2018 Autumn Pen Friend Exchange

This exchange is now closed. Please visit the tab above to reserve a spot in the Holiday Pen Friend Exchange. New partners will be assigned mid-November 2018.

Come Join the Summer 2018 Pen Friend Exchange!

This exchange is now closed. Visit the Pen Friend Application tab above to sign up for the Autumn round.

Spring 2018 Pen Friend Exchange

This exchange has now closed. Be sure to fill out the pen friend application above to be included in our next round!

Keeping Track of Pen Friends --- Some Organizational Tips

Happy New Year! I'm so excited about all 2018 has in store! 

Many people practice spring cleaning and organization but for me, the organizing bug bites at the new year. I feel like I want everything in its place before I can really jump into new routines and plans.

This year I've acquired several new pen pals and have also started up the Letter Writing Guild. That means I have a lot of addresses to keep track of! Today I want to share some of the ways I organize my pen friends' information.

The pink file box above is what I've used to organize Guild members' address cards and keep track of who is paired with who. I organize the cards by the person's last name and include any notes and preferences I want to remember. This system would also work great for keeping track of pen friends' addresses, birthdays, family members' names, preferences, and more. I found the box and colored index cards and Walmart. The dividers came in the box but you could make some from cardstock.

Until now... My husband got me this gorgeous Card Catalog box for Christmas. It's made to look like a vintage library card catalog box and came with dividers and reproduction cards from the Library of Congress, featuring 30 great authors like Jane Austen, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the Brontes. 

I am SO excited to organize my addresses into this adorable box! If you want one too, look on eBay or the Victorian Trading Company website.

Another way I organize my pen pal writing obsession is by keeping a record of mail sent and received. I use this little journal and organize everything according to what was sent or received each month. This really helps when I find that I've not heard from someone in awhile, because I can write another quick note to make sure they've received my letter.

Here's an example of how a couple page entries might look:

December 2017

*wrote to Louisa May on December 3

*received from Catherine Morland on December 5

-responded December 7

I'd love to hear how other members organize their letter writing hobbies. Let me know in the comments or tag me on Instagram: @victorianletterwritersguild

New Year Pen Friend Exchange

This exchange is now closed. Please visit the Pen Friend Sign Up link at the top of this page to be put on the list for the next exchange.

Holiday Season 2017 Pen Friend Exchange --- Now Accepting Applications!

Hello Guild Friends!

This exchange is closed but please do still send in your application for next time. New partners will be assigned in early January 2018!

An Autumn Pen Friend Exchange at The Victorian Letter Writers Guild

We had such a wonderful time corresponding during the Summer Pen Friend Exchange and now it's time to kick off the Autumn Exchange! If you enjoy handwritten correspondence with like-minded people, The Victorian Letter Writers Guild may be for you! Check out my Welcome message in the menu bar then sign up now for our Autumn Pen Friend Exchange! 

If you've participated in the past: Please note that you do NOT have to give up your former pen friends! This exchange is for an additional pen friend, so if you're enjoying corresponding with your match from an earlier round, please continue to do so!

Here's what you need to know:

• The Summer exchange will run from September 1st - November 30th. You will receive your pen friend's information by September 1st. (Please be patient with me as I'm moving to our new home this week! Yay!)  Sign ups close August 29th.
• This is an international exchange but please expect to write your partner in English. (If you and your partner decide to write in a more familiar language, that is fine.)
• A minimum of one letter to your partner is required. If you decide to continue the correspondence after that, wonderful!
• I am not responsible for "flakers", but anyone who does not keep their commitment will not be included in further exchanges. {Please let me know if your previous partner(s) did not contact you during a previous exchange.}
• Privacy Statement: Your information will only be given to your assigned pen friend. I will not use it for any kind of advertising, marketing, or other commercial purposes, nor will I publish it in any form. There is no fee to join the Guild---it's strictly for fun and fellowship. I will add your email to a list for my own purposes and will only send emails regarding the pen friend exchange or other Guild activities I think you might be interested in, such as giveaways or letter writing challenges. I will not add you to my blog subscription list but there is a link on the sidebar to do so if you wish. 

Are you ready for a new pen friend? Copy and paste the answers to the following questions in an email and send it to: sarah@classicalhomemaking.com.

Pen Friend Sign Up Questions

Send to sarah@classicalhomemaking.com

1. Full Name

2. Full Mailing Address including zip code and country

3. Email Address

4. What is your age group? 

18-25

26-45

45-60

61+

5. Do you have a preferred age group to correspond with?

18-25

26-45

45-60

61+

no preference

6. Do you prefer a pen friend from your own country or is any country fine?

7. Do you prefer a pen friend of a certain gender? 

8. What is your gender?

9. List some of your hobbies, interests, likes, and dislikes.

10. What interests you about the Victorian Letter Writers Guild?

11. How did you learn about the Guild?