kraft paper & chalk notecards

I love snail mail. Who doesn't? (Except for bills, obviously.) As a kid, getting a card in the mail made you feel so important, & even as adults there's something sweet about getting a hand-written note in your mailbox. I was thrilled when JAM Paper reached out for a collaboration project that involved pretty note cards & paper (they have a zillion other products too), because the timing couldn't be better. I've been meaning to write home since moving cross-country to those I miss dearly.

There's no limit to what you can do with these note cards; they're quite literally a blank canvas. I decided to utilize a trick from middle school art class. If you've ever done a charcoal drawing, you know how messy it is, & that any kind of handling after the fact results in fingerprints. A spritz of hairspray will fix that, & that's exactly what I did with these cards. I love the look of white chalk on natural brown paper, & sealing it in hairspray means they can be handled without smudges. 

You'll need: 

• Kraft paper notecards (I'm using the 4bar size) 
• Matching envelopes
• Chalk marker
• Hair spray
• Stencils (optional, not pictured)

Step 1. Design! | Since I'm sending these cards out just to drop a line, I wrote happy greetings on mine. If you don't have a steady hand (like me - I'm surprised how straight I got those letters!), I highly recommend using a stencil. That's how I got the patterned look on my cards.

Step 2. Spray! | Once you've decorated your cards, spray an even, light coating of hairspray over the entire surface of the cards/envelopes. The hairspray slightly darkens the color of the paper, so it's important to cover the whole surface, not just the chalk doodles. Don't fret if your paper looks wet & weird at first - it will dry. Don't handle them while they're drying, just lay them out in a ventilated area. 

Done! Don't forget to decorate your envelopes to match. If your planning on mailing your cards, leave spaces for the send & return addresses. 

Even if you don't live far away from friends & family, think about how fun would it be to get a card in the mail! Just for giggles. 

xoxo, 

-m.e.

P.S. More on handmade cards & pen pals.

Disclaimer // JAM Paper was nice enough to send me these materials to play with; all thoughts & opinions are my own.