My Favorite Letter Writing Supplies for Handwritten Letters

Over the years, I’ve loved joining in the InCoWriMo (International Correspondence Writing Month) fun each February, by sending stacks of handwritten letters and postcards to friends and family in February!

And this experience has given me a rather robust set of experience with figuring out the best letter writing supplies. Over time, I’ve eschewed done for you letter writing sets, and put together my own version, with lovely letter writing paper, pens, and more.

Below, I share what I think are the best letter writing supplies if you’re ready to jump in to the world of sending hand written letters (which, I think, you definitely should!).

My Letter-Writing Supplies and Recommendations

Time to send some letters, folks! Time for my mail lady to start giving me sideways looks…Like someone who sends so many letters must be up to something. Well, I am up to something.

I’m jumping into InCoWriMo (International Correspondence Writing Month) for the second year in a row. I learned about the challenge last year from Kara at Boho Berry and enjoyed it so much I couldn’t resist this year. My paper is ready, and my pens are inked!

The What & Why of InCoWriMo

What: Simply write a letter, postcard, or note for each day of February (28 total). You can mail them, deliver them, even send them by carrier pigeon. Make sure you letters are handwritten. You can find out more at the InCoWriMo website.  They also have a fantastic list of people to write to (e.g. J.K. Rowling)!

Why: Letters are a special way to communicate. They involve real paper, real penmanship, and a little extra effort. Handwritten correspondence has a level of authenticity our digital communications haven’t been able to duplicate.

And it’s the perfect excuse to play with paper, fountain pens, and wax seals. I see right through you! I know you needed another excuse –I mean, truly noble reason– to play with pens and stationery, right?

*Hint: February is also the perfect month for writing love letters. Learn how to write a great one HERE.

Glad I could help.

Since you’ll need to fill 28 days of letter writing, feel free to send a note my way. I’ll write back. I might not be able to answer them all in February, but I will answer them. It’s the least I can do for being such an enabler.

You can write to me at:

Megan Rutell

P.O. Box 8112 

Moore, OK 73153

Classic Everyday Letter Writing Paper

Beautiful greeting cards and perfect paper are the backbone of a great letter writing set.

If you’re just getting into letter writing, I recommend a good basic set of stationery. 

Amazon (of  course) has a huge selection of stationery. You can get anything from the printed notecards of Studio Oh! (so cute) to plain everyday stationery.

Personally, I think a fairly classic look is a letter writing essential, and is a good “first purchase” when buying stationery for your snail mail supply box.

I use this this cream and black set from Peter Pauper. It’s classic, smooth, and takes a fountain pen beautifully.

While I am personally intrigued by printed designs, and like the way they look, I’m also not willing to compromise on quality.

With this stationery set, I can keep things simple for more formal letters, or go wild with doodles for a more casual letter (like I do for my envelopes below).

My Choice for Pen for Handwritten Letters

Now, for the pen…or pens, as the case may be.

Last year, I bought 3 fountain pens, and they’ve definitely earned their keep. I LOVE using fountain pens and ink for handwritten letters. And because they don’t require much pressure, I can write for much longer periods of time.

Here are the fountain pens I use for hand writing letters:

• Pilot Metropolitan, Retro Pop Collection (turquoise, medium nib)
• Pilot Metropolitan (White Tiger, fine nib)
• Lamy Safari, Dark Lilac (<–This color was a limited edition, but it’s still available from some Amazon sellers)
  • Unlike the Pilot Metropolitan, I can change the nibs on my Lamy. For more details, check out my full review of the Lamy Safari. 

Fountain pen prices cover a huge range, but you don’t have to spend a lot to get a quality pen. These run from $13-30

I didn’t have to spend a fortune on these pens, and I’ll get many years of reliable use from them. How often does an inexpensive purchase become a long-term love? Pretty good deal!

My favorite part: The envelopes

Envelopes are the easiest way to turn your letters into a mailbox celebration. I want the people who get my letters to know they’re really something special.

If you need some inspiration, take a peek at my Pinterest board dedicated to all things snail mail.

I stocked up on some colorful, creative envelopes to carry my messages where they’re going.

1. Assorted colored envelopes (A7 size):  Gives you a choice of colors without having to buy multiple packs of envelopes.
2. A6 Envelopes, Black:  I’m catching the “chalkboard bug” that seems to be going around lately.  I blame Pinterest. My feed has been packed with chalk art, chalk lettering, and fun chalkboard prints. So, I picked up some black envelopes to create a chalkboard effect with white pens.
3. Uni-Ball Signo Gel Pen (White): My absolute favorite white pen. I’ve tried others, but I always come back to this one.
4. Gelly Roll Moonlight Collection Gel Pens (10-Pack): I don’t usually use gel pens in my journaling, but with my dark envelopes, I needed some pens that would pop. The Moonlight collection is opaque, so it shows up especially well on dark or colorful backgrounds. Take a peek at my Love Letters post to see how the colors look on a black envelope.

For the final touches…

Something about wax seals makes me think of secrets written by candlelight. They can elevate a letter from simple paper to the most important message in the country.

I went in search of a feather seal (to match my Page Flutter logo) and ended up on Etsy. I know I’m an Amazon junkie, but I’m trying to compensate by shopping more small businesses this year. I’m so glad I looked on Etsy! I wandered into Get Marked to find a huge selection of seals, embossing stamps, and sealing wax in every color imaginable. They will even customize a sealing stamp with your design.

I ended up getting:

• a feather sealing stamp with a Cyan blue handle
• 2 sticks of snow white sealing wax
• 2 sticks of lavender sealing wax.

Note: A melting spoon will also protect your wax from burning. I was able to marble my colors together by adding a little chuck of white wax to the spoon before melting the lavender.

Other Ideas to Express Your Own Creativity

Of course, not everyone is going to run out and grab a personalized wax seal, which I get! But you can still add your own personal touch and flair with creative letter writing supplies such as:

• Stickers
• Doodles
• Washi Tapes
• Markers
• Vintage Stamps

Now, let’s get writing!

That’s it from me, guys! I’m all set to write some beautiful letters in February. I can’t wait to send positive messages flying all across the globe.

As of now, my furthest letter is headed to Croatia, but we’ll have to see what wanders into my mailbox. I might get to answer letters from much further than that. Grab your free printable stationery below, and let’s get some letters written!

Your turn to comment! Do you keep regular pen pals? How far are you sending letters this February? Share your favorite letter-writing and snail mail tips in the Disqus comment area below. 

Free Printable Cactus Stationery & Envelope

No need to wait for stationery to be delivered. Get started on your February letters now! Head over to the members-only Page Flutter Vault and print this cute cactus stationery with a matching envelope.

If you don’t have a key to the Vault yet, you can sign up for my newsletter and the password will magically appear in your inbox. 😉

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