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pearl christine

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penpal 101: goodies, envelope art & things to do with your penpal {ft. the pen pal paperie}

Apr. 14, 2023

Hello, my friends!

I am SO excited for this post! Firstly, because I love pen paling and I can’t wait to share more ideas with you (see my two other penpal posts here). And secondly, because I reached out to Candi @ The Pen Pal Paperie last month, and she kindly sent me some of her lovely products for a review! But before we get started, I get to announce the winner of my maple syrup giveaway. . .

Lillianna Joy

Lillianna! Woohoo! Congratulations, girl! I’ll be emailing you as soon as possible to discuss your prize. For those of you didn’t win; thank you SO much for entering! It means so much to me that you follow, read, and comment on my posts. I’m so thankful for each and everyone of you. ๐Ÿฅฐ

If you’re looking for more fun extras to send in your letters, envelope art inspiration, fun things to do with your penpals, and a review of The Pen Pal Paperie’s products, this post is for you!

Quick note: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something from my link, I get a small commission for advertising, at not extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting this blog!

goodies and fun extras to send

I love adding special gifts to my letters! Finding flat things that don’t weigh much can be difficult, but these are things that I’ve sent or received and enjoyed.

(just so we’re all on the same page, the picture contains less than half of my washi tape collection. ๐Ÿ˜‰I am trying to downsize. . .it’s just not happening quickly. ๐Ÿ˜‚)
  • Washi tape samples
  • Seed packets; both flowers and vegetables (perfect if you have a gardening penpal!)
  • Color palettes
  • Tea (This is my absolute favorite tea!)
  • Bookmarks
  • Playlists
  • Quote cards
  • Dried flowers (Drying your own flowers also works well!)
  • Brochures & post cards
  • Photos (especially seasonal photos; for example, in spring send bright flower photos!)
  • Friendship bracelets
  • Cute paperclips
  • Stickers (You can also buy stickers of Etsy, but getting a pack from Amazon is so much cheaper!)
  • Pretty sticky notes
  • Flat keychains (This one is snail mail themed!)
  • Stencils
  • Socks/thin gloves
  • Small boxes of crayons (I loved getting a set of crayons with my name on it! So fun!)
  • Scrunchies/hair ties

envelope art inspo

Making envelope art is one of my favorite parts of having penpals! I’m not the best artist when it comes to actually drawing, but I’ve found it fun to decorate my envelopes and it adds a personal touch to each of your letters!

This one is so simple and so springy! I just doodled some simple flowers on the front and back of the envelope, and then carried the whole flower theme through the letter.

I liked how the first one turned out so much that I did it on a white envelope, too. XD It was the same flower doodles, but a bit of a different font (that I sort of hate how it turned out) but fun just the same!

I did this for my cousin and she loved it! It was super simple to draw some green leaves and sprouts, and then I finished it off with watercolor pencils.

fun swaps to do with your penpals

Looking for some fun activities to do with your penpal? Here’s my favorite ideas!

Book lists. Simply write out a list of your top ten/fifteen/twenty favorite books or books you just finished and if you’ve read the same book, discuss it! A great way to lengthen your letters and get to talk about books at the same time.

Memorize a chapter of scripture together. My pen pal Chloe and I are doing this right now and it’s been such a blessing! It’s a wonderful way to dive into the Scripture, while also keeping it fun and having accountability.

Color a picture together. I haven’t done this myself, but it seems like it’d be really fun to do! One penpal sends a drawing, and then you take turns coloring it.

Swap writing prompts. I did this with my pen pal Katherine and it was so fun to read each other’s writing. We both sent prompts with each of our letters and then with our next, we mailed each other what we wrote. I’m definitely going to do it with one of my pen pals!

Get a wax seal kit. I use mine for every single letter I send because it’s so much fun to use. I have this kit and this stamp. It takes a bit to figure out how to get it exactly right, but once you, do it’s amazing to have!)

Play tic-tac-toe. (And get the award for the longest tic-tac-toe game ever. XD) Someone starts the game, and then you each take a turn with each of your letters.

