Scrapbooking: 30 Minute Keepsake Letter Page

In this techno age, the art of the letter has almost died out, but a real letter is something more than an email can ever be. This simple craft is a great way to help revive the art of the paper letter, with an emphasis on the art. Once you have gathered your supplies and written the letter, the whole process should take no more than 30 minutes, but your loved one will have a lovely gift to treasure for years. This makes a fun project for a parent and child to work on together for a distant relative.

Materials (All items should be themed to match the contents of your letter)
2-3* sheets of 12"x12" scrapbook paper with different designs
Greeting card envelope
Rubber stamps/ink pads
Old pretty or unusual postage stamps (optional)
Stickers (assortment of 3D, flat, pictures, and phrases)
Photo corners
Colorful brads
Decorative cardstock
Ribbon
2-5 Small souvenir items, such as ticket stubs, photos, etc
Acid-free Gel Pens
Scissors
Acid-free adhesive

Directions
You will mount the envelope on one sheet of the paper. Cut another sheet in half to write your letter on. Use the envelope as is, decorate it with rubber stamps and stickers or *cover it with scrapbook paper. Find where you want the envelope to be by moving it around the paper until it looks right to you. Once it is in place, affix the photo corners. Cut strips of the decorative cardstock and affix those over the corners with brads, for a more ornamental look. Write the recipient's name on the envelope and set it aside.

Use rubber stamps and stickers to decorate the page. Lay them out first to figure out a pattern you like or go totally random. If there is much blank space when you are finished stamping and sticking, use the gel pens to create doodles.

Mount any paper souvenirs on cut-outs of the cardstock with the adhesive. Use the gel pens to write captions for each one. Insert the letter and souvenirs into the envelope and tie it with the ribbon. Slide it into the photo corners. Affix "postage" to the envelope.

Now that your work of art is complete, mail it to your loved one in between 2 sheets of cardboard taped together. Make sure to write "Do Not Bend" on it in several places. All that is left to do then is to wait for the phone call telling you how much the recipient loved it!