When I was in middle school, I collected scraps of paper in order to make collages. I always loved projects in school where we could express our creativity in any way imaginable, and mine usually had to do with that big shoebox full of random scraps. I loved having just a sliver of an idea of what I wanted to make and then digging through the box to find the right letters or colors to create the image I had in mind. I’ve never been much of an artist when it comes to drawing or painting or anything like that, but I always enjoyed finding a way to create images using these random scraps. Truth be told, the resulting artwork was often better than anything I could have imagined.

I recycled that box of scraps when I left home for college, but a few years ago I started collecting scraps again so I could make my own notecards. Though I have a lot of store-bought stationery, when I have the time, I like to decorate my own. I buy blank cards and envelopes in packs of fifty at Michael’s for just a few bucks, and then I go crazy making colleges, putting together fun phrases with cut-out words and combining fun, random images to create new ones.

Sometimes I use these notecards as general letter writing stationery, but more often than not, I use these mail art cards for birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. When I have the time, I even like to make my own holiday cards, but that can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, so I’ll often make a dozen or so for the holidays and then use store-bought cards for the rest.

It’s funny that I feel totally stumped when it comes to creating mail art for envelopes, but I have no problems with sitting down with a box of scrap paper and creating my own mail art stationery. Maybe it’s time I start thinking outside the envelope!

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