Hi, Tombow friends, Katie here! ❤️ Random Acts of Kindness Day is coming up, and it’s a great reminder to slow down and share a little joy with the people we care about. There’s something so special about giving a handmade gift—it’s personal, thoughtful, and full of heart. That’s why I’m excited to share this tutorial with you on creating Open When Letters for your friends!
If you’re not familiar, Open When Letters are a collection of envelopes filled with little notes, doodles, or even small surprises, each labeled with a moment your friend might need it—like “Open When You Need a Pep Talk” or “Open When You’re Hungry.” They’re a fun and creative way to connect and bring a smile to someone’s face long after Random Acts of Kindness Day is over.
So, grab your pencils and let’s make something meaningful together.
Supplies:
- Plain White Envelopes (kraft paper envelopes could be really fun too!)
- Tombow Irojiten Desk Cup, Cottage
- Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen, Hard Tip, Black
- Small greeting cards, stickers, tea bags, or any other fun things you can put in the envelopes for friends!
Step one:
Write a list of all of the different “open when” envelopes that you want to create for your friend! Here are a few ideas:
-When you’re hungry
-When you need a pep talk
-When you need a laugh
-When you need a new playlist
-When you need caffeine
-When you miss your sister/friend/etc
-When you feel adventurous
The possibilities are endless!
Step two:
Use your Fudenosuke Brush Pen to write/letter a different “open when” scenario onto each envelope.
Step three:
Next, let’s get creative and use the Irojiten Colored Pencils to add cute doodles to the envelopes too! I had so much fun with this. I love the color palette in the Irojiten Cottage Desk Cup, they’re all so vibrant!
Consider adding doodles related to each of the open when letters. For instance, I did a coffee pot for “open when you need caffeine” and cute food illustrations for “open when you’re hungry”.
Step four:
Fill each envelope with a hand written note/card, add in fun treats for your friend, like tea bags or small candy bars, gift cards to their favorite coffee shop, or small things like stickers, washi tape, etc!
I tried to theme the contents of each envelope to the “open when” scenario, so I put a recipe in “open when you’re hungry”, and a hand written card and sticker in “open when you need a pick me up”. Have fun, and think about your friend/recipient!
I met my sister for coffee this morning, and gave her these open when letters! I’m so excited to see her reactions as she continues to open them whenever she needs a little pick me up!
I would love to see your version if you make these for Random Acts of Kindness Day, or any other time of the year! Make sure to tag @tombowusa and @studio.katie on instagram so that we can see what you make! Let’s spread a little creative cheer!