Are you a Happy Mail sender or recipient? Do you enjoy sharing your projects with others or gaining new ideas?
Just a few years ago snail mail and craft swapping was becoming a dying trend around the world. However thanks to the pandemic, we were all stuck inside for various lengths and searching for new ways of connecting to each other and keeping ourselves busy or entertained. Streaming networks ignited, kitchens found blossoming chefs, online study led to different qualifications and dining room tables became craft areas as people everywhere were trying out new hobbies.
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This led our beloved paper crafting hobby spiking into the top trending activities for all ages.
Thanks to social media groups and streaming, we were finding pop up dedicated channels for paper crafting ideas and quick projects to include into our penpal parcels that could be made with your stash at home, random household items or new goodies that jumped into our online shopping carts.
Saving sites, pins and videos to favourites gave us the boost we all needed and guided the way for Happy Mail to be rebooted to boom in popularity.
Following instructions, signing up for projects and gaining a swap or penpal partner, we were all quickly getting our creativity fulfilled by swapping things like cards, photo boxes, journals, flip books, ephemera albums and mini pockets. Postal systems all over the world had more handmade projects or penpal letters being sent than at any other time over the past 20 years.
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Groups continued to grow with bonus events like Wishing Wells, Giving Trees, RAK’s and ATC collections. Suddenly as a crafting community we were assisting others to find that retired stamp, unknown ink colour, missing stickers or leftover paper scraps.
We joined mass send card groups to strangers for special occasions, celebrating seasons or in need of cheering up.
My personal favourites are the secret Santa parcel swaps. As a single Mum these were the welcome surprise of the only goodies I get to unwrap that I didn’t have previous knowledge of what it contained.
We are again proudly showcasing handmade projects and letters sent with love and passion. That creativity is best shared with others and getting inspiration from others is just as important as those we make that inspire too.
Follow the links for some fun inspiration projects you may want to try for your next Penpal swap.
Stationary Pen Pal Starter Kit (video)
Toni Herron is from Queensland, Australia. She has been writing for TPC since 2023. Toni grew up crafting all through her childhood, but enjoys focusing on scrapbooking and cardmaking the most without a traditional style. Her designs vary with themes and projects to fit her mood or creative flow.