Snail Mail Madness: Supplies

To get started with fun snail mail, you really don't need that many supplies for creating unique envelopes. (But, the more you create, the more you'll stock up on! Then, you'll be like me and have too many supplies on hand.) 😄

Before heading out to the local stationary store, my first suggestion is to look around your house.

1. Envelopes

Obvious, I know. But, you don't have to go out and buy a bunch of envelopes. Look around the house to see what all you might have on hand already. And be sure to check your holiday/Cmas envelopes! I keep a ton of these extras that came with cards.

*Try avoid using security business envelopes, as they're such poor quality.

You can also make your own envelopes. More about that on the Handmade Env.'s Page

2. Sketchbook

Let's back up a bit... you might want to have some type of sketchbook on hand (even a cheapie school notebook) to try out ideas first instead of wasting envelopes. I doodle so much in my sketchbooks, that I can't imagine not having one. (or 10, in my case!)

3. Address list

Ok, so the purpose of envelope art is actually having someone to send envelopes to. If you're lucky enough to have friends and family all over who would love to receive your creations, that's great. If not, then you can search online. You may have to do a bit of digging, however, there is a whole community of lettering artists and snail mail fanatics out there who love to partake in this hobby! (What I also do sometimes, is to create envelopes for myself. It can be fun if the env. takes a day or 2 to reach you from a mailbox across town.)

For starters, you can do this for someone's b-day, and/or for holiday cards.

4. Pencils, Eraser, Ruler

Not just for your sketchbook... I use all 3 of these tools whenever creating my envelopes, as I need the ruler to make straight lines and my pencil for sketching out the name at times.

5. Markers

This is where you can raid your kids art supplies (if you have little ones at home) -- just make sure they aren't using them for school! 😁 Any markers are good for beginners, so keep that in mind at the end of the school year when going through your kiddos backpacks. My sons would have a bin full of old supplies that I now use.

It's also something to keep in mind when school shopping, if the supplies are on sale or clearance.

And speaking of school supplies, a fun place to start is in the kids art section. They have so many fun supplies and usually a lot cheaper. Better yet, check out your local Dollar Tree! I've gotten a few fun pens there.

If you can, have both thick and think markers on hand (Crayola-type ones, and maybe Flairs or similar).

*One tip about markers: be sure and use waterproof ones! If you use the washable kind, they smudge & smear. If you're unsure, make a mark on a piece of scrap paper, wait til it dries, the test with water. Also, be careful when using permanent ones, as they can bleed through, depending on your paper.

6. Black pens

Not ball-point, but nicer ones, such as roller-balls, felt-tip, Flair...These are a staple for me for addressing and outlining. (Again, Dollar Tree rocks with great no-bleed black pens!) Staedtler Fineliners are great for addressing too. No bleed, no smear.

7. Color Pencils & Watercolors (or any other fun supplies)

Again, the less expensive items found in the kids section work great! These are nice to use for coloring in counters or other detail work.

8. Gel pens and other fun pens

These can get rather pricey, so maybe it could be something to add to your Cmas or Bday wish list. They're handy to use for detailed work when markers or color pencils won't do. And opaque ones are great for darker color papers. (Poscas are AWESOME for their opacity, but they're pricey!)

9. Finally... Postage Stamps!

THIS is where the real cost comes in (especially if you're mailing internationally). But it's a necessity for sending out your creations! You can have so much fun with these (see my "match-the-stamp" label ). Again, something to put on your Cmas/Bday list!

So, this is pretty much all you need to get started. And just to show how much fun you can have and how creative you can get, here are a few samples to illustrate my point, each of which can be created with the supplies listed.