Join us for the all-new Beginner’s Modern Calligraphy Online Course, happening now! →

Learn More
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS Feed
    • YouTube
    • Premium Membership
    • Beginner Calligraphy Course
    • Intermediate Calligraphy Course
    • Calligraphy Worksheets
    • Beginner Watercolor Course
    • The Calligraphy Book
  • Blog
    • Pointed Pen Calligraphy Worksheets
    • Pointed Pen Calligraphy Drills
    • Video Courses
    • Brush Pen Calligraphy
    • Handwriting
    • Hand-Lettering
    • Mail Printables
    • Printable Artwork
    • Procreate Worksheets
      • Cleaning Cloths
      • Erasers
      • Glass Jars
      • Inks
      • Kits
      • Mechanical Pencils
      • Nibs
      • Oblique Pens
      • Paper
      • Protectants
      • Rubber Stamps
      • Rulers
      • Straight Pens
      • Washi Tape
      • Watercolors
      • Wax Seals
  • Help
  • Cart
Log in

Your cart is currently empty!

The Postman's Knock written in calligraphy
Subscribe for $1/week
Sign In
  • My Account
    • Account Details
    • Addresses
    • Payment Methods
    • Order Receipts
    • Subscriptions
    • Printables + Worksheets
    • Video Courses
  • Help
Log in
The Postman’s Knock
  • About
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Help
  • Premium Membership
  • The Calligraphy Book
Subscribe for $1/week
Sign In
  • Welcome to TPK! This is your first of 2 free articles. For unlimited access to tutorials and articles, join TPK Premium for less than the cost of a latte.

    8 Absorbing Projects to Bust the Winter Blues

    February 18, 2020

    by

    Lindsey Bugbee

    Roundup, Sketchbook

    The weather outside might be frightful, but this is a great season for creativity! After all, the cold gives you an excuse to sit still and make. Today, we’ll go over eight projects that will captivate and entertain you!

    • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Pinterest
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook
    • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)WhatsApp
    • Click to share on X (Opens in new window)X
    • Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Bluesky
    • Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window)Threads
    • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Reddit
    • Click to share on Mail (Opens in new window)Mail

    Here in Boulder, we’re alternating between being super snowed in to mildly snowed in. As someone who doesn’t do well in the cold, I have decided that it’s best to embrace the great indoors and capitalize on my creativity! For this article, I compiled a list of recent TPK projects that are fun and engaging. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve probably seen all of these before (and my hat’s off to you). And if not, hopefully you’ll find something that sparks your creative energy! Here we go:

    1. Make a Sketchbook Page

    Besides chasing after my toddler, sketchbooking has been my #1 boredom-busting activity this winter. I just rolled out a couple of tutorials over how to tailor the spread pictured below to a significant day in your life! First, you make the layout; then, you add color. For more information on sketchbooking, you can see this article! (As a side note, I recently picked up a copy of Draw Your Day, and I found it to be very inspirational. Another resource to check out if sketchbooking appeals to you, for sure!)

    How to Add Color to Your “Day in the Life” Sketchbook Layout
    My “Goldilocks” sketchbook is from Shinola. So many thanks go to Jess for recommending it to me!

    2. Create Calligraphy Artwork

    When I wrote the Woman’s Silhouette Calligraphy Artwork Tutorial, I wasn’t sure how many people would attempt it. As it turns out, there are a lot of brave creative souls out there! Every rendition I saw — be it via email or Instagram — was absolutely fabulous. If you like the look of projects like this, give it a shot. My lady is framed in my bathroom, and guests compliment me on her all the time!

    Calligraphy Artwork Tutorial: Woman's Back | The Postman's Knock
    This project looks complicated! However, the free printable included in the tutorial makes this woman quite easy to create.

    3. Make a Bullet Journal

    Beware: bullet journals can make hours go by in the blink of an eye! Keeping one fires up your creativity, ignites your dreams, and helps you to plan. Recently, TPK’s Geni let us take a peek in her bullet journal. The results are incredibly inspiring! If you missed that article, it’s definitely worth a read.

    Snooping Inside a Bullet Journal - Ideas + Examples
    Geni’s bullet journals are comprehensive and inspiring! You can take a digital look at them here.

    4. Draw a Flower

    Dreaming of warmer weather? Try drawing a summery flower! I just made a neat little lily tutorial that’s getting a lot of love on Instagram. I’ve also got tutorials over how to draw geraniums, poppies, and sunflowers!

