100 Reasons To Send Snail Mail

by | Aug 10, 2015 | How To, Snail Mail | 25 comments

Snail mail is something that I love, and because of that I’ve found a large group of wonderful people who love it too! The thing is, we’re not really the “norm”. Most people don’t understand why we “still” send snail mail, and consider letter writing to be a “dying art”. Snail mail is a beautiful way to connect, express yourself, and let someone else know you’re thinking of them.

I’ve put together lists before of ways to find penpals and tips for using the postal service, but I’ve never really given you a reason to use snail mail! That changes today. I’ve made a list of one hundred occasions, reasons, etc. that you can have an excuse to send snail mail for! We’ll start off with the basic Hallmark Holidays, if you will, and then move into weirder, more specific stuff as the list grows. Here we go: 100 reasons to send snail mail!

100 Reasons To Send Snail Mail | Uncustomary Art

100 Reasons To Send Snail Mail | Uncustomary Art

1. New Year’s
2. Chinese New Year
3. Valentine’s Day
4. Mardi Gras
5. St. Patrick’s Day
6. Easter
7. Spring
8. Earth Day
9. Mother’s Day
10. Summer
11. Father’s Day
12. 4th Of July
13. Fall
14. Halloween
15. Thanksgiving
16. Winter
17. Christmas
18. New Year’s Eve

100 Reasons To Send Snail Mail | Uncustomary Art

100 Reasons To Send Snail Mail | Uncustomary Art

19. Birthdays
20. Anniversary
21. Graduation
22. Retirement
23. Get Well
24. Sympathy
25. Engagement
26. Marriage
27. New Baby
28. New House
29. New Job
30. Congratulations
31. Thank You
32. To Say Sorry

100 Reasons To Send Snail Mail | Uncustomary Art
Featured: Post Muse

100 Reasons To Send Snail Mail | Uncustomary Art

33. Book Giving Day (February 14) – Mail a copy of your favorite book to a friend or one you just read that you think they’ll enjoy.
34. Compliment Day (March 1) – Write nice things about your loved ones on postcards for a boost in their day!
35. Draw A Bird Day (April 8) – Draw a bird and mail it to someone (or me!), I bet they didn’t know it was Draw A Bird Day! [more]
36. Nurses Day – Show your appreciation for a friend or family member who is a nurse, or maybe one who actually treated you!
37. Teacher Appreciation Day – Again, maybe it’s a friend or family member who is a teacher that you want to say thank you to, but you can also write a note to a teacher you had way back in high school or college.
38. Lollipop Day (7/20) – So many options! Draw a lollipop, mail a giant one, record a video of you dancing to a song about a lollipop and put it on a DVD to send.
39. Friendship Day (8/3) – Remind your friends why you love them.
40. One Hit Wonders Day (9/25) – Make a CD of your favorite one hit wonders to share! [more]
41. Boss’ Day – Maybe you’ll see them at work anyway, but you could mail it to your business! Getting mail at work is just as fun. Or you could send flowers to an old boss who really had an impact on you.
42. Knock Knock Jokes Day (10/31) – Get weird with it. Make a pop-up card of a door and when you open it up, the second part of the joke is inside.
43. Candy Day (11/4) – Share your favorite sweets, sours, and chocolates with someone who appreciates the finer things.

Learn Everything There Is To Know About Snail Mail!


