Penpal Basics Starter Kit (Vintage/Natural)
A list of basic penpal supplies I rely on from Amazon for Neutral Vintage-y mail!
I love and do everything I can to support artists and small businesses. I do this, mostly, by purchasing greetings cards and stickers on Etsy or Artists Shops, which I use as inspiration for my mail!
But, when it comes to basic supplies, I have a few tried and true supplies I constantly go back to on Amazon. I enjoy keeping a certain similar look to all my mail, while exploring new themes for each penpal. I love for the base for all my mail to be somewhat similar, to keep a cohesive look on my feed as well as develop a recognizable style. (I secretly just love the idea of my penpals knowing exactly who created the mail they receive before even needing to look at the return address!) I accomplish this by starting with the same basic supplies, and rely on the ability to order these same supplies when I need them on Amazon!
Here are some of my favorite’s I use on almost every piece of mail:
A7 Kraft Envelopes & Folded Cards
Every one of my pieces of mail start on an A7 Envelope and Card! To be frank, I used to make mail on small greeting card envelopes and realizes they just weren’t big enough for a greeting card + letter + goodies! Now, I order 50 - 100 of these at a time and rely on them for all my mail! Plus, the folded 5x7 cards make a super easy starting point for mail flip books!
Kraft Brown Postcard
As I said, I love a cohesive look and theme. When it comes to making handmade postcards, I love these brown kraft postcards! These allow me to design postcards with a similar look and feel to my mail envelopes. Plus, they’re blank on the front! I generally have too many kraft supplies, so these blank postcards are a fun way to get crafty and use supplies!
Brown Kraft 8.5 x 11 Cardstock Paper
You might be noticing a bit of a brown kraft paper theme, which is just my preferred mail style! More than anything, I buy this paper. I use it to print labels on, cut shapes to add to flip books and even make small envelopes out of. It’s a real staple in my snail mail kit!
Small Envelope Stencil
When it comes to sending goodies and extras, I love making mini envelopes to match the style of my mail theme! There’s something just so cute about tiny envelopes! There’s a few different versions online, but this is my go-to stencil for making small envelopes. I, obviously, generally make them on brown paper. But the creative options are endless with this stencil!
Brown Lined Letter Writing Paper
I struggled, for some time, to find a letter writing paper that fit my style, until I stumbled upon this gem! Yes, brown again, but this paper allows me to decorate it and feel like it fit’s perfectly with the theme of my whole mail set! Plus stamps and transparent stickers look beautiful on this paper!
Wood Rotary Date Stamp
Nothing completes your letter header more than a rotary date stamp! There’s a ton of date stamp options out there, but something about this cute wood one in it’s own little wood stand just feels on theme!
Natural Botanical Washi Stickers
These semi-transparent neutral washi stickers wonderfully adorn brown paper mail! These also look fantastic on vintage papers and book pages. I love how they add an accent of floral design that can compliment any color or theme of mail.
Wood Rubber Stamp Set
I will admit, with brown paper crafts it can be hard to incorporate a lot of color. But, ink stamps pair wonderfully with brown paper and make a great accent for natural / neutral mail. I love love a good stamp set that has a bit of variety and themes that can be used in all mail.
Neutral / Vintage Washi Tape
Washi Tape is a must! In fact, you should probably start your snail mail career off with at least 50+ washi tapes . . . .believe me! Ha! To start, get yourself some tapes that have a few different patters and approachable colors so you can use them on most mail, until you build up your supply. White, black, grey and brown themed tapes are always safe, but once you start building up a supply, go washi crazy!
Brown Kraft Gift Tags
When it comes to giving away washi samples, I rely on my brown kraft gift tags! I love keeping a set or two of these around so I can make a washi sample tag whenever I need to. These are also great to decorate for cute mail tag fun!
Wood Letter Stamp Set
Decorating envelopes and tags is much more fun when you have a set of typewriter looking letter stamps! Label each of your envelopes and goody bags so your penpal knows just what to look for when opening their mail!
Mini Vellum Envelope Set
There’s something so enticing about all the little extras and goodies peaking through a mini see through envelope! You get a hint of what you’ve received without opening the envelope. And, as previously mentioned, I love envelopes in all sizes! These are great for decorating but keeping somewhat simple so you can still see what’s inside!
Small Quotes Sticker Set
I recently found myself jealous of all the mail I was seeing with expertly placed quotes around the mail art, until I found these stickers! I love the look and placement of good quotes, but am not always great at choosing and writing them myself. These stickers fit that need perfectly!
Scrapbook Paper
Where to start on scrapbook paper!? Obviously there are loads to choose from, and they are integral to a good mail theme. Quite franklly, I have more than I can use in a year, but a girl needs options! A good place to start is something neutral with nice designs and maybe a second set with all the fun designs you want to start with! I tend to lean towards florals and botanicals.
Botanical Wax Seal Kit
Last, but certainly not least, wax seals. Wax seals certainly aren’t a necessary part of snail mail, but they sure do make you feel fancy! They may be one of the most entertaining and satisfying ends to making a piece of mail! There are endless wax seal options to chose from, but as a jumping off point I would pick something that will go with almost any theme. Letters, envelopes or botanicals are a good place to start.
Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and are excited to start your penpal basics kit! I welcome suggestions, comment and input. I’m certainly not an expert on this community, just a penpal enthusiast that wants to share what I’ve learned along the way! If you have any suggestions on penpal supplies must-haves, that would make a great addition to the list above, please feel free to contact me at the info below.
~Your Hippie Penpal, Teddy Ann