Elijah has a mother, a father, a stepmother, a stepfather, two little sisters and two houses he calls home. Fortunately, these two houses are within three city blocks of each other. His time with each family naturally blends and weaves together, so he is never left missing someone for too long, but he is left with a long list of people who are eager to hear stories from his day.
Letter writing has always had a special importance in Elijah’s life as a way to connect with his many loved ones. As a toddler, these ‘letters’ were scribbles, then they became drawings, and within the last year, they have truly become letters.
For Elijah’s sixth birthday, we wanted to support this meaningful ritual by giving him everything he needs right at his fingertips, so we put together a Mail Kit. We included personalized letterhead, envelopes, stamps, and a vintage typewriter.
Of course, as anyone knows, getting the letters to their recipient is as important as writing them, so we included a handmade mailbag to deliver his letters between his two homes and to his many neighborhood friends.
Mail Bag
Materials
20” x 13” rectangle of upholstery weight fabric for exterior of bag
20” x 13” rectangle of fabric for lining of bag
11 ½” x 18” rectangle of upholstery weight fabric for flap
36″ x 4 ” rectangle of upholstery weight fabric for strap
Wool felt for “MAIL” letters
Make Straps
Fold fabric in half length-wise, matching up the raw edges with right sides in. Sew along sides 1/2 inch in from raw edge.
Turn right side out, and press with seam centered on one side.
Make Exterior of Bag
Fold exterior fabric in half, right side in. Sew along sides 1/2 inch in from raw edges.
Turn right side out.
Fold top raw edge 1/2 inch toward the inside (wrong side) and press.
Make Lining
Fold lining fabric in half, right side in. Sew along sides 1/2 inch in from raw edges.
Fold top raw edge 1/2 inch toward the outside (wrong side) and press.
Make Flap
Cut out felt “MAIL” letters.
Stitch letters to exterior fabric in desired location.
Fold exterior fabric in half, right side in. Sew along sides 1/2 inch in from raw edges.
Turn right side out and press.
Assemble the Bag
Insert the lining into the exterior fabric, lining up the top folded over edges.
Place the ends of the strap between the lining and exterior fabric centered between the side seams on each side. Pin in place.
Place raw edge of flap fabric between the lining and exterior fabric. Pin in place.
Edge stitch completely around the bag’s top edge to attach lining, straps and flap to the exterior.
We eagerly anticipated what our first letter would say from Elijah after he received his mail kit. We weren’t disappointed.
You’re very welcome, Elijah. Happy Birthday. We love you very much.
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Miranda Wulff Altschuler is Fiona’s mom, Elijah’s stepmom and Sheldon’s wife. She spends her days making things, drinking coffee, and wandering her quirky waterfront town of Fells Point in Baltimore, Maryland. After graduating from Maryland Institute College of Art in 2005, she worked as a senior designer at a graphic design studio for several years. Miranda found her true calling as a mother in 2009 with the birth of her daughter Fiona. She now stays home and works during naptime with several family-oriented companies and organizations. You can learn more about Miranda’s adventures in mothering and crafting on Miranda Makes a Blog .