an introvert with a love for letters, flowers, and chai on one side, and an introverted extrovert nature enthusiast with a sweet tooth on the other. Get yourself a cup of tea and a spoonful of chini and settle in. To all aspiring travelers, folks in long distance and multicultural relationships, and those kindred spirits out there looking for advice on life in India as a foreigner - consider this place your sanctuary. As an American/Indian couple, we are currently living together in India in a cross cultural relationship as a result of one of few successful long distance love stories. Our journey is unique, and we're here to share insights and advice for anyone in similar circumstances. Come along with us as we share stories and advice on multicultural discussions, long distance relationships, and the beauty of travel.
