Spring Pen Pal Ideas

| Allison

Hello, dears!

I’ve already done a couple of pen pal posts (for instance, here and here), but today I thought it would be fun to do a spring-themed one! I’ll be showing you ideas for seasonal goodies to include in your letter, as well as some springy watercolor envelope art inspiration.

Sound good? Let’s get started!

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~ Spring-themed goodies to include~

First, one of my favorite ideas: send your pen pal a spring color palette or “paint card.” Divide a strip of paper into several sections with narrow washi tape and fill in each block with a color you see outside. I used watercolors, but you can use any art medium you like. Peel off the tape, label the colors, and you’re good to go! I wrapped the mini card on the side with the tape I painted over, just for fun.

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Next idea: springy photos! These are small, inexpensive prints of photos I’ve taken in the past, but you could also cut pictures out of magazines, calendar pages, etc. Tip: match the overall colors in the photos with the color scheme of the rest of your goodies for an aesthetic look.

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I love sending and receiving playlists, especially if they’re themed in some way. For this one, I went through my (enormous) Spotify playlist and picked songs that sounded bright, soft, sunny, or hopeful. Some of the songs mentioned spring-themed words in their title or lyrics as a bonus. If you can read my handwriting and end up listening to some of these songs, be sure to let me know what you think of them in the comments. 😀 (All songs are clean. 😉 )

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Decorate some handwritten quotes with pastel colors, stickers, or washi tape for a springy take on a classic idea. I love getting quotes or verses in the mail!

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Seed packets are the perfect thing to send during the growing season. Flower seeds are fun for most anyone, but gardener pen pals may appreciate vegetable seeds as well. 😉 For bonus points, research tips for growing or using the plants and include them on a separate sheet of paper or pretty sticky note.

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Already have some flowers blooming outside? Press them and send some with your letter. Carefully place the blooms between two sheets of paper, top with a stack of heavy books, and forget about them for a few days. Dried flowers are very fragile, so I sandwiched them between two pieces of clear packing tape to preserve them. Dried flowers also make a beautiful addition to homemade bookmarks.

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~Spring-Themed envelope art~

Yay, now for the envelope art! For this first design, I painted some simple bluebirds surrounded by very loosely-painted pink blooms. As a finishing touch, I splattered the envelope with blue and pink paint. I love doing this to add movement and interest to a simple piece!

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We’ve been planting so many seeds lately that I had to paint some cute seedlings! Here again I used a Micron pen, which are great because they’re waterproof: you can draw the outlines of the seedlings and then fill them in with watercolor without the ink bleeding.

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To begin this drawing, dot a couple different shades of pink brush pen in a tree-shape, quickly blending it with water before the ink dries on the paper. Add details to the tree, making sure not to show every branch, but also letting a few peek through the blooms. Before adding the grass, make the pile of flowers in the corner in the same way as you did for the tree, but giving the flowers just a little more shape since they’re in the foreground. Finish by adding your pen pal’s name and address, leaving space for a little flower on the first letter if desired.

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We’ve seen so many yellow swallowtails around here lately! I painted one resting on a green “bush” made up of my pen pal’s name and address.

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If you want a super pretty but super simple option, try painting loose watercolor flowers like these. you could even go simpler than this and paint pastel spots and oval leaves all over the paper, adding dots and lines to the centers while the paint is still wet for a lovely soft effect.

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So there you go: some fun, springy ideas to bring sunshine to your pen pal’s day. 🙂 I hope this post gave you some inspiration for your next letter!

Which idea was your favorite? What’s the most interesting thing you’ve sent or received with a letter? What is one song you’d add to a spring playlist?

Thanks so much for reading, dears, and have a lovely day!

***Allison***

52 thoughts on “Spring Pen Pal Ideas”

  2. Really pretty as always, Allison! I especially loved the first envelope…wish I could paint like that! You are so talented. ❤️❤️

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  4. THIS WAS SO PRETTY!! I love all your art themed posts so much! I actually sent a friend of mine a package for her birthday because I was inspired by your previous penpal post and she loved it!! SO THANK YOU!!

    Other things you inspired me to do:

    – learn watercolor
    – but the Winsor + Newton set
    – do more hand lettering

    *hugs* thank you so so so much ❤

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    1. Oh my goodness, that was, like, the sweetest comment ever. *hugs you back* ❤ ❤ ❤ I'm absolutely thrilled that I could inspire you (especially to do art because YAY ART) – that just makes me so happy to hear! Thank YOU, dear!

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  6. Love this!!! Your pen pal posts are my absolute favorites! 👍🏻🎉 I love the idea of sending seeds. I think I got that from you a while ago and just started sending seeds to some pen pals! I love the idea of pressed flowers. I’ve been working on your letter! Perhaps I’ll include some ideas from here in the letter? 😂😉 Great ideas! ❤️

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    1. Btw, I loved the playlist you sent me! 😊 That was so fun!
      Quick question, what are the color palettes for? I was a little confused about them. 😂 Are they to send some fun Spring colors? Or come up with fun Spring color names? I’m intrigued by those, they sound neat!

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      1. Yay, I’m glad you liked it! Oh, whoops, sorry if that was confusing. You know how sometimes people send paint cards in letters because you can get them for free and they’re pretty? Sometimes I get those. Anyway, this is basically like a “create your own paint card” thingy where you can capture the colors of spring where you live and send them to your pen pal. 🙂 If that makes sense. XD XD

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        1. That is a great idea, I love it! 👍🏻😊 That’s so fun! I’m totally trying that soon. Thanks for explaining what it was!!

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  8. AGGGGHHHHH THESE ARE ALL SO LOVELY. I absolutely LOVE these ideas, my dear! Your posts always give me such inspiration. 😉 SO SPRINGY AND LOVELY. And hey, I made a spring playlist too!

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    1. AHHHH THANK YOUUU. I’m so glad I could inspire you. 🙂 🙂 Ooh yes, I saw that! And listened to it. It was great! (Probably because a lot of those songs are on my playlist – or from my playlist – too. :’D)

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  11. Oh I love the paint sample idea! You could use it as a bookmark!
    We don’t have any flowers blooming here yet, but when they do I have some laminate paper so I’ll have to try to make those pressed flower bookmarks! They look so pretty! (Can you tell I’m kind of obsessed with pretty bookmarks? XD I mean, I read a lot of books, and I have a blog about them, so…XD)
    I LOVE those pretty bluebirds! ❤ ❤ ❤ I kinda wish that one was mine. XD But that butterfly is so cool and realistic though! I don't think I could draw one that detailed. 😛

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    1. Ooh, that’s a great idea! 😀
      Another great idea! XD (HAHA well that’s a fun thing to be obsessed with since they’re easy and fun to make or give!)
      Aww, thanks. ❤ Heh heh, I'll keep that in mind for future letters. 😛 But thanks! (For the umpteenth time. :'D)

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  18. Ooh, these ideas are all wonderful – I especially love the idea of a color palette/paint card! I really need to get some of my photos printed… did you use Shutterfly for those small prints? Your envelope art is beautiful as always!! 😀

    -Clara ❤

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  23. Pingback: Envelope Art + Letter Accessories – A Farm Girl's Life

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