Exchange prayer requests. This is such a special thing to do and can really grow your friendship; just asking ‘how can I pray for you?’ is a small thing but it can make your pen pal’s day. โค๏ธ

Swap recipes. My penpal Anna and I did this during the fall last year and we swapped season recipes, but I’m definitely going to do it again because it was amazing. We each then made the recipe we sent.

Write a letter in a notebook. Have a tiny notebook floating around that you haven’t used? It’s the perfect chance to write a letter and send it to your penpal! If write short letters, you may have to rip out a few pages, or your penpal can just reply back in the notebook. Super fun!

the penpal paperie review

As I mentioned in the beginning of the post, I reached out to Candi @ The Pen Papaerie and she kindly offered to send me a couple of her products! I got her spring PDT labels, stationary, stickers, and personalized address labels.

The shipping was very quick and timely, and the package was nicely wrapped! She also gave a discount for your next order which is always a plus.

So when I first got the package, I didn’t realize that I was getting custom address labels, and I was so happy when I got them! I had been thinking about just printing a set of my own, but I never did it, so when I opened up the envelope and they were in there, I was thrilled!

The only thing that I don’t like about this stationary is the line spacing; this is something that drives me crazy about most stationary, and I was hoping that this set would be different. All in all, though, I love it! It’s so pretty and fun, and super springy. I still have stickers left which I’ll save for next year since they are Easter related.

I’d highly recommend all of Candi products; she has a really pretty wildflower theme right now, and I’m planning on buying from her shop again!

now, it’s your turn!

What was your favorite idea from this post? Do you have a penpal? Are you going to check out Candi’s shop? Do I have too much washi tape? Let’s chat in the comments!

~ Pearl Christine

If you enjoyed this post, make sure to comment, follow, share, and pin on Pinterest!

Category: All Things Art

โ† Previous Post
maple sugaring 2023 {tapping, collecting, boiling, & a giveaway!}
Next Post โ†’
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tasha Van Kesteren says

    April 14, 2023 at 7:16 pm

    Ooooh those are all great ideas! I’ll have to remember them when I actually get a penpal *fp* XP

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 14, 2023 at 8:26 pm

      Thank you!! <3 *raises hand* I'm always open for another penpal ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply
      • Tasha Van Kesteren says

        April 19, 2023 at 11:28 pm

        Hehe I may take you up on that ๐Ÿ˜‚

        Reply
        • Pearl says

          April 20, 2023 at 12:14 am

          Yayyyy. XD I messaged you on YDubs about it! (:

          Reply
  2. Lorelei Angelino says

    April 14, 2023 at 7:24 pm

    Lovely post, Pearl!! I have a few pen pals (including Chloe ๐Ÿ˜„), so I will definitely have to try these out! I’ve also always wanted to try wax sealing my letters…maybe now’s the time! XD And I will definitely check out The Pen Paperie! *runs off to do that*

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 15, 2023 at 1:59 am

      So glad you liked it! (Yes, Chloe is amazing. ๐Ÿ˜‰) Wax sealing is so much fun and I’d totally recommend it. ๐Ÿ˜ Thank you for reading! <3

      Reply
  3. Saraina Whitney says

    April 14, 2023 at 8:36 pm

    I’m totally saving this on Pinterest!!! Such good ideas!!!

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 15, 2023 at 1:59 am

      Yay! Thank you! <33

      Reply
  4. artzyjanet says

    April 14, 2023 at 10:02 pm

    Oh my goodness these are all such GOOD ideas! I love this post!!! *bookmarks post* I have two pen-pals and m always trying to think of more ideas to make my letters more interesting… this inspired me so much! Thank you Pearl!!! <3

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 15, 2023 at 1:58 am

      That makes me so happy to hear!! Thank you, Ariana! <33

      Reply
  5. Grace A. Johnson says

    April 14, 2023 at 10:23 pm

    There is no such thing as too much washi tape. (Although this comes from someone who’s just now starting to build her collection, so take it with a grain of salt. XD)

    This post was fantastic!!! I’m getting into penpaling, happy mail, & mail art more lately, so this was right on time! I’ll be saving this to refer back to! ๐Ÿ˜‰ Thank you SO much for sharing! <3

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 15, 2023 at 1:58 am

      Oh, good. XD Then I shouldn’t worry. ๐Ÿ˜‚ (Haha it is SO much fun to use though, right?)