    "You Made This?!" Lily Drawing Tutorial
    I love this gold, black, and gray lily! You just need a gel pen, water, and some gold watercolor to create it.

    5. Make a Botanical Letter

    Botanical letters can easily consume a happy afternoon, and the results are gorgeous! Believe it or not, this is a great project for watercolor newbies. The simple blending techniques used to make each flower pop can be applied to future creations!

    The completed letter!
    I drew a “B” in my sketchbook, but you can tailor the tutorial to suit any letter! (I’ve also done a “J” in the past.)

    6. Create a Cactus

    … Because what’s cooler than a lush cactus with vibrant flowers? Put an inspirational quote on it to add a punch of personality!

    Watercolor Cactus + Quote Artwork Tutorial | The Postman's Knock
    You can find a tutorial over how to make this fun cactus here!

    7. Make Some Mail Art

    This mail art was inspired by Mexican tiles. The tile designs are simple, so they’re easy to draw (and my tutorial walks you through how to draw each one)! Put the tiles together, and the result is a visual feast.

    (Seriously Gorgeous!) Talavera Mexican Tile Mail Art Tutorial | The Postman's Knock
    This mail art concept is great because it only requires three supplies: a pencil, a pen, and an envelope! The pizazz comes from the technique, not the materials.

    8. Illuminate a Letter

    The only thing better than an artistic initial? An artistic initial that incorporates a lot of gold. I’ve seen successful renditions of both the original illuminated letter tutorial and the next level tutorial popping up all over Instagram! This is a project that a lot of people connect with and are able to do well.

    The Cheater's Illuminated Letter Tutorial
    This is the simpler of the two illuminated letter tutorials, but it results in a fabulous project! I noticed that several people on Instagram incorporated these letters into gifts.

    I hope that you liked this summary of recent creative projects! Sometimes, it’s nice to lay everything out all at once and get to pick and choose what you might like to make. If you liked this round-up article of creative projects, you can find a few others here on the TPK site. They include:

    • Top 10 TPK Watercolor Tutorials
    • My 8 Favorite TPK Art Tutorials
    • Top 6 TPK Birthday Card Tutorials

    Thanks very much for reading, and we’ll reconvene this weekend with a neat little tutorial!

    Warmly,

    Lindsey's Signature | The Postman's Knock

    • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Pinterest
    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook
    • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)WhatsApp
    • Click to share on X (Opens in new window)X
    • Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window)Bluesky
    • Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window)Threads
    • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Reddit
    • Click to share on Mail (Opens in new window)Mail
Sketchbooking

About the author

Hi, I’m Lindsey Bugbee, the illustrator, calligrapher, and author behind The Postman’s Knock (TPK). Since 2012, the TPK Blog has been a vibrant creative space filled with tutorials and lessons on modern calligraphy, hand lettering, and illustration. After publishing The Calligraphy Book, I wanted to elevate the quality of content even further—so I launched TPK Premium. You can join here to receive access to some of the internet’s best creative inspiration and project tutorials.

Join TPK’s free mailing list

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow TPK on social media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • RSS Feed
  • Mail
Previous post: Top 8 Beginner Calligraphy Problems
Next post: SURPRISE! Free + Premium Limited Edition “Smiley Style” Calligraphy Worksheets

All-time favorite posts

  • The Beginner's Guide to Modern Calligraphy

    The Beginner’s Guide to Modern Calligraphy

    1.5m views
  • 8 Tips to Improve Your Handwriting (Plus a Free Worksheet) | The Postman's Knock

    8 Tips to Improve Your Handwriting (Plus a Free Worksheet)

    850.4k views
  • Painting with Watercolors for Beginners

    Painting with Watercolors for Beginners

    815.7k views
  • Free Brush Pen Calligraphy Worksheet

    Free Brush Pen Calligraphy Worksheet

    482.4k views
  • How to Write Faux Calligraphy (Video Tutorial + Free Worksheet)

    363.2k views
  • 11 Calming Calligraphy Drills Printable | The Postman's Knock

    Celebrating Six Years of the “11 Calming Calligraphy Drills” Worksheet (Free Download)