100 Reasons To Send Snail Mail | Uncustomary Art

100 Reasons To Send Snail Mail | Uncustomary Art

44. Your goals and resolutions for the year – Hold yourself accountable for what you want to accomplish this year by sharing your goals with your friends, and ask for them to send you theirs back!
45. Love letter to yourself – Practice some self love by writing yourself a love letter. Seal it up to open on a sad day, frame it on your wall, or tuck it in your journal. Just the act is important in itself.
46. Wishlist to Santa Claus – Who cares if you’re not a kid anymore? Those letters go somewhere, and lots of times they send you something back! Probably best to do this around December, though.
47. Back to school care package – Going to college is a big step, so make it easier with a care package full of things they’ll need and want. [more]
48. Postcard from a trip you take – Traveling is great for a number of reasons, one of them being that you can let someone know you’re thinking about them while you’re having a great time! There are tourist shops everywhere that sell postcards for cheap (and postage for postcards is cheaper than for a regular envelope!) so share some highlights from your trip on the message portion.
49. Fake ransom note – Cut out some letters from magazines and make a joke ransom note, claiming they’ll have to do a dance in order to get their joy back that day.
50. Postcrossing – Join a website to really get your postcard game going! You’ll send and receive postcards from all over the world, it’s pretty amazing. [more]
51. To your Senator – Go ahead! Be that person! It’s totally cool. Write what you’re passionate about and something you’d like to see changed. Social/political activism is important. [more]
52. To the President – There’s a whole team of people who read Obama’s mail, and they respond to you, too! [more]
53. Party invitations – In a world of Facebook invites, it’s rare to get a physical invitation in the mail anymore. Surprise people with some exciting invites to your next party!
54. To a soldier deployed overseas – There’s services you can utilize to find a soldier who is interested in getting a penpal. [more]
55. To an inmate – Same as above. [more]
56. To Post Secret – Share a secret anonymously and creatively. [more]
57. Mail art – Send art for the sake of sending art! Collage on an envelope, draw on a piece of cardstock and turn it into a postcard!
58. A holiday photo of you and your family – Bonus points if the photo is super weird or it’s just you and your cat.
59. Ship around a pair of magic jeans to your friends – This is definitely real and in no way referencing a series of books and movies that I was obsessed with as teen.
60. Blown up balloons in a box – So, helium balloons probably wouldn’t make it across the country, but you could always put them in a box and leave them on someone’s doorstep! [more]
61. Envelope full of glitter or confetti – To your enemy or your best friend, depending on what kind of people you know. [more]
62. Send out a friendship book – I actually find these kind of annoying at this point in my life, but it’s a great way for people to find penpals. [more]
63. Using vintage postage – You can buy vintage postage lots of places, but my favorite is through Murph. Sending mail with old school stamps is rad, it just is. [more]
64. Resend junk mail – Support to the post office by fixing grammatical errors or just doodling on those pre-paid pieces of junk mail that don’t require you to do anything but throw it in a mailbox!
65. Actual film from an event – Print out pictures you took on your camera or your phone at a party, dinner, or camping trip to send to those in attendance. Analog on analog!
66. Say something nice to a business – Surprise a business by taking the time to write a handwritten letter thanking them for their customer service or something awesome they’re doing that makes you smile!
67. Pay a bill – Send a check in the mail instead of paying online or over the phone and decorate the envelope! I bet it’ll stand out pretty well.
68. Using customized postage – You can also make your own postage! Put your face on a stamp and freak everyone out. [more]
69. Participate in a swap on Swap-Bot – This is a great site for getting started with mail art, postcards, and more. You can exchange mix CDs, recipes, letters, and craft supplies. [more]

