DIY Letter Writing Stationery

​So if you've had a go at the scrapbooking tutorial then this one follows on. It's a continuation of using cut outs from a magazine but for a different purpose.

On my Facebook page, I wanted to make a big thing of the fact it is National Stationery Week. Which ties in nicely for this tutorial. If you're ready to pluck up the courage to send someone a full blown letter, using pen and paper, then this is for you!

At my age, I'm very proud of the fact I still have a pen pal. A lot of people probably did this as a kid and left it to peter out. So if that was you, tell me, what's stopping you from making it a priority as an adult? Lack of time? Lost interest? No passion for it and therefore too many other things in your life that are more important right now? Writing has always been my first creative talent so for me, it's easy to be passionate about it.

From a young age I've kept a diary/journal and enjoyed writing stories/poems etc. So it's no wonder that I've made an effort to keep up with letter writing. All I can say is, if it's a dream to get into writing, then don't let fear hold you back. Start a journal for your eyes only. Write a letter to a friend that isn't going to judge your skills. Start that blog! The more you do something, the more you refine your skills. Remember that.

Enough waffling on, let's get to the tutorial! It really works the same way as the scrapbooking.

1. Choose your magazine. The 'You' mag again for me.

2. Cut out images you like and think would make good decorative borders. The key difference here is that you want just images rather than full articles to keep for your reference. You need to leave blank space to actually write your letter so images will be best. Or it will get too busy!

3. Arrange and glue. Again, just remember to decorate borders or one large image placed appropriately on the page. So that you can have space to write in the middle or around your one large image. Don't be afraid to add a little extra. Some words, some doodles. Keep it simple, or go crazy! Just remember to leave enough space for writing.

4. Write your letter! If you don't know where to start, then some topics could be: what did you get up to today/over the weekend? Any recent events to talk about that may include funny anecdotes? The current book you're reading; current affairs, you can get political and talk about your views on 'Brexit' or some other interesting piece of news/quirky article that's caught your eye. And don't forget to ask questions. For everything you write about, ask it of your recipient. A bit like 'et toi?' (French for 'and you?') 'What do you think?' Kind of thing.

Lastly, I want to show you my latest letter from my pen pal, Petra. I hope she won't mind! My inspiration certainly comes from her. She is also a fellow creative and I love to receive her letters. It brings me so much joy. Just think of the joy you could spread in sending a letter. To me, it is magical!

I really hope my blog has encouraged you to get writing and crafting. As always, I'd love to hear from you. Do you still have a pen pal? Or still write hand written letters? What's your experience of writing or crafting? What do you think is stopping you? Leave your comments below or drop me an email via the 'contact me' page.