The Art of Snail Mail by Martina Calvi: Review

During a tough time, my cousin surprised me with a care package that included a fabulous homemade card, and the personal touch provided me with a much-needed boost. You, too, can create similar gifts with Martina Calvi’s The Art of Snail Mail: 20 Mail Art Craft Projects for Crafting Connection. For adults and children alike, this is a particularly inviting, accessible book, even for those who don’t consider themselves to be artsy. Calvi is a cheerleader throughout, noting: “You don’t need to feel ‘creative’ to make snail mail art. If you can seal an envelope and add a sticker, you are already there.”

Calvi is an Australian mixed-media artist previous books include A Year of Junk Journaling and The Art of Memory Creating. As she explains, “I am the youngest, quietest girl in a large family, and now that I’m older I realize that snail mail is where I found the space to connect and be heard. While words still often fail me in real life, paper never has.”

With an approach that’s easy, pleasing and fun, Calvi begins by showing readers how to make their own envelopes of various sizes (templates included) and wax seals (remember those?). Each project includes several pages of colorful examples, photographs and diagrams, as well as clear instructions that make you want to get started right away—and without having to scramble for expensive, elaborate materials. There’s something for everyone, including a sticker letter, a tiny newsletter, embroidered postcards, an accordion letter documenting a trip, a fold-out letter full of pockets and suggestions for recipe and book swaps.