How to Make Stationary

Thank you letters--a mandatory manners lesson--are more quickly and good-naturedly written when they are composed on special, personalized stationary.

While many children today do not even know how to stamp and mail a letter, much less write one, the value of a handwritten note still cannot be matched. A great way to teach your child the importance of real, written correspondence is to let them create their own stationary, then write letters to older relatives on the stationary. The positive response that they will receive will clearly demonstrate the value of the written word and they will enjoy the craft project that leads up to the letter-writing lesson. Furthermore, writing on stationary you made yourself is far more fun that just writing on plain paper, and the enjoyment that they get out of writing the letters on their own stationary can help them develop a good habit of written correspondence that will stay with them for life.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Colored markers
• Black felt-tipped pen
• White paper
• Copy machine
• Lined notebook paper
• Glue stick

How to Make Stationary

1. Stationary can be highly decorated, but be sure to leave room for the words.

   Draw a pretty picture down one or both sides of the paper with the black, felt-tipped pen.Do not fill in the lines of the picture. However, as long as you leave room for color, you can make the line drawings as complicate as you desire. If you wish, you can also use the upper left and lower right corners. The middle of the paper must stay clear so that there is room to write.

2. Cut out a piece of notebook paper that is roughly the size of the clear space on the paper. You can give this piece of paper straight edges or wavy, decorative ones.

3. Glue the notebook paper onto the clear area of your picture. This will help you write straight when you are composing your letter.

4. Make 20 black and white copies of the stationary.

5. Use the markers to color the pictures on each page of stationary. You can make them all alike if you want to have a set to give as a gift or you can make them all different so that each letter is unique and special. Now, you are ready to write some letters!

Tips & Warnings

• You can add sequin or glitter accents to your stationary with additional craft materials.

Resources

• Read this Article in Portuguese
• To learn how to actually make your own paper for stationary, click here.