Open When Letters
An envelope label and what to tuck inside, one idea per card, ready for a stack of letters.
- Time
- About ten minutes a letter
- Players
- One writer, one reader
- Best for
- Long distance, trips apart and big new starts
- Deck
- 60 letters in 5 categories
How to use these open when letters
- Pick a category from the menu under the card, or keep “All categories”.
- Read the top card: an “Open when …” label for the envelope, then what to tuck inside it.
- Swipe the card away, or tap “Next letter”, for another. Letters do not repeat until you have seen the whole category.
- Tap the heart to save a letter on this device, or tap “Make a 10-letter list” for a set to write in one sitting.
When to write open when letters
Open when letters are for the stretches when you cannot be there in person: a work trip, a move, a season in different cities. Each envelope saves a little of you for later, so your partner has something from you at the exact moment it helps.
Before a long time apart
Write a set from Missing me and Hard days the week before a move or a long trip, and hand it over on the last evening.
Ahead of a big start
Firsts and milestones has letters for a new job, a new home and a first night somewhere unfamiliar.
For no reason at all
Just because letters work even when you live together: tuck one in a bag and let it wait for its moment.
Ways to put together open when letters
A starter set of ten
Save two cards from each category and write all ten in one evening. Ten envelopes cover a good few weeks apart without feeling like homework.
Hand them over at the door
Tie the stack with string and give it over on the last evening before a trip or a move, with the travel letter on top so it can be opened on the way.
Write them for each other
Each make a set at the same time, keep your stacks secret and swap them on the same night. Your two sets will look nothing alike, which is half the fun.
Tips for letters that get opened
- Write the label large on the front and the date you wrote it on the back. The date matters more later than you would think.
- Keep the hard-day letters short and gentle. A note, a tea bag and a promise to call beat a long speech.
- Add something flat to hold, like a photo or a ticket stub, so the envelope feels like more than paper.
All 60 open when letter ideas by category
The complete list, grouped by category. The cards above draw from the same list, so you can read ahead here and pick there.
Missing me
For nights apart, an empty side of the couch and the long stretch between visits.
- Open when you miss my voice — a QR code that plays a voice note of me reading your favorite poem.
- Open when you can’t sleep — the most boring bedtime story I could write, starring a sock drawer.
- Open when you miss my hugs — a step-by-step guide to hugging a pillow properly, until I can take over.
- Open when you’re counting the days until a visit — a tiny calendar with one doodle on each day that’s left.
- Open when you miss my cooking — a small packet of the spice mix I always use, with the recipe on the back.
- Open when you want to see my face — three photos of me pulling the faces you always tease me about.
- Open when the couch feels too empty — a list of the shows I promise to watch with you, in order.
- Open when you miss our walks — a hand-drawn map of our usual loop, with my favorite spots marked.
Show all 12 in Missing meShow fewer
- Open when you miss my laugh — a list of every joke of yours that made me laugh out loud.
- Open on a Sunday morning without me — the breakfast I would make you, written as a menu with prices in kisses.
- Open when you miss my handwriting — a page of everyday notes for the fridge, like “Back at six. Love you.”
- Open when you need to hear “I love you” — the words in twelve languages, with how to say each one.
Good days
For good news, small wins and the days that deserve a little celebrating.
- Open when you get good news — a paper party hat and strict orders to call me before telling anyone else.
- Open when you finish something big — a gold paper medal and a note about every step I watched you take.
- Open on the first warm day of the year — a list of five things to do outside, sunscreen included.
- Open when you’re proud of yourself — a note saying I’m even prouder, with three reasons why.
- Open after a perfect day — a blank page to write it all down, so we can relive it on our next call.
- Open when you’re in a dancing mood — a list of five songs we both know every word to.
- Open when you want to celebrate — a pinch of paper confetti, so please open this one over the sink.
- Open when you’re feeling lucky — a penny from the day we met and the story of where I found it.
Show all 12 in Good daysShow fewer
- Open when something reminds you of me — a list of the little things that remind me of you, to compare.
- Open when you’re out having fun with friends — a note saying hi to all of them and asking for one photo.
- Open when you hear our song — where I was and what I was thinking the first time we heard it together.
