Not too long ago, my husband went through some military training where I could only send him letters (though, we had a small number of short, limited phone calls).
During that time, I decided to mail him a letter every day. It seemed like a good way to keep his spirits up, and it helped me feel connected to him.
I spent a looooooot of time thinking about what could go in a 1-ounce letter (or a 2-ounce letter) and what couldn’t. I also learned about things that can go through mail rollers and things that can’t.
(And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, follow along because I’ll share tips throughout this post).
Of course, my husband was pretty limited on what he could receive and what he couldn’t because the military doesn’t really like people getting confetti in their mail.
But you don’t have to be so confined. If you’re looking at this because you want to send things to a family member or to a mail club, the sky is your limit (and the post office regulations, of course).
So, let’s take a look at what you can mail (and a few things you can’t), and get your creative juices flowing!
Self-care Items to Mail in Letters
This is one of the most interesting (but surprisingly common) categories of items to mail that I found. Of course, it can also be one of the trickiest to send via a letter.
But, it’s not too hard if you’re smart and follow local guidelines.
In the U.S., to send anything non-flexible you must pay a small non-machinable surcharge for $0.49.
And, anything travelling in a regular letter must be non-alcoholic. So, watch the make-up samples.
And be very careful with liquid-like items. They’ll have a lot of weight pressing on them during the mailing process, even if they don’t go through a machine!
You don’t want stuff to burst in your letter. Dry-packed—or mostly dry—items work best.
But if you do decide to send anything that’s slightly liquid (or even just something with the potential to be messy, like the salt sachet), go ahead and double-bag it.
It may add extra weight, but it’s worth it to be safe. (More on weight in a minute).
Also, be sure and check with your country and its regulations on mail before you send anything!
Now here’s your list of self-care items to mail:
- Sheet face masks (ideally dry packed)
- Soaking salt sachets (For your hands or feet)
- Exercise guides
- Make-up samples (use your good judgement)
- Gratitude prompts
- Blotting papers
- Dried lavender or rose petals
- Verses of scripture
- Eye or lip masks (again, ideally dry packed)
- Guided relaxation techniques
- Aromatherapy patches
Games and Activities for Sending in the Mail
I like all of these ideas because many of them are pretty lightweight. And weight is everything when you’re mailing stuff in letters!
For those of you who don’t know, in the U.S. one Forever stamp covers postage for a letter weighing up to 1 ounce.
Each additional ounce of weight (up to 3.5 ounces) costs an extra $0.29. So, technically, a 3.5-ounce letter costs $1.69 to mail (there are no partial ounces).
For the sake of convenience, you can use 2 forever stamps to cover the cost of up to 3 ounces of weight.
But, the cheapest way to pay is to use extra “ounce stamps” after your initial Forever stamp. These stamps cost $0.29 apiece. Though, you do have to use a full one for the extra half ounce on the end.
You might be surprised by how many things you can fit into just 1 or 2 ounces of letter, though!
Anyway, here are those ideas for games and activities to mail:
- Crosswords or wordsearches
- Sudoku puzzles
- Scavenger hunt checklists
- Riddle cards
- Paper dolls
- Spot-the-difference pictures
- Paper puzzle pieces to assemble
- Color-by-number sheets
- Bingo cards
- Mini mazes
- Make-your-own board game template
- Coloring Pages
- Anagram or word-scramble sheets
- Madlibs
- Trivia cards
- Would-you-rather questions
- Finish the drawing pages
Edible Items to Send in a Letter
I genuinely hadn’t ever thought of mailing most of these until writing this post, but I think it would be fun to try!
A couple words of caution (echoing what I mentioned above): for anything bulky, you’ll need to pay a non-machinable surcharge of $0.49 in the U.S.
And even letters that don’t go through machines get a *lot* of weight put on them and are exposed to heat in the summer months.
So, keep that in mind when you choose to mail things. Double-bag or re-package items (you may need to anyway for things like the spice blends or popcorn seasonings).
I’d go for something like these mylar baggies to put them in.
And, remember that things can’t be thicker than 1/4 inch!
If you need to spread something in a baggie out, try sandwiching it in between some cardstock pieces and taping it.
Anyways, here are your ideas for edible items to send in letters:
- Hot chocolate packets
- Spice blend samples (make your own and send them)
- Tea bags
- Edible glitter
- DIY soup mix in individual portions
- Packaged fruit leathers
- Apple cider spice mix
- Drink mix packets
- Sticks of gum
- Popcorn seasoning packets (repackage these)
- Flat packaged candies (think Airheads)
- Sprinkles
- Single-sized portions of meal mixes
- Dehydrated sourdough starter (with instructions)
Tangible Gifts for Mailing in Letters
Many of these items are a bit stiff or heavy, so you’ll likely need to do the additional non-machinable surcharge of $0.49 and maybe add a couple additional ounce stamps for them.
