Storing Letters – Ones to Write and Ones Received
A couple of months ago, I was struggling to keep stationery organized around our house. I came up with this solution that was complete love at first site:
The fabric basket I made worked great for a while. We just had one problem – what about all those larger envelopes and pads of paper? They were still sitting in a pile on our bookshelf and driving me crazy every time I walked by them. Then it hit me: why not adapt the pattern from the Zakka Sewing book that I had used for the first project? I’ve never altered a pattern before. Sure I alter recipes and kitchen designs. But sewing? No way. Until now.
All I did was add about three inches of length and include cute little handles on each side. It’s perfect for organizing everything in a simple, visible way. And while I was at it, I made a whole new heap of baskets to organize stuff around the house (including my childhood postcard collection I’m still working on shrinking).
The greatest thing about an organized, tempting stationery center on our bookshelf is that it’s a great prompt for letter writing. You find yourself reaching out to more people and actually using your pretty papers. Then you start creating letter writing habits, which is such a beautiful way to replace email with ones you hold dear.
In fact, an old friend of my grandma’s actually inspired me to develop a stronger writing habit. The woman knew my grandparents when they first met and fell in love seventy years ago. They kept in touch over the years, sharing stories of their children and lives. A couple of years ago, the woman mailed my grandma a small box filled with letters my grandma had written over the years. What a treasure! I actually got to read about my grandma’s life as she was pregnant with my dad!
So none of my friends know this. But in the back of one of the plastic bins we must live out of, I keep a few little boxes like this one:
One day, I am going to return all these letters to my dearest friends or their children or whomever. What a clever way to preserve a family history, huh?
Letter writing is such a powerful thing.
How do you sort your stationery? Is it neat and tidy or stuffed in a drawer? What do you do with the letters you receive?
August 13th, 2009 at 5:24 am
I wish I wrote more. Email has become so informal but I still can’t come to writing out a letter.
I love your idea of keeping all the letters to pass down to family. That’s priceless!
August 13th, 2009 at 9:13 am
That’s a great idea to mail back letters to your friends one day – especially if you have consistent correspondence. My husband and I have considered compiling all of the emails and notes we sent eachother from the time we met until the time we got married into some sort of book. Sort of like the Mitfords I guess.
August 13th, 2009 at 11:00 am
I keep all correspondence I receive, no matter what type it is. I’ve got birthday cards, letters, thank you notes, etc., going back for many, many years. Every now and then I run across a box of stored letters and re-read them. What a treasure they are!
August 13th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
I have saved tons of letters/cards too. It’s such a great reminder of periods in my life.
I got really sad though while reading this post, thinking of how much has been lost with email. I can’t remember the last time I received an actual letter.
I think I will start the tradition again!
August 13th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Do you still collect post cards? maybe I can send you one from South Korea. Let me know!
August 14th, 2009 at 9:33 am
Great post! So nice to read about some else who writes letters. I love to write letters and still converse frequently with my grandmother. I also write to a couple of girls my husband and I sponsor in other countries. Right now our stationery is in a three-drawer plastic bin, but I bought an old Ladies Home Journal tin from an antique store for a dollar and am planning to put smaller cards in it. I like your fabric baskets. Maybe I’ll make one of my own and invest in a variety of writing supplies besides just cards. I keep old cards and correspondence in a small picnic basket I got as a wedding gift years ago.
August 19th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Now old letters – that’s one thing I’d never call clutter. :)