Stationery Essentials

When writing about stationery, most people focus on the actual stationery and envelope design but don’t mention other important essentials needed for correspondence, so, I wanted to share the stationery accessories that I think are as essential as the paper and envelopes themselves.

Address Labels or Stamps

It’s such a pain to have to write your return address on 100 envelopes come holiday time, so it’s great to have pre-made labels or a custom stamp. Besides being a timesaver, they can also be beautifully designed and add an extra touch to any correspondence. I prefer the stamp myself, but label sheets can be less expensive depending on the style and design.

Quality Pens

People don’t care about pens the way they use to. Nowadays most of us will use any old BIC pen, but I’m telling you, a quality pen writes so much better. My Dad received a Tiffany pen one year for Christmas from someone at work and he was kind enough to pass it along to me because he thought it was too feminine looking for him. Well lucky me! It suits me just fine and it writes beautifully. You don’t have to run out and purchase a $200 pen, but next time you’re at Staples, don’t pick up the cheapest pen you can find.

Stamps

Sounds like a no brainer, but so many people don’t keep a regular supply of stamps around the house. I like to always have a booklet at home and a booklet in my wallet. I always purchase the forever stamps because thy will never require one cent stamps if the price goes up. I usually stick with the American flag stamp, but I like holiday stamps for my Christmas cards and hearts for Valentines. They almost always have a variety to choose from at the post office, just ask.

A Stationery Box

So you have your stationery, labels, stamper, stamps and pens. Where does it all go? There are some great wooden or leather boxes that you can purchase to hold all your stationery supplies. They do make boxes specifically for stationery but any large box with a cover will do. You can keep it on your desk or on a shelf to grab when you need it. If the box is especially pretty, it is a nice addition to an office space in terms of décor.

Address Book

You can’t send a letter without an address! A leather address book sounds old fashioned but I like to have hard copies of everyone’s information. If you only have the information on your computer or phone, what will you do if they break or are stolen? My Mom still has an old address book from 15 years ago. It’s faded and falling apart, but she still use