Still, I think the cost is worth it so that someone can feel the love on the other end 🙂
Just be sure not to mail anything thicker than 1/4 inch! (That’s the rule in the U.S.)
Anyways, I would be thrilled to get some of these in the mail. I hope you find something that your person would enjoy too!
Here we go:
- Flat keychains
- Necklaces
- Buttons
- Decorative poofs
- Custom stickers
- Gift cards
- Paper snowflakes
- Coins
- Confetti
- Friendship bracelets
- Vintage stamps
- Mini paintings
- Temporary tattoos
- Fillable gift tags
- Trading cards
- Bookmarks
- Custom monogram or name prints
- Mini greeting cards
- Earrings
- Magnets (I like these motivational ones and these bible verse ones)
- Guitar picks
- Jewelry Charms
- Seed packets
Crafts Items to mail in letters
What better gift for someone than a craft in a letter?
It helps them feel loved when they get it, and then they feel loved again when they do the craft.
I think a lot of these are really neat and lend themselves well to different seasons or themes.
For example, I could see the paper garland being adapted for Christmas or Valentine’s Day, and the cross-stitch pattern being changed to suit spring, summer, winter, or fall.
You could even change the collage bits, ribbon samples, and washi tapes to suit the time of year!
Anyhow, here are some of my mailable craft items. I hope this gets your creative juices flowing!
Oh, and a quick tip, in the U.S. letters can be up to 11.5 inches long and 6.125 inches wide. Larger envelopes like that might work better for some of these items. (I found these ones on Amazon.)
- Cross-stitch patterns
- Origami paper and instructions
- Ribbon samples
- Colorable masks
- A tiny sewing kit or project
- Scrap-book pages or cards to assemble
- Paper garland pieces to put together
- Colorable cards
- Paper airplane instructions
- Cut-and-fold crafts
- Iron-on patches
- Collage clippings
- Blank postcards to decorate
- Paper chain strips to link
- Washi tape samples wrapped on a card
Sentimental Items to Send in the Mail
After making this list, I genuinely wish I’d thought to send my husband a lock of my hair while he was in his training. It would’ve been funny, but I also know he would’ve appreciated it deep down. Lol. Oh well!
Missed opportunities aside, though, I think lots of these are so cute! They would be really sweet for a long-distance relationship, or even just an old friendship.
Pro tip for mailing the pressed flowers or leaves: put them in a baggie and then tape the baggie inside a thin piece of folded cardboard to keep them from breaking in-transit.
And now here we go:
- Poems
- Locks of hair
- Pressed leaves or flowers from significant places
- Handwritten recipes
- Postcards
- “Open when” notes
- Hidden messages (the kind where you add lemon juice or heat)
- Fabric or paper sprayed with perfume
- Favorite quotes
- Sheet music
- Old and new photographs
- Newspaper clippings
- Copies of old drawings or notes
- Mini timelines (for your relationship or events in history)
- Song lyrics
- QR code leading to songs or personalized audio recordings
Paper Printables to Send in Letters
If you prefer to stick with paper and avoide the non-machineable surcharge, a lot of these are great twists on the basic letter.
They would be perfect for a snail-mail club or just as simple gifts to someone who could use the support.
I certainly wouldn’t complain if someone mailed me a meal guide with grocery lists alongside it!
Keep in mind, though, that the average 1-ounce letter in a #10 business envelope can hold about 4 pieces of printing paper.
So, you’ll likely need more postage if you use heavier paper or if you want to send more printables than that.
Now let’s go ahead and take a look:
- Routine checklists
- Journal prompts
- Fill in time-capsule questionnaires
- Stories
- Cleaning supplies checklist
- Meal planner with grocery lists
- Language-learning worksheets
- “How well do you know me?” quiz
- Habit trackers
- Goal setting pages
- Grandparent interview questions
- Budget worksheet
- Travel itinerary
- Writing prompts for their response
- Weekly or monthly planner pages
- Fillable reading logs
- Mini calendar
- Fillable bucket list
- Date ideas list
- Dream goals questionnaire
It’s Really Not About What You Mail
That was fun! Thank you for sticking with me through all of those.
I hope you found some great ideas.
Just remember that it’s not really about what you mail. It’s about the fact that you care.
So many people choose to turn inward or to not notice the people around them. Thank you for being selfless and taking the time to think about someone else’s needs before your own.
I’m proud of you!
And, I wish you the very best.
Please share your ideas and thoughts about creative items to send in letters down below 🙂
