Pocket Letter - Writer Style

One of the newest waves in pen pal letters is to use a 9-pocket card protector sheet with each pocket containing something fun for your partner.

These page pockets are the types that are used for baseball card or ATC collectors, and by couponers. (The photo has a coupon binder to show you what the pages look like.) You can buy them by the pack or box, or possibly get individual sheets from your local gamer or baseball card shop.

For this swap, we'll be doing it writer style.

You'll have one partner. You'll need to fill all nine of the pockets, four of them with specific items.

Required items:

• A letter -- this is a writer pen pal swap. It can be typed or written longhand, then folded to fit in the 2.5x3.5 slot.

• two writing-related items

• one pocket with your contact information presented in a creative way. This could be via a swap card, an ATC, an altered Rolodex card, etc. Your partner needs to know how to reach you to write back with a creative pocket letter!

You'll have five more pockets to fill with whatever you'd like.

Jazz them up with your crafty work of some kind. You should not send or receive a plain plastic pocket sheet.

Ideas of what can go in the remaining pockets:

• an ATC

• A mini zine

• A card with questions for your pen pal to answer back when they reply to your letter.

• Quotes

• Tea

• Small, flat profile surprises

• Articles

• Writing challenges or prompts

• Jokes

• Recipes

• Whatever else you can think of that will fit in a 2.5x3.5 slot.

Here are a couple of crafty websites that illustrate how to make one:

Pocket Letter Love

Pocket Letter Pals

The plastic sheet can be folded to fit into a business size envelope, BUT, if you use one of those, be sure to tape up all of the edges to withstand postal service handling. It'll be a better idea to use a manila or sturdy-type envelope for mailing.

This should be a lot of fun. I hope we get a lot of participation. There are several public swaps for this type of pen pal letter. If you're looking for more, search for key words like "window pane" or "pocket" letter.

International. Snail mail. Group membership.