ive just started a new forum where we swap interesting handmade postcards. im running out of ideas now. really, i need any ideas for groovy snail mail presents. i live in England so i need something that wont push the postage up too high (so parcels are really out of the question). does anyone have any ideas? thanks xxXxx

i've made post cards from felt and vinyl. i just sew vinyl on to the felt (front and back) with my message under it. and this way, the postage will stick to the out side of the vinyl. i've wanted to send a smashed can through the mail. you know, like a soda can. i know you can send a bowling ball, if you put enough postage on it. but i have not tried the can thing, yet. and on: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/0705craftyideas05.html
she puts fabric on post cards.

hope that helps. i'll post again if i can think of more
love me.

ahh thankyou. thats one idea. ive already made some like the ones in the link, but i might go a bit more adventurous without the fabric that i use.

any more ideas please? xxXxx

i suppose you have already used photographs as post cards? i'm really interested in developing ideas on the 'soft' post card side. like a quilted card, or writing a message on a stuffed animal. (i guess that would get pricy, though) or maybe you could weave some cards together. thats easy to do, and could probably be held together with clear packing tape.

more as it comes to me . . . (love me.)

oui. i like the idea of using random skip finds as postcards (such as bricks that i paint and scraps of wood that i varnish) but, obviously, if youre not sending them by hand the postage can be quite pricey.

you've probably already done this...but you can get some super weird postcards by cutting up cereal boxes, cracker boxes, etc...i think the best i came up with was one with race cars driving through milk.

i enjoy cutting up packaging too... jello, pudding, cake mixes, detergent, matzo ball soup, zest soap, etc... you can also poke holes in them and embroider around the edges... you could cut the packages into 1" or 2" squares and sew them together like a quilt or an afghan. i also like making bead creatures, you could wire or glue them to your card, seed beads are very light weight and will lie flat. candy wrappers would be fun too... you can weave some gum chains together... origami would make nice embellishments too. you could peel the labels off of wine or beer bottles or other canned foods and glue those onto cardboard. you could cut up aluminum cans into smallish shapes and glue them or poke holes in the middle of them and then attach them like buttons to your card... <<i really love going to the Asian Food Market... the packaging is so fun, especially the candy boxes! You can buy chinese newspapers too.>>
You can fold newspaper or magazine paper and cut shapes in it, kind of like snowflakes, the mexicans call it papel picado, you could cut out some paper doll chains and glue them to your card as well... as you can see, the possibilities are endless.

i like incorporating transparency and mesh into postcards. for simple messages, you can cut them out like a stencil instead of writing on the card.

another tactic is to make transparent windows or pockets with messages or objects in them. i made a bunch of little pillow pockets out of bubble wrap, filled each with one of those little Love Hearts message candies, and attached them together into a rectangle.

also, you could roll up a bunch of messages (or just paper) into little sticks and lash them together with thread like a raft.

jigsaw puzzles can come in handy for this kind of thing too, especially the kids' kind where all the pieces fit each other. you can make your own message on the back, or put them together in a different order, or whatever.

theyre great ideas. im going to get cracking this weekend! i especially like the idea of playing round with hidden messages and pockets. maybe using sequins and confetti.

im always going to be making postcards so keep the ideas coming! xxXxx

If you want a card with lots of secret pockets to put messages in copy and paste the following link:
URL: http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_paper_crafts_origami/article/0,1789,HGTV_3293_1396969,00.html

Is called an explosion card and has a whole bunch of pockets for messages or you can take the basic idea and develop it. Hope this helps, if I find anymore ingenious card patterns I'll post another reply. (I love making cards as well but I usually like them so much I end up keeping them.)

is anyone interested in doing a postcard swap at the end of all this? just an idea....

ooh ooh me! i would! havent made a postcard in aaaages so it would be cool to do one and have someone to send it too from here at the end of it. :) bon idee

smashing, smashing! ill get a makin'. is anyone else interested? let me know when you have something completed and ill do vice versa :) eee, fun! xxXxx

I'm up for swapping postcards (lower postage costs! woot!), email me at zoe [at] lux-lucis [dot] net

ok, well, if anyone thats interested could email me at hedaflint@hotmail.com when theyve completed their smashing piece of postcardy joy :P then ill begin to prepare something wonderous to send back....good plan?
xxXxx