Let’s Write Some Letters! Getting Ready for International Correspondence Writing Month 2018

February is almost upon us, and that means it’s time for InCoWriMo! For those of you who don’t know, InCoWriMo is short for International Correspondence Writing Month. Here is the link to the official website, but the basic gist is that you write 28 letters in the month of February (one for each day.) It can be a card, or a long multi-page letter. You can send it in the mail, or hand-deliver it. Whatever you want, as long as you write 28 letters!

Why letters, you ask? Because letter writing is becoming less and less common, and keeping this lost art alive is a really fun and rewarding thing to do!

In preparation for the month of letter-writing, I’ll be sharing with you some supplies and ideas I have for InCoWriMo. Hope you enjoy!

There are only a few things you really need to do IncoWriMo: paper (could be regular paper, postcards, or just a sticky note), a writing utensil, and envelopes and stamps if you’re going to be mailing your letters. However, I went on a hunt around my house to find some other non-essentials. Here’s what I came up with:

Various cards, envelopes, and stationery | I found a ton of random cards and stuff just around the house.

Plain white envelopes | I have plenty of envelopes left over from last February. They look plain now, but there are plenty of envelope-decorating possibilities.

Colored paper | This is actually the only thing I’ve bought for InCoWriMo this year (here’s where I got it), and I’ve been wanting some colored paper for some other purposes anyway. I may make some cards with this stuff, but I’m also planning on making some envelopes with this paper, which brings us to the next item…

Envelope template | Elizabeth @ Destination Decoration has a great diy envelope post with free printable templates. I printed the A7 sized template, but there are a bunch of options to choose from. Or, if you don’t have a printer, you could always make your own template! Just get any envelope you have on hand, carefully take it apart, trace its shape, and voilà! Template!

I also made a tiny template myself:

Magazines | I’m also going to try out using the envelope template with old magazine pages. I already tried one, and I think it looks pretty cool!

X-acto knife and cutting mat | I could obviously use regular scissors to cut out my envelopes and cards, but this will be a bit more precise.

Wax seal supplies | I got a wax seal kit last year as a part of this stationery haul, and I really love how they look. To learn more about wax seals, I have a post on how to make them here.

Postcards | I have this really awesome book of Harry Potter coloring postcards that I’ll definitely be using in February, and I also have a homemade postcard. Perhaps I’ll do a post on those next month?

Rhodia pad | Rhodia paper is amazing! It’s so smooth to write on, and this one is dot grid!

Stickers and washi tape| For adding pizzazz to your snail mail!

Paper cutter | I’ll use this when I’m making cards and such.

Writing utensils | You can’t write a letter without them!

Snail mail book | I found this great book while on vacation last summer, and there are some great ideas inside! Here’s a link if you’d like to check it out in more detail.

Paint samples | These are perfect for mail tag, a game where you send a friend a list of questions, and they send you back responses and a new list of questions.

Now I just need to get some stamps!

Last year, I created this snail mail box out of an old shoe box to store my letter writing supplies. It’s simple, but it gets the job done!

By this point, you’ve got your supplies all ready, and you’re probably thinking, who am I going to send all these letters to? But do not fret! I have a list right here with a bunch of ideas!

Family and friends | This is the obvious one, but whether you’re writing to a friend in another country or your sister down the hall, it’s always fun to write to family and friends. Write a long letter or a quick have a great day! or an apology, or something else entirely!

Politicians | Why not use your letter writing skills to try and make a difference? Write to a politician about an issue you feel strongly about.

Birthday cards | Know anyone with a February birthday? Send them a card in the mail!

Bloggers | There are a bunch of bloggers who have P.O. Box addresses that they share on their blogs. Last year I wrote to Kara @ Boho Berry and Megan @ Page Flutter.

Celebrities | Plenty of celebrities have fan mail addresses. Try writing to a musician, actor, or other famous person that you admire.

Authors | Write to your favorite author about how much you loved their book! Last year I wrote to J.K. Rowling. (Of course, I didn’t get a personalized response because she’s one of the most famous authors ever, but it was still cool.)

Thank you cards | Has anyone given you anything nice recently? Send them a card to let them know how much you appreciated it.

Valentine’s Day cards | Valentine’s Day and InCoWriMo are both in February, so you can hit two birds with one stone!