Mail art isn’t just about creating something beautiful—it’s about making a personal connection. Today, we’ll explore how to design mail art that feels as unique and meaningful as the person receiving it.
One of the best feelings? Opening your mailbox to discover an envelope that was created to celebrate you and the things that you love. Thoughtful mail art shows the recipient that you’ve taken the time to create something meaningful by turning a simple envelope into a keepsake. In today’s guide, we’ll talk through how to make personalized designs that reflect the unique personality, interests, and connection you share with your recipient.
First, make a list of at least three things you know your recipient likes. Think about places, activities, foods, movies, and motifs. As you make that list, consider which of the items on it make you—as the mail art creator—feel most inspired.
Next, brainstorm the best layout for your mail art. Don’t hesitate to sketch a rough layout on a scratch piece of paper if you think it will be helpful! (Alternatively, you can use Procreate to make a sketch/draft.) Play around and have fun! For inspiration, here are four layout examples that I love to use for mail art designs:
Plan to draw or decoupage your item on the left. Then, you’ll be able to fill the right side with lettering and postage. (A bonus of this layout is you can justify your lettering to the left; no need to deal with centering!)
Traditionally, a recipient’s address is written in the center of an envelope. You can embrace that convention, then surround the address with graphics and elements to make the mail art unconventional and cool.
Consider tying the illustrations or decoupaged elements on your envelope in with the lettering! For an organic, flowy look, plan on writing your letters on a wavy guideline. Then, fill in the space around the letters with graphics and stamps.
Instead of giving the lettering its own space and the design its own space, think about ways to make the recipient’s address an integral part of the design.
As you think about the design, consider little things that you can incorporate that might resonate with the recipient or make the envelope more unique. For example, you might include:
Once you have an idea of layout and content, you’ll want to compile and prepare the materials for your mail art. If you’re creating decoupaged mail art, for example, this is the time to cut out the artwork you plan to glue onto the envelope. For illustration-based mail art, get out everything you need to make the illustration (and search for a reference image, if necessary).
When it comes to making beautiful snail mail, my philosophy is this: there’s absolutely no reason the “snail” piece of that label should not be fully embraced. Remember, you’re not just sending your recipient mail; you’re sending them art! So, when you want to make incredibly special mail art, always start by planning it out with a traceable pencil draft. Take your time making the pencil draft. The better your draft, the better the result.
Note that if you’re illustrating the envelope, the illustration will be part of the pencil draft. One thing to remember: when it comes to making drafts, a graphite pencil is great for envelope art created on light-colored envelopes. For dark-colored envelopes, use a white mechanical pencil.
After you draw your pencil draft, decide on a medium and the colors of that medium that you wish to use. I like to base my color choices off of the illustrated element(s) I’m including in the mail art and my recipient’s personality. For example, the birds I decoupaged on this envelope include a lot of reds and browns, so I alternated using red ink and brown ink to write the recipient’s address.
Once you finish going over the pencil draft with ink, turn your attention to postage. It’s a good idea to keep a variety of stamps on hand, from contemporary postage to vintage stamp lots (I buy mine on eBay—find details here). Sift through your stamp collection to choose a stamp (or stamps) that reflects another interest of your recipient or supports the theme of your overall design.
Once you’ve got the envelope art’s main graphic (either illustrated or decoupaged), the address, and the postage stamps, plan out and add additional embellishments. I typically like to go through the design with pencil first, adding flourishes where I can to fill in wide open spaces.
Then, you can draw over the flourishes with colors that help to tie the postage stamps in with the overall design. Also consider adding rhinestones and gold foil! (Note that rhinestones make the envelope non-machinable, so you’ll need to ensure you’ve added enough postage.)
After you’ve gone to so much trouble to make a gorgeous envelope exterior, it’s a good idea to dedicate at least some attention to the interior. It’s easy to make an envelope liner out of any paper! For my recipient, I used a page out of a vintage book that was perfect. Consider using wallpaper scraps, a printed page full of passages/quotes from your recipient’s favorite book or author, or anything else you think will resonate with your recipient.
Now, think about how you can seal the envelope in a unique, delightful way. I love using a wax seal, but other ideas include washi tape or a small decoupaged element. If your seal doesn’t add any dimension to the envelope, the envelope won’t require extra postage. A wax seal, however, is always dimensional and makes the envelope non-machinable. So, be sure to add a non-machinable envelope fee!
A word about wax seals: if you see yourself using wax seals often, consider getting a sealing wax glue gun. Then, pick out some wax sticks and stamps. It’s hard to beat the convenience and control that comes with using a sealing wax glue gun!
The other day, I sent someone some lovely mail art, and she wrote back to thank me. In her note, she mentioned that it had been very rainy in Texas lately, and unfortunately, the envelope design arrived smeared. This was a wake-up call for me because, honestly, I sometimes skip applying a sealant out of laziness. Moving forward, my new rule is simple: if an envelope takes me more than 20 minutes to create, I’ll gladly spend the extra 3–5 minutes to protect it with MicroGlaze or, if there’s a decoupaged element, gloss medium (affiliate link). It’s a small effort for peace of mind!
A quick note about gloss medium: Make sure you only apply the gloss medium over decoupaged elements. Gloss medium often causes non-waterproof elements (such as water-based inks) to run. Accordingly, for today’s envelope, I painted over the birds with gloss medium, then I protected the rest with MicroGlaze.
Tailored mail art is a small gesture with a big impact. By designing something unique for the recipient, you’re sending more than just a letter—you’re sharing joy, love, and creativity. So, gather your supplies, think about the person you’re creating for, and enjoy the process of making something that matters.
If you’re wondering who might appreciate your mail art, consider More Love Letters (requests reopen on February 1st) or Love for Our Elders. Both organizations are dedicated to spreading joy through the kindness of snail mail enthusiasts like us, and their requests often include clues about the recipient’s interests. Or, if a loved one would cherish your creative effort, send something their way! Either way, you’ll enjoy a satisfying creative session, and your recipient will gain a heartfelt keepsake to treasure.
Thanks so much for reading and for supporting TPK!
Warmly,
PS – If this article brings up questions, here are some answers:
inspiration in your inbox
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.
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.