    290.9k views
  • Lovely Loose Watercolor Flowers Tutorial

    Lovely Loose Watercolor Flowers Tutorial

    204.3k views
  • The Ultimate DIY Modern Calligraphy Starter Kit

    The Ultimate DIY Modern Calligraphy Starter Kit

    186k views

Latest posts

  • Envelope art with a skeleton
    Macabre Mail for the Edward Gorey HouseOctober 16, 2025
  • Color wheel created by Jess of Greenleaf & Blueberry
    September’s Coffee Date: Color Theory and ConfidenceSeptember 29, 2025
  • How to Create Beautiful Chalkboard Quote Art
    How to Create Beautiful Chalkboard Quote ArtSeptember 24, 2025
  • Ombré wax crayon calligraphy
    How to Make Ombré Wax Crayon CalligraphySeptember 11, 2025

Browse by category

Browse by date

31 responses

  1. Jamie Cain Avatar
    Jamie Cain
    March 18, 2020

    It is SO awesome that you provide all these fun ideas to do during our “down” time. I am going to take advantage of this rare event, and come out more creative, and less anxious! Thank you!

    Log in to Reply
    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      April 2, 2020

      Aw, that’s great to hear! Keep on creating 🙂

      Log in to Reply
  2. Dara Avatar
    Dara
    March 7, 2020

    Good reminder to use my sketchbook more often!

    Log in to Reply
    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      March 8, 2020

      Always a great practice 🙂

      Log in to Reply
  3. Kuria Avatar
    Kuria
    March 3, 2020

    I love the idea of a sketchbook page and the botanical letter! I’m trying to get better at using a sketchbook again and these are great ideas 😀

    Log in to Reply
    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      March 4, 2020

      Yes!! I hope you are able to use your sketchbook some more with a little inspiration! 🙂

      Log in to Reply
  4. Teresa Hassard Avatar
    Teresa Hassard
    March 3, 2020

    I love the “cheater’s” illuminated letter. I have all my supplies now and will attempt!

    Log in to Reply
    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      March 4, 2020

      Yay, so exciting! Good luck! 🙂

      Log in to Reply
  5. Stephanie Tru Avatar
    Stephanie Tru
    March 2, 2020

    Lindsey–your illuminated letters, sketch book pages, and botanical letters always inspire me–thank you for all these ideas.

    Log in to Reply
  6. Pam Avatar
    Pam
    March 2, 2020

    Awesome bullet journal and I love the tutorial on botanical letters. Thank you. I’m still practicing, someday I hope to get the “feel” for smooth writing!

    Log in to Reply
Older Comments
1 2 3

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Sorry! Only TPK Premium members can comment on articles and tutorials. You can become a member here. Already a member? Sign in.

My seven-year-old and I have officially entered th My seven-year-old and I have officially entered the @edward.gorey.house envelope art contest! 🎃 My design leans a bit more macabre, while my son’s is, well, gory. (Venus flytraps are apparently no joke.) Visit the TPK Blog to see my process — I love to start with a Procreate draft and take it from there. 

This is a great little contest, and, while it runs through December, it’s *especially* fun to work on this time of year. 👻 My kid and I both thoroughly enjoyed making our masterpieces! If you find yourself with some time in the next couple of months, make your own envelope ... there will be more than one winner! 🥇

#edwardgorey #envelopeart #mailart #kidsart #halloweenart #halloweenmail #envelope #snailmail #snailmailrevolution
Just added a new lesson to the Beginner’s Modern Just added a new lesson to the Beginner’s Modern Calligraphy Online Course! ✍️ In Lesson 3, you’ll find over three hours of instruction to get you extremely comfortable using the straight calligraphy pen. If you want to learn pointed pen calligraphy, *join us*! TPK Premium members have the exclusive and incredible opportunity to take this detailed course for $5/month. Link in bio for details!

#calligraphy #moderncalligraphy #pointedpencalligraphy #learncalligraphy #calligraphytips
Beautiful autumn leaves outside 🍂 inspire beaut Beautiful autumn leaves outside 🍂 inspire beautiful leaves inside ✨. You can find a tutorial over how to make this stunning bookmark in “The Calligraphy Book”. (Confession time: I don’t actually use this bookmark as a bookmark. It ended up being too pretty to be hiding inside a book! 🙈 Instead, I display it on my bulletin board.)

#bookmark #decoratedbookmark #autumnleaves #pointedpen #finetec #colirofinetec #metallicwatercolor
Which is your favorite? 👻 🍬 ✋ 🎃 Good Which is your favorite? 👻 🍬 ✋ 🎃 

Good news: whichever one you like best, you can learn how to create it in “Spellbound Strokes”, TPK’s Halloween 2025 worksheet set! The worksheet is available on the TPK site as of an hour ago. In it, you’ll learn how to create these fabulous Halloween-themed motifs ... and get plenty of calligraphy practice under your belt in the process. ✍️

For the worksheet link, see my stories today (10/9), or shoot me a DM. Happy Halloween, and enjoy!

