Do you put any special little things in the evelope for your penpal?

Postcards & Mail Mailart, handmade & stationery
23

If I’m sending within the US, then nearly anything goes.

Pop Rocks Candy
Beauty Masks
EmergenC (in a Get Well Card)
Socks (the postal worker was not amused - LOL)
Moleskin (if I know they are taking a vacay)
Lottery Tickets
Recipe Card
Sacagawea Coin (carefully secured within a birthday card)
Pressed 4-Leaf Clover
Cracker Jack Prize
Trading/Baseball Cards
Gourmet Cocoa (at Christmas)
SalonPas Patch (in a Get Well Card)
Funfetti Mug Cake Packet (for a birthday)
Chili, Pesto or Stew Seasoning Packet (to a stressed out new Mom)
Flat Taffy like Airheads
Boo Books for Wendy’s Frosty

I am always on the lookout for something new and surprising to send.

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24

Was the sacagawea coin a one dollar coin? I used a whole bunch once to buy a milkshake ($5). The look on the cashier’s face was priceless

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25

Yes, the Sacagawea coin is a one dollar coin. I had some two dollar paper bank notes, but I sent those to the girls months ago.

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27

i’ve sent a post card with preserved flowers, to cheers up the day

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28

Yes, of course, that’s the fun and it is always so amazing, how much can be put in one envelope.

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This is a typical example. All this fitted into one envelope to my friend Sharon.
Mini envelopes, collages, selfmade stickers, tea, paper clippings, small pouches with surprises, tags, small art stuff etc.

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29

stickers,pressed flowers and my paintings
Btw I’m looking for penpals, pls send me a massage if you are interested!

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30

I would send train tickets some tourist brochures extra postcards and some fridge magnets basically just little trinkets that can fit into an envelope.

If anyone in this thread is looking for a penpal pm me

31

Yes! Usually I put in stickers and doodles or tea. Recently I got a Instax printer so I create little pictures that match the theme of the letter via Midjourney and make a Polaroid out of it :relaxed:

In my last letter I also included a facemask as it’s black and glittery and matched the Halloween theme.

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32

I usually add stickers and a little drawing! Sometimes, I include an extra card or extra stamps.

33

Mini zines I made :slight_smile:

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34

This last time I sent them some homemade stickers I have been experimenting with.

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35

I normally put an extra something:
Extra postcards
Starbucks cards
Black sand from Hawaii
Shards of opal
Dried lavender
Llama finger puppet
Bookmarks
Bookmarks stamped and cancelled!

On the other end, I’ve rec’d
The latest:

Dutch clogs!
Tea, tea, and more tea!
Stickers :heart:
3D Christmas tree -handmade
A 3D lantern when unfolded it takes a tea light to see the stained glass effect…
homemade postcards , poems, paintings…

So many many more.
It is the surprise, smiles, and thank yous that I enjoy most of all. :heart:

Let me add: many times it is random. It could be someone whose name I pulled. No one in particular.

I might just have had a bad day, and adding a little token to a postcard, makes me happy.

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36

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𝐴𝑛𝑑 π‘‘π‘œ π‘”π‘œ π‘Ž 𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑒 π‘šπ‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘“π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ 𝐼 π‘Žπ‘‘π‘‘ π‘šπ‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑔𝑖𝑓𝑑𝑠 π‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ π‘œπ‘›π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘§π‘’π‘‘ 𝑔𝑖𝑓𝑑𝑠 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑑 π‘”π‘œπ‘’π‘  π‘œπ‘› 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘™π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘ β„Žπ‘–π‘ π‘œπ‘›π‘’ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘  π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Ž π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘–π‘Ÿ π‘π‘’π‘›π‘π‘Žπ‘™π‘  π‘œπ‘“ π‘π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ π‘’

:white_heart:

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37

This topic is making me think I need to step up my game a little bit when it comes to my penpal letters!

I sometimes add a (written) postcard or a couple of stickers, but not much else. I’ll have to keep my eye open for other things to add :thinking:

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38

Thank you for this post! I so often struggle to think of unique things to enclose.

All the nicest washi paper and stickers I have are from Japan, China and Korea, so sending those to someone from those places feels like carrying coals to Newcastle. (BTW this link says that in German, the expression is β€œtaking owls to Athens” :owl::owl::owl: :greece:)

There is a wonderful local tea company (Murchies) that makes unique and delicious teas, but although some of their tea is bagged, they do not seal it in individual paper envelopes. So, while I would love to share it, I wonder: would someone who doesn’t know me really want to sample a tea that isn’t labelled (even if I put it in a cellophane bag and hand-label it)? So I hesitate…

But your ideas are showing me there are many options that go far beyond those things, so that hopefully I can be a little more creative!

P.S. Canada Post will reject anything going outside the country if it obviously has non-stationery items in it. They will insist on my completing a customs declaration with a full list of contents, their individual values, etc. So the envelope can’t be too fat, or it may be rejected – and then I have to send it as a β€œparcel” with all that extra complication :roll_eyes:

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39

Sure, I like putting Tomoe River paper for my western penpals (not that easy/affordable to get this in the western world)

Sometimes I include postcards/photos.
A few lines (quotes) on letter paper slim (一笔笺).
Letter paper slim is a Japanese invention, they use it to write blessings/explain the meaning of the gift.

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40

I once thought it would be a brilliant idea to add spines of cacti and a β€œgoat head” from a tumble weed to the postcard! Well after getting a pricked bloody finger, I scraped that idea! :drop_of_blood:haha

Seriously, It doesn’t take much. I go through my cluttered desk and see what I can throw in!

Surprisingly, I do get people replying by saying that I added something to the cello bag, and asked if it was intended for them. :thinking: Then asked if they must return it or return the gesture!