This project is part of a campