Open When Letters: Letter Ideas, What To Include & Rules

Sometimes the best gifts are those that are handmade and open when letters are one of the most sentimental DIY gift ideas you can make! The best thing is, you can make open when letters to suit almost every person and occasion! But they are especially great for someone you won’t be seeing for a while… like a college student, a partner who is deployed or long distance family member.

What Are Open When Letters?

Open when letters are a series of letters that are pre-written for different moments or occasions. They are gifted all at once, but the recipient can only open one when the moment is right, for example, “open when it’s your birthday”, or “open when you’ve had a bad day”.

The contents of the letters are up to you, as are the moments when they can open them. They can be a simple letter or they can include little extras and gifts to go with the moment.

Open When Letter Rules

You don’t just want to hand someone a pile of letters without explanation. That’s where these rules for open when letters come in:

• RULE 1 – NO PEEKING: As tempting as it is, don’t spoil the surprise! No peeking ahead.
• RULE 2 – ONLY OPEN WHEN IT APPLIES: Open the letters only when they apply, otherwise, you might open one before you truly need it.
• RULE 2 – ONLY OPEN 2 LETTERS PER WEEK: To make sure your surprises last a while, do not open more than 2 letters in a single week.
• RULE 3 – TELL ME WHEN YOU OPEN ONE: I want to hear from you each time you open a letter. Message, call or send a photo.
• RULE 4 – KEEP THEM ALL: You never know when you might want to re-read them so keep your letters for future!

Of course, you can make up your own rules but these are the rules I like to use. Nice and simple!

Who Can You Make Open When Letter Gifts For?

The short answer is – ANYONE!

There is no limit who can create a open if letter gift for. Even your partner who you live with will appreciate such a sentimental gift, but they are especially great for someone who you don’t see so often.

Open When Letter Ideas

The best thing about open when letters is that you can make them for virtually any moment or situation.

They can be for big life moments, like graduation, birthdays, or their wedding day, but they can also be for little moments when a person is in most need of a comforting message from someone who cares deeply for them, such as having a bad day or feeling discouraged.

Don’t make every letter on this list. That would be overwhelming. Between 10 and 20 is a great number of letters for a gift that lasts a while.

Here is a huge list of open when letter ideas:

1. You are feeling homesick
2. You are feeling anxious
3. You are feeling sad
4. You are feeling lonely
5. You are sick
6. You are feeling indecisive
7. You need a confidence boost
8. You are overwhelmed
9. You miss Dad
10. You miss Mom/Mum
11. You have something to celebrate
12. You can’t sleep
13. You are having a bad day
14. You need a laugh
15. You need advice
16. You are feeling angry
17. You are missing family
18. You are missing Mom/Mum
19. You need to make a big decision
20. You need encouragement
21. You made a mistake
22. You need a hug
23. You need caffeine
24. You need a treat
25. You want a homecooked meal
26. You need gas money
27. You need to see your family
28. You are feeling discouraged
29. You are feeling unmotivated
30. You are feeling disappointed
31. You are low on funds
32. It’s your birthday
33. It’s the first day of Winter
34. It’s the first day of Summer
35. It’s the first day of Spring
36. It’s the first day of Autumn/Fall
37. You are feeling nervous
38. You feel like you don’t fit in
39. You are missing your pet (dog/cat/fur baby)
40. You need a bit of pampering
41. It is Easter
42. It is St. Patrick’s Day
43. It is Christmas
44. It is Valentine’s Day
45. It is Halloween
46. It is New Year’s Eve
47. It is Madi Gras
48. It is Thanksgiving
49. You need a new playlist
50. It’s a boring rainy day
51. You. make a new friend
52. You miss my face
53. You are feeling adventurous
54. You meet someone special
55. You are feeling hurt
56. You are feeling lost
57. You feel stressed out
58. You need some good luck
59. Before you start exams
60. You are feeling nostalgic
61. You miss your brother
62. You miss your sister
63. You miss your grandparents
64. You are mad at me
65. You need some fun
66. You need a pep talk
67. You are feeling defeated
68. You need to hear a joke
69. You are feeling happy
70. You are craving pizza
71. You feel like crying
72. You need a surprise
73. Just because
74. You are sick of cafeteria food
75. You experience a break up
76. You need a quick mood boost
77. You run out of clean clothes
78. You are feeling proud
79. It’s the first day of January
80. It’s the first day of February
81. It’s the first day of March
82. It’s the first day of April
83. It’s the first day of May
84. It’s the first day of June
85. It’s the first day of July
86. It’s the first day of August
87. It’s the first day of September
88. It’s the first day of October
89. It’s the first day of November
90. It’s the first day of December
91. You need a kiss
92. It’s our anniversary
93. It’s the anniversary of the day we met
94. You get a new job
95. You get a promotion
96. You have a nightmare
97. It’s your first day of your new job
98. It’s your half birthday
99. You’ve been gone a week
100. You’ve been gone a month

What To Include With Open When Letters

The best thing about gifting someone a set of open when letters is that you can make it just letters and it’s literally one of the most beautifully sentimental gifts that doesn’t cost a thing to make.

You can also add in some little extras to make the experience even more fun, if it’s in your budget!

Making an open when letter gift for someone who you care about is quite possibly going to become their favourite gift EVER! It’s such a cute and sentimental gift idea that can work for virtually anyone really! But especially those people you care about that you might not get to see as often as you want!