100 Reasons To Send Snail Mail | Uncustomary Art

70. Mix CD – Make a good old fashioned mix CD and mail it to your friend! Bonus points if the CD has a theme or you reveal that you’re in love with someone.
71. Newsletter – Get narcissistic up in this piece and tell people what you’re up to even if they didn’t ask! Do it as a satire, even. There’s tons of templates on Microsoft Publisher for making newsletters.
72. List of things you accomplished this year – Write down a list of things you were able to do this year, whether it was climbing a mountain or finishing a book, and share it with whoever! It will make you feel good to recognize your achievements and just might inspire someone! [more]
73. Thank a company for interviewing you – A follow up letter (especially handwritten) is always appreciated and is something that can set you apart from other candidates for the job you’re applying for.
74. Change your handwriting for an entire letter – Try to write with your non-dominant hand, in all caps, slanted a different way, or just completely wacky for an entire letter. [more]
75. In a clear envelope – Clear packing supplies are amazing, and add a level of intrigue to your missive. [more] 76. Packing tape postcards – You can also take the clear thing in a different direction by making a postcard out of packing tape and then adding stickers and washi tape to it! The recipient will actually be able to peel the stickers off to use them again or they can proudly display your art on their refrigerator.
77. Participate in the Snail Mail Game Show – Yeah, I run a Snail Mail Game Show. And it’s awesome. [more]
78. On register paper – Write an entire letter on something really small, or unusually sized like register paper, origami strips, receipts, cut outs, etc. [more]
79. Share a zine – Make a zine about something that happened to you or something you know a lot about and send it all around!
80. Anonymous notes to strangers – Use websites like SendSomething to get addresses of strangers and send them anonymous notes or create a friendship. [more]
81. Document your week in paper scraps – Collect bits and pieces of the evidence of your life for one week, like Metro cards, receipts, bubble gum wrappers, wrist bands from concerts. Throw them in an envelope and share! [mpre]
82. Swap local snacks – Make a deal with a friend in another state or country that you’re going to share some local goodies like chips and candy! Get to know the deliciousness of another region through the mail.
83. Fill a box with goodies of all one color – So when your friend opens up the package it’s like a ray of sunshine hit them directly in the face!
84. Write on a typewriter – Actually type out a letter on a typewriter. That shit is fancy. I have two, come on over.
85. Announce something – Announce that you’re pregnant, moving, or just organized your bookshelf with some postcard announcements!
86. Send an object naked – Sending naked mail is super cool, you can really send just about anything as long as you pay the right amount of postage. Write an address directly on a bucket, book, or baseball bat and take it to your local post office. Be sweet, and ask them how much postage it needs.
87. Attach a disposable camera to cardboard – You can affix a disposable camera to a piece of cardboard and write instructions on it for the postal workers to take photos with it. Have a friend mail it back to you to get developed. [more]
88. Respond to a mail art call – There are mail art calls in tons of places. I did one for a show at the top of the World Trade Center in Baltimore. Use someone else’s prompt to create art and then possibly be featured in a show or book. [more]
89. Turn a poster into postcards – Make a large piece of art on a poster board then cut it up into smaller pieces to send as postcards, so each person has one piece of a larger project. [more]
90. Send me a lock for Baltimore’s Love Lock – I run a Love Lock in Baltimore. If you decorate and send me a lock, I will install it for you and take a picture! [more]
91. Send me a postcard on my birthday (June 21) – I love mail. [more]
92. To practice your calligraphy – Make your letters and addresses look gorgeous with calligraphy, and this is the best place to practice that fancy script.
93. Make a silly pun come to life – Turn mail into a joke! [more]
94. Send inspiration – Be the thing that makes someone’s day turn around. Mail does that all the time.
95. Add and pass art – Make a little something on a piece of paper, enclose instructions for the next person to add something else and pass it on. When it’s done, they’ll mail it back to you!
96. To actually use your stationery – If you like stationery, chances are you have more than you know what to do with. Sending mail will actually get you to use up all those supplies you’ve been hoarding for years!
97. To use a Moleskine postal notebook – These things are awesome! You can fill up a notebook full of thoughts, quotes, drawings, clippings, etc. and seal it up to send like a letter! [more]
98. To learn about other cultures, and practice your second language – Sending mail is a pretty cheap way to travel. You can learn about other countries and cultures, exchange items, and practice using the language you’re learning with a native speaker!
99. Miniature mail – Try to write as small as you possibly can on a letter that looks like it would only have a place in a doll house! Just for funsies.
100. To get mail  – The best way to get mail is to send it. So use these ninety-nine ways to send mail to put that goodness out into the world, and I promise you that your mailbox won’t be sad for long.

Get a FREE envelope template, tutorial, and other snail mail freebies!

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Want a more detailed list of 36 unusual holidays you can celebrate with snail mail?

Bonus: Get a list of 36 Unusual Holidays You Can Celebrate With Snail Mail in 2016

Okay, what do you think? Can you think of more reasons to send snail mail? I’d love to hear from you in the comments and start a dialogue about why you love sending mail! Feel free to share this article with your mail-lovers.

You might also be interested in:

50 Things To Tell Your Penpal
100 Reasons To Write Thank You Notes
How To Navigate The US Postal System

In Columbia, Maryland, there’s a former grocery store that has been transformed into a department store for mythical creatures, time travelers, and intergalactic tourists.

It’s called DoodleHATCH.

You can groom a unicorn, visit an intergalactic space station, climb onto a giant’s bed, meet guinea pigs, explore an artist’s studio, and discover approximately a million other things that somebody actually sat down and made.

It’s a nonprofit interactive art museum, a community project, an educational resource, and one of my favorite places I’ve ever discovered.

And it could be demolished as part of a proposed redevelopment of the Long Reach Village Center.

But there’s still an opportunity to help.

You don’t need to donate money. You don’t need to live in Maryland. And you don’t need to know anything about zoning laws.

You can start by writing an email.

🚨 Here's what's happening

Developer Columbia Concepts has proposed redeveloping the Long Reach Village Center in Columbia, Maryland.

The proposal would replace existing buildings with new housing, recreational facilities, and other development.

