Mail Art: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Create!

Mailing letters to loved ones is a nice practice. However sometimes the plain white envelopes we pick up can be a little bit boring. However, they do not have to be for you can decorate them. All you have to do is create a little bit of mail art. This craft is becoming popular and has groups dedicated to the beauty of the art you can create.

The best thing about creating mail art is that you do not have to be able to draw to do it. When I first heard about mail art, I admit I was intimidated. While I am very crafty, I do not have any chops for drawing or painting at all, unless you want something abstract. A fellow letter writer and crafter chuckled when I mentioned it and said that Art does not have to be drawings or paintings, and she is right.

I have a stack of junk mail and old magazines sitting around my house and I would be willing to bet most crafters (or non-crafters) do too. Time to give these bits of paper a new use instead of a venture to the landfill! Not only will the people who get your letters love it the environment will thank you too.

All you have to do to create your own mail art from the magazines is cut out what you will want to use. Certain words, colors, pieces of fashion the sky is the limit on what you can use. I even used a drawing from a Tampax ad for one of my envelopes! After you have cut out the pieces, you wish to use and done a basic arrangement on your envelope get out your rubber cement and glue the art onto the envelope. You can cover it as little or as much as you wish. I have even fully covered the backs of some of my envelopes and carefully used an x-acto knife to cut the flap open. Once closed it fits perfectly together again.

When your making your art make sure, you leave a spot for the stamp and the addresses. You can also write the addresses on a blank scrap of paper and attach it to the envelope separately, just make sure it is secure. If you wish to make your art even more secure, you can put a layer of mod-podge over it although it does add some weight to the mailing. I only mod podge a few pieces because of the extra weight.

No matter what you decide to make with your mail art the important thing is to have fun. There is something relaxing about cutting out things and knowing you are not only recycling but also making a small piece of art that someone else will enjoy. So take to it decorate your envelope and write a letter!