Write, Fold, and Seal a Letter

Tutorial created by Rebekah Stretch, with help from Kiarra Burd, Jane Nederlof, Kavita Premkumar, Kalea Raposo, Lucie von Schilling, and Denae Dyck 

Online tutorial created by Priscilla Adebanji

A quill pen, ink, and two sheets of writing paper, folded and unfolded

 
 

The writing of letters was a decorum-steeped pastime and an important means of communication during the Victorian era. The advent of the Uniform Penny Post in 1840 made writing and mailing letters cheap, quick, and effective for individuals of various social and economic backgrounds. As was the case with most social activities of the Victorian era, the practice of letter writing was governed by an extensive set of rules, expectations, and conventions that reflected the breeding and propriety (or lack thereof) of the sender. Newspaper columns, magazines articles, and entire printed manuals were dedicated to cultivating the art and etiquette of letter writing. J. Willis Westlake’s How to Write Letters; a Manual of Correspondence became the definitive authority on all-things letter writing when it was published in 1876. Similar etiquette manuals dedicated to the penning of love letters, business correspondence, and invitations became equally popular with Victorian readers. 

Every aspect of letter writing was infused with social expectations: the quality and colour of paper and ink, the length and style of the message, the placement of words on the page, and the manner in which the letter was folded and addressed were all a reflection of the sender’s gentility and good taste. While letters were an affordable and convenient way to communicate, the strict values and conventions of the Victorian era meant that letter writing was also an art form to be practiced and mastered. If you are interested in refining your letter-writing skills like a Victorian, follow the steps in the tutorial below!

Want to learn more about this craft? Click here for a list of scholarly readings, blogs and websites, instructional videos, extant examples, and 19th-century tutorials.

To read some makers’ reflections on this craft, and to see what they made, click here.

You will need

  • A nib pen (or a regular black pen). Click here to purchase the nib quill pen, sealing wax, and ink kit photographed above. 

  • Black ink (only if using a nib pen)

  • A white sheet of paper, ruled or unruled (can be recycled)

  • Stick of sealing wax (or a printed-out replica seal to cut out and affix to the letter - see below)

  • A lighter or matches (only if using sealing wax) 

  • A postage stamp (for letters to actually be mailed) or a printed out image of a “penny post” era stamp to affix to the letter packet. Stamp and wax seal replica images can be printed out here.

For Instructors: Visit our Crafting in the Classroom page for information on embodied learning, or click here for further resources about this craft.

Writing your letter

  • Begin with a fresh sheet of paper of your choice and write your heading (place/return address and the date).

    TIP: If you are using ruled paper, the heading should be just left of center beginning on the first line, and the placement should be the same for unruled paper. 

  • Write your message. If you are unsure what to write, consider copying a favorite letter from literature, writing a fictional correspondence between two of your literary heroes, or writing a letter to a friend or family member. 

  • Finish your letter with a complimentary close – a short phrase of respect or endearment  such as “yours respectfully”, “ever yours”, or “yours sincerely” – and your signature.

 

Folding your letter

  • Victorians often used the letter itself as a built-in envelope to save money on postage. While there were many ways to fold a letter into an envelope packet, the following video demonstrates one of the most common methods: 

 
 

A single sheet of paper, landscape orientation, folded along both the bottom and the top edge

 

Sealing your letter

  • Now that your letter is folded, it needs to be sealed. Hold a stick of sealing wax over the side that can be opened and light the wick end of the sealing wax with a match or lighter. Let the wax drip onto the seam of the packet until the pool of liquid wax is about the size of a dime or other small coin.

  • Press a seal (can be a ring seal, a historical replica, or any small, hard, textured object) into the wet wax, holding it in the wax for several seconds until the wax is mostly dry

    • Variation: access to sealing wax, simply print, cut out, and affix one of the print-out replica seals here.

 
 
 

A lighter and a stick of sealing wax, held over the folded letter

 

  • Flip the packet over to the blank, unsealed side and neatly affix a stamp (either real postage or a historical replica) to the top right corner of your packet with glue. 

  • Write the name and address of the recipient neatly in the centre of the packet. Now your letter is ready to mail!

Rebekah’s Letter

 
 
 

Further Resources

How can I incorporate letter writing into my classroom?

Consider using this tutorial alongside a creative assignment that asks your students to write a letter in the voice of a literary character. For an example, see this “Character Analysis” assignment designed by Dr. Amanda Shubert (Research Associate and Associate Lecturer, University of Wisconsin-Madison). 

For further insights and tips on Victorian letter writing, see this video tutorial, created by Dr. Catherine Golden (Professor and Tisch Chair in Arts and Letters, Skidmore College), and listen to an interview with Dr. Golden on the Victorian Samplings Podcast (S2E1: Paper in Motion).

For a PDF of additional resources and further reading on Victorian letter writing, click here.

For more insights on creating letters, check out our research assistants’ “Reflections On Critical Craft,” including a set of reflections on letters.

Please send us your own work-in-progress and/or finished creations! Email us at craftyvictorians@gmail.com, tweet us @craftyvictorian, or connect with us on Instagram @crafty_victorians.