Unfortunately, that puts a whole collection of existing community resources at risk of being demolished, including:

  • DoodleHATCH Interactive Art Museum
  • Maryland Fashion Institute
  • A makerspace used for community education
  • Local restaurants, shops, and service businesses
  • Early childhood education and community programs
  • A 140-foot-long mural created by approximately 100 community members

This isn’t just about losing a fabulous museum. It’s about losing an entire collection of places that people have built, supported, and relied on.

And there’s another possibility!

🌈 Meet The REALM

Lee Andersen, the founder of DoodleHATCH, and her nonprofit ManneqART want to preserve the existing community resources and transform the village center into an arts and culture destination called The REALM.

Imagine a place where artists have studios, children have room to explore, students can learn creative skills, people can attend performances, and local businesses continue serving their neighbors.

There are plans for a performing arts space, more opportunities for artists, and a Witches Kitchen that might serve you a horrible-disgusting breakfast.

Which, personally, I think sounds promising.

The people behind DoodleHATCH are gathering support to oppose the developer’s zoning proposal and advocate for The REALM.

And they’d love your help.

💌 How to help in about two minutes

If you live in Howard County, Maryland

If you’re 18 or older, DoodleHATCH is asking eligible county residents to visit the museum and sign their petition in person.

📍DoodleHATCH Interactive Art Museum

8775 Cloudleap Court, Unit 101
Columbia, MD 21045

⏱️ Museum hours: Friday–Sunday, 10 AM–5 PM.

And while you’re there, I highly recommend exploring the museum. Bring someone who needs a reminder that being an adult doesn’t mean you have to stop enjoying ridiculous things.

If you don't live in Howard County

You can still help!

DoodleHATCH is collecting emails from people who oppose the proposed Columbia Concepts redevelopment and support preserving the existing arts and community resources through The REALM.

Send your email to: Lilou@DoodleHATCH.com

Suggested subject: Support The REALM | Oppose Columbia Concepts Zoning Proposal ZB 1132M

You can write your own message or use one of the templates below.

You don’t need to write an essay. A short, genuine message explaining what you support and why is enough to participate in this email campaign.

✍️ What should your email say?

To make your position clear, include these three things:

1. Say what you’re opposing.

State that you oppose the proposed Columbia Concepts redevelopment and zoning amendment for the Long Reach Village Center, case ZB 1132M.

2. Say what you’re supporting.

Express your support for preserving DoodleHATCH, the Maryland Fashion Institute, existing community resources, and the proposed arts and culture center called The REALM.

3. Explain why you care.

This is the part that makes your email yours.

Maybe you’ve visited DoodleHATCH. Maybe you’re a parent who wants more creative places for children. Maybe you’re an artist, an educator, or someone who thinks it’s important to protect the few spaces where people can explore and make things without needing to buy something.

Maybe you live across the country and just learned that there’s a department store for mythical creatures in Maryland, and you think the world would be a little less interesting without it.

That’s a perfectly good reason to care.

Automatically Build Your Email!

💌 Email templates you can copy

Option 1: Short, simple, and effective

Subject: Support The REALM | Oppose ZB 1132M

Hello,

I’m writing to express my opposition to the proposed Columbia Concepts zoning amendment and redevelopment of the Long Reach Village Center (ZB 1132M).

I support preserving DoodleHATCH, the Maryland Fashion Institute, and the existing community services and small businesses, as well as the proposal to create The REALM arts and culture center.

Creative and educational spaces like these provide valuable opportunities for families, artists, students, and the wider community. I believe they deserve to be protected.

Please include my email with the messages of support being collected for DoodleHATCH and The REALM.

Thank you,

[Your Name]
[Your City/State]

Option 2: For artists, creatives, and fellow merriment makers

Subject: Please Protect DoodleHATCH and Support The REALM

Hello,

I’m writing in opposition to Columbia Concepts’ proposed redevelopment and zoning amendment for the Long Reach Village Center (ZB 1132M), and in support of The REALM.

I believe communities need places where creativity, imagination, and play are actively encouraged.

DoodleHATCH is an extraordinary example of what can happen when artists and community members are given room to create something that doesn’t fit into an ordinary commercial space.

Places like this are rare. They encourage people of all ages to experiment, learn, explore, and connect with one another.

I support preserving DoodleHATCH, the Maryland Fashion Institute, the existing community resources, and the vision for The REALM.

Thank you for collecting these messages and advocating for the creative community.