#halloweencalligraphy #pointedpenpractice #pointedpen #dippen #halloweenart #macbeth
This is just as relaxing to watch as it is to wri This is just as relaxing to watch as it is to write. 🧘‍♀️ DM me for a link to a (free!) worksheet that teaches you how to write this loopy, modern quote. ✍️

#moderncalligraphy #learncalligraphy #calligraphy #handwritten #writingcalligraphy #pointedpencalligraphy #calligraphyvideo #tseliotquote
🎃 Halloween, TPK-style. ✍️ You can find ins 🎃 Halloween, TPK-style. ✍️ You can find instructions for making all of these project (and more!) on the TPK Blog and in TPK’s Halloween-themed worksheets. 🔗 Link in bio, then search for “Halloween” or just browse the Blog and Catalog!

#halloweencalligraphy #halloweenart #calligraphyprojects #halloweencraft #eleganthalloween
🤭 We’re ridiculous. Here’s the story: every 🤭 We’re ridiculous. Here’s the story: every month, @greenleafblue and I host a live creative coffee chat over Zoom for TPK Premium and G&B Patreon members — and we always include a giveaway. This time, we switched it up and picked the winner with a trivia question we made up on the fly. You can see how that went here!

✨ Watch the full chat on the TPK Blog (link in bio → “Blog”).

✨ Join us for the next coffee chat on October 17th by signing up for TPK Premium! I’m thrilled to announce that @sdionbakerdesign will be our special guest. (Her Patreon members can join, too!) And yes, there will be a giveaway. 🎁

👯‍♀️ Fun fact: Jess and I met as roommates studying art history in Paris + Florence way before The Postman’s Knock or Greenleaf & Blueberry existed. Over the years, we’ve nicknamed ourselves Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, Lucy and Ethel… you get the idea. That familiarity definitely comes through in our chats.

#artistchat #artists #artsupplies #zoomchat #creativity #thepostmansknock #greenleafandblueberry
After eight years (and plenty of smudges), my chal After eight years (and plenty of smudges), my chalkboard finally got a makeover! This time, sketching out the design was so much easier thanks to my iPad + Procreate. Once the draft felt right, I used a grid method to bring it to life on the chalkboard. 🖊️✨ Curious how it all came together and find instructions for making your own chalkboard quote art? Check out the TPK Blog to see the process! (Link in bio, then navigate to the “Blog” tab.)

#chalkboard #chalkart #austenquote #janeausten #hyggequote #hyggeart #homeart #artforhome #artprocess #chalk
The Postman’s Knock

About

  • About Lindsey
  • Get to Know TPK
  • Behind the Scenes
  • How I Learned Calligraphy

Legalese

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refunds & Return Policy
  • GDPR Data Erasure Request

Printable Worksheets

  • Pointed Pen Calligraphy Styles
  • Pointed Pen Calligraphy Drills
  • Brush Pen Calligraphy
  • Handwriting
  • Hand-Lettering

Courses

  • Beginner’s Pointed Pen Calligraphy
  • Intermediate Pointed Pen Calligraphy
  • Beginner’s Watercolors

Help

  • Contact Lindsey
  • Calligraphy FAQs
  • Calligraphy Troubleshooting

Subscribe to the Blog

Join over 125,000 creative minds who receive inspiring, value-packed emails from TPK each week. As a free subscriber, you’ll get helpful tutorials, free worksheets, and creative ideas delivered straight to your inbox—plus the occasional sneak peek or special offer.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow TPK on Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • RSS Feed
  • Mail

© Copyright 2025 The Postman’s Knock – All rights reserved

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
Writing Copperplate Calligraphy

Unlock Exclusive Perks with Premium Plus

Fuel your inspiration and creativity with TPK Premium Plus! Members enjoy three free worksheets or learning resources every month, unlimited video course access, member-exclusive tutorials, and a 10% discount on all Supplies Shop orders.

join today ($15)
All About the Brause Rose Nib

inspiration in your inbox

Let The Postman’s Knock Spark Your Creativity

TPK’s innovative newsletters are an artistic treat. Join the 125K+ subscribers who have already discovered The Postman’s Knock, and receive 10% off your first Digital Catalog order.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.