      So glad it came at the right time! Thank you for reading! ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ’•

      Reply
  6. Bella Waugh says

    April 14, 2023 at 10:23 pm

    Oo what a pretty post!! Oh that stationary is gorgeous! So fun! During covid my friend and I did coloring page swaps! I’d color one half, and mail it to her for her to finish the other half!! It was a blast!!

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 15, 2023 at 1:57 am

      Ahh, that sounds like so much fun! And a great thing to do during COVID. ๐Ÿคช๐Ÿ˜… Yesss, the stationary was so pretty!

      Reply
      • Bella Waugh says

        April 18, 2023 at 5:48 am

        Yesss it was super fun! A fun memory during that crazy time! XD

        Reply
  7. Mia Harden says

    April 15, 2023 at 12:13 am

    hmm…..that Chloe character sounds familiar…..but i can’t put my finger on it…….maybe i ran into her on some other blog……..

    great post as always, Pearl! i actually bought a pack of small notebooks a couple months ago, but i haven’t gotten around to using them in my letters. I WILL EVENTUALLY. lol

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 15, 2023 at 1:56 am

      Hmm. . . she’s really awesome and it seems like you should know her. But if you haven’t, I’d recommend meeting her ’cause she’s wonderful. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Thank you!! It’s SO fun to send letters written in tiny notebooks. ๐Ÿ˜

      Reply
  8. ~Lucy~ says

    April 15, 2023 at 12:26 am

    These are such nice ideas!

    I always like sending little things to my pen pals, but have been running out of ideas lately!

    Thanks for the post๐Ÿ˜Š

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 15, 2023 at 1:53 am

      Ooh, I’m glad this post was helpful! Thank you, Lucy! ๐Ÿ’•

      Reply
  9. Emily says

    April 15, 2023 at 12:31 am

    I love all your ideas! I am definitely going to have to use some of them! I have that exact pack of stickers, and I absolutely love them๐Ÿ˜.

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 15, 2023 at 1:52 am

      Aw, thank you! I know, they are so uplifting and fun. ๐Ÿ˜

      Reply
  10. Jessica says

    April 15, 2023 at 2:57 am

    This post couldn’t have come at a better time!! I love all these ideas!!!

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 17, 2023 at 10:08 pm

      I’m so glad to hear that!

      Reply
  11. Lillian Keith says

    April 15, 2023 at 3:18 am

    Such great ideas! And I love the artwork you did on the envelopes! Also, I relate to having a lot of washi tape *grins sheepishly*. The colors are just so pretty and fun.

    A big congrats to Lillianna for winning the giveaway! Candi’s shop sounds amazing, so I’m off to check it out! Thanks for the review and fun post, Pearl ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 17, 2023 at 10:09 pm

      Aw, thanks!
      Washi tape is SO much fun. Too much fun at times, right? XD
      Yay! Thank you!!

      Reply
  12. Tess says

    April 15, 2023 at 5:30 am

    I love this post and I will definitely use some of these ideas when writing to you! <3

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 17, 2023 at 10:08 pm

      Yay!! I can’t wait. ๐Ÿ˜€ <3

      Reply
  13. Laura says

    April 15, 2023 at 7:59 pm

    This was such a fun post! I think your envelope art is sooooo pretty!
    Hurray for Lillianna! Candi has such pretty stationary in her shop! Thanks for all the ideas, Pearl!

    Reply
    • Christine says

      April 16, 2023 at 4:18 am

      Aww, thank you so much!! <33 So happy you enjoyed this post!

      Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 17, 2023 at 10:08 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! <3
      I agree. (:

      Reply
  14. Chloe Ruth says

    April 16, 2023 at 4:57 am

    Lovely post, Pearl! You gave me some wonderful ideas! (I feel so honored to mentioned in a post! <3)

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 17, 2023 at 10:07 pm

      Thank you!! (Aww. <3)

      Reply
  15. Zoey says

    April 19, 2023 at 6:24 am

    Eeep, this post made me so happy because I desperately need more pen-palling inspo. XD These are all such fun yet doable tips (well except for Pearl crayons, I don’t think there’d be any Zoey crayons XP)!
    And no, you can’t ever have too much washi tape but goodness that IS a lot of washi tape. ๐Ÿ˜‚ My meagre collection pales in comparison. ๐Ÿ˜…๐Ÿคช
    Thanks for this post Pearl! I’ll definitely be coming back to this for ideas as I write. ๐Ÿ˜€

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 21, 2023 at 6:01 pm

      Aw, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Zo! <3 (I shall have to find you a pack of Zoey crayons and mail them to you for your birthday. *nods seriously*) I knowww, I'm sort of obsessed. XD I'll have to send you washi tape for your birthday as well. ๐Ÿ˜‰ Yay!! Thank you so much for reading!