[Your Name]
[Your City/State]

Option 3: For people who've visited DoodleHATCH

Subject: Please Save DoodleHATCH | Oppose ZB 1132M

Hello,

I’m writing to express my opposition to the proposed Columbia Concepts redevelopment and zoning amendment for the Long Reach Village Center (ZB 1132M), and my support for The REALM.

I’ve personally visited DoodleHATCH, and I want to share why I believe it’s worth preserving.

[Write two or three sentences about your experience. What did you see? Who did you bring? What surprised you? What made you want to return?]

DoodleHATCH is more than a collection of exhibits. It’s a place where creativity is something people can actively participate in, and I believe losing it would be a tremendous loss to the community.

I support preserving the museum, the Maryland Fashion Institute, and the other existing community resources through the proposed arts and culture center, The REALM.

Please include my email with the messages of support you’re collecting.

Thank you,

[Your Name]
[Your City/State]

A few tips before you hit send

Automatically Build Your Email!

DO:

  • Use your real name.

  • Include your city and state so organizers can understand where support is coming from.

  • Clearly identify the redevelopment proposal you’re opposing.

  • Specifically mention your support for The REALM.

  • Add a personal sentence or two if you can.

  • Be respectful, even if you’re frustrated.

  • Share this page with other people who might want to help.

DON’T:

  • Pretend to be a Howard County resident if you’re not.

  • Claim to have visited DoodleHATCH if you haven’t.

  • Make up experiences or information.

  • Send threatening, insulting, or harassing messages.

  • Assume your email is the same thing as signing the official petition.

  • Worry about making your message sound impressive. Clear and genuine is better than elaborate.

💌 The Save DoodleHATCH Email Machine

A few clicks, a little personality, and an email that helps support DoodleHATCH and The REALM. No account or signup required.

What's your connection to DoodleHATCH?
Why does protecting places like this matter to you?
✨ Your email preview
To: Lilou@DoodleHATCH.com
Subject: 


✉️ Open in My Email App




Your information stays in your browser until you choose to copy or open the message. The email does not send automatically. Emails support DoodleHATCH's advocacy campaign; they are not the same as official petition signatures or zoning testimony. Please review the message before sending.
 





			

			

				
				
				
				
			

				
				
			

				
				
				
				
				
				
				

				

				
				
				
				
				

				
				
				
				
				
🐹 Wait. What exactly is DoodleHATCH?

			

				
				
				
				
				
			

				
				
				
				
				
I’m so glad you asked.


DoodleHATCH is an interactive art museum in Columbia, Maryland, created by artist, designer, and professional generator of wildly ambitious ideas, Lee Andersen.


The museum is designed as a pretend department store for mythological creatures, time travelers, and galactic tourists.


There are dozens of installations, and unlike most museums, you’re encouraged to touch things, explore, and participate.


There’s also an artist’s studio full of fabric and handmade garments, workshops, special events, birthday parties, free books, and opportunities for local artists to share their work.


The museum welcomes families and children, but adults are absolutely allowed to enjoy themselves, too.


And the woman behind it has spent decades bringing creativity into the community through fashion, festivals, education, and public art.


I discovered DoodleHATCH in 2020 and loved it so much that I started volunteering.


I’ve been back multiple times, and there are still things I haven’t seen.


That’s part of what makes it special. You can keep discovering things because people keep creating them.

			

			

				
				
				
				
			

				

				
				
				
				
				

				
				
				
				
				
You don't have to live near DoodleHATCH to care about it.

			

				
				
				
				
				
There are Merriment Makers everywhere.


People turning empty buildings into art spaces. People organizing parades. People teaching kids how to sew, paint, dance, or build things. People putting enormous amounts of time into projects that make their communities more interesting.


Sometimes they’re running nonprofits. Sometimes they’re working out of their garages. Sometimes they’re making something weird in a strip mall that you might drive past a hundred times without realizing what’s inside.


I hope you’ll help protect DoodleHATCH.


And I hope you’ll look around your own community, too. Visit the strange little museum. Go to the local art show. Find the person who makes giant puppets or organizes an absurd annual festival. Spend your money at the independent shop with the handmade things.


There are people everywhere creating reasons for us to be curious about being alive.


I’d like them to be able to keep doing that.

			

				
				
				
				
				
			

				
				
				
				
				
Help save DoodleHATCH. Help protect The REALM. Help keep the world interesting.

			

				
				
				
				
				
💌 Email: Lilou@DoodleHATCH.com


🌈 Visit: DoodleHATCH.com


🦄 Share: Uncustomary.org/Doodle