Bringing Back the Pen Pal: 9 Creative Ways to Send Snail Mail
First duct tape envelopes and now professing our love for snail mail – it seems we've officially gone postal! While we love using technology to keep in touch with friends and family, there's still something incredibly special about sending or receiving an actual piece of mail. At this point, almost all of the "real mail" 2.0ers tend to send and receive is related to weddings, but we think it's time to bring the pen pal back for more than just nuptial events.
Here are 9 creative ways to send snail mail to the important folks in your life, from a pie you can mail to our adorable pop-ups and two modern takes on the classic message in a bottle. (Mail pro tip: Buy stamps on USPS.com to avoid post office woes – we're partial to this summer's Celebrate Scouting set.)
Water Bottle Mail
Did you know that you can mail anything under 13 ounces as a standard piece of mail? That includes water bottles. Check out this vid to see how to create your own message in a water bottle!
Postick
We stumbled across this genius product a few weeks ago and are still loving it. This simple product is a sticker set that lets you turn just about anything into a postcard! Any photo, flyer, or scrap of cardboard is fair game.
3. Mailable Mini Chess Pie: Nothing like receiving some good old home cookin' in the mail. This recipe-slash-DIY project is a super sweet way to say I love you to friends and family near and far.
4. Pop-Up Card: You thought pop-up cards were only for kids? No way! These pop-up cards were originally created as an idea for creative wedding name cards, but are awesome for any occasion. We recommend the Polaroid one for sending a friend an old photo in a new and creative way.
5. PopBooth Photo Strips: Looking to send snail mail straight from your phone? PopBooth is a fun photobooth style camera app that will send photo strips wherever you want! This will score you bucketloads of points with moms, aunts, dads, grandmas, and anyone else who still can't seem to receive your photo text messages. ;)
6. Scratch Off Polaroid: It's true – we can't get enough of Polaroids in all shapes and sizes. This tutorial shows you how to turn a Polaroid into a clever scratch-off card!
7. Duct Tape Stationery: Ready to whip up the most durable, colorful, beautiful envelopes ever? Duct tape to the rescue! All you need is scissors, sweet patterned duct tape by Scotch, and a few minutes.
8. Gift Subscriptions: Nothing beats a care package put together by hand, but if you're short on time and think experts can do a better job, you can always get a friend a monthly subscription to something they love.
9. Message in a Bottle 2.0: And finally, our second take on the classic message in a bottle. Take an old spice jar, grab a thumb drive and some glue, and you're done! We love the idea of sending a photo album, movie or playlist in a bottle. Definitely a modern take on romance.
<em>justWink</em>