      Reply
  16. Katherine says

    April 21, 2023 at 7:55 am

    Oooh, I LOVE your ideas!!!๐Ÿ˜ I especially liked the idea of sending tea or seed packets! That was such a cool idea!!! Also, wax seals are SO much fun to make! I don’t have a pen pal, but I used to send letters regularly to my cousin. I also love sending cards out to people. Anyway, thank you SO much for this awesome post!!!

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      April 21, 2023 at 6:02 pm

      I’m SO happy you enjoyed this! They are so much fun, yesss. ๐Ÿ˜ Sending cards to people is amazing and it can mean so much. ๐Ÿฅฐ Thank you so much for reading! <3

      Reply
  17. Annabelle Batie says

    April 23, 2023 at 8:31 pm

    I love this post! Bookmarking for future reference. You have inspired me to start pen-paling more. I feel like everyone communicates in the digital world these days, and while that’s good and easy, I love the feeling of sending and receiving letters in the mail. Thanks for this post!

    Reply
    • Pearl says

      May 10, 2023 at 7:43 pm

      Yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed it. It is such a fun and special feeling to send out a letter and then receive one with your name on it. ๐Ÿฅฐ Happy penpaling!

      Reply

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Hey, friend! I’m Pearl, and I love Jesus, writing, photography, running, and chai lattes. Welcome to my blog where I share photography and lifestyle inspo for teen girls!

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CROSSING THE PRESSURE LINE: Family.

THE PENDERWICKS: Memories.

#middlegradeauthor #middlegradereaders #middlegradebooks #mysummerinbooks #summermiddlegradereads
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I may or may not have started a new project! ๐Ÿ‘€ I may or may not have started a new project! ๐Ÿ‘€

Tell me all about YOUR brainstorming/pre-writing process! Iโ€™m currently crafting a solid premise, characters, and plot โ€” plus scrolling Pinterest for aesthetics. 

#writersofinstagram #middlegradebook #middlegradebooks #middlegradebookstagrammer #writinglife #middlegradeauthor #middlegradenovel
Have you ever found a book character who shares yo Have you ever found a book character who shares your name?

Believe it or not, Iโ€™ve read 1 book that had my name in it! I was so surprised because it also had my sisterโ€™s name in it, too. Sadly, the one character was a villain and just a genuinely awful person ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚ 

(Also these lemon blueberry were so delicious! If you want the recipe, let me know ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡)

#middlegradewriter #middlegradebooks #middlegradebookstagram #youngwriters #middlebookboostagrammer #booksandmuffins #professionalbookworm #middlegradefiction
Do you listen to audiobooks? Iโ€™m currently list Do you listen to audiobooks?

Iโ€™m currently listening to Ruby Holler by @creechauthor while I exercise, clean, stretch, or make crafts. I like to multitask while listening to audiobooks, but it can make it hard to concentrate if my mind starts to wander.

Iโ€™m a pretty huge audiobook fan and it isnโ€™t often when I donโ€™t have a list of audiobooks to listen to. 

#audiobooks #middlegradeaudiobooks #middlegradebookstagram #middlegradeauthors
Describe your favorite summer reads in one word! Describe your favorite summer reads in one word!

(I always gravitate toward contemporary in summer, so thatโ€™s what Iโ€™m here with!)

CATERPILLAR SUMMER: Fishing!

WHEN I HIT THE ROAD: Adventure. 

CROSSING THE PRESSURE LINE: Family.

THE PENDERWICKS: Memories.

#middlegradeauthor #middlegradereaders #middlegradebooks #mysummerinbooks #summermiddlegradereads
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