- Open when you want to brag a little — a page called “Things I tell everyone about you”, already full.
Hard days
For a rough day at work, a rainy week or a cancelled plan, kept light and kind.
- Open when work was a lot — a tea bag, a square of chocolate and a note saying the inbox can wait.
- Open when it’s rained all week — a list of seven small indoor treats, one for each gray day.
- Open when a plan gets cancelled — a homemade rain check, good for a date of your choice next time we meet.
- Open when your train is late — a word puzzle I made for you, with the answers in a smaller envelope.
- Open when you burn dinner — a note that cereal counts as dinner tonight, plus three toppings to make it fancy.
- Open when you’re nervous about tomorrow — a list of three times I’ve seen you be brave.
- Open when nothing is going right — a list of tiny wins to look for, like a green light or a warm mug.
- Open when you feel grumpy — seven jokes, one for each day of the week, ranked from bad to terrible.
Show all 12 in Hard daysShow fewer
- Open after a long Monday — a cartoon of you defeating Monday, drawn very badly by me.
- Open when you can’t decide something — a coin taped inside and a reminder that you choose well either way.
- Open when you feel stressed — a slow, winding path drawn on the page for your finger to trace while you breathe.
- Open when you need a pep talk — a speech written like a coach’s halftime talk, exclamation marks and all.
Firsts and milestones
For new places, new jobs and the moments that start a new chapter.
- Open on your first night in a new place — my drawing of how I picture your new room, and a tea light.
- Open on day one of a new job — a note for your lunch break and a guess at who you’ll like first.
- Open on our first anniversary — my twelve favorite moments from our first year, one for every month.
- Open on your birthday — a crown cut from gold paper and my favorite thing you did this year.
- Open when the first snow of winter falls — a recipe for snow-day cocoa and a request for a photo of the flakes.
- Open on the way home from a visit — a list of my favorite moments from the trip, written before you left.
- Open when you start something new, like a class or a hobby — a small notebook and a note saying I’m already impressed.
- Open on New Year’s Day — a page of my wishes for your year, with space at the bottom for yours.
Show all 12 in Firsts and milestonesShow fewer
- Open when you bring home your first houseplant — a tiny name tag and my list of name suggestions.
- Open on your first trip somewhere new — a postcard with my address on it, ready to send back from wherever you land.
- Open on the first day of spring — a packet of seeds and a request for a photo when they sprout.
- Open after a month somewhere new — a list of questions about your new neighborhood to answer on our next call.
Just because
For no particular reason, which is often the best reason to open a letter.
- Open on a random Tuesday — a doodle of the two of us as ducks, and nothing else.
- Open when you’re bored — a homemade word search hiding the names of our favorite places.
- Open when you want a surprise — a handful of your favorite candy and a riddle written on the wrapper.
- Open while the kettle boils — a note that takes exactly one kettle to read.
- Open whenever you like — a numbered list of reasons I love you, left unfinished because I keep adding to it.
- Open at the start of a long journey — a story I wrote in five short chapters, one for each hour.
- Open when you want to know a secret — something harmless about me you don’t know yet.
- Open when you start a new book — a bookmark I made, with a line I remember from our first conversation.
Show all 12 in Just becauseShow fewer
- Open after a perfectly ordinary day — a list of the ordinary days with you I loved the most.
- Open when you want a story — the whole story of the day I realized I liked you.
- Open when you’re hungry at midnight — my best snack combination, drawn as a labeled diagram.
- Open when you want to hold my hand — an outline of my hand traced on paper, to press yours against.
Frequently asked questions
How many open when letter ideas are there?
There are 60 ideas, 12 in each of five categories: missing me, good days, hard days, firsts and milestones, and just because. The cards and the list on this page use the same set.
What are open when letters?
A stack of sealed envelopes, each labeled with a moment, like “Open when you can’t sleep”. Your partner keeps the stack and opens each one only when that moment comes, so your words turn up right when they are wanted.
Are open when letters good for long distance couples?
They suit time apart well, because they keep arriving after you have left. Pair them with a few long distance date ideas for the evenings you can call.
How is an open when letter different from a love note?
A love note is found by surprise, while an open when letter waits for its moment. For short notes to leave around the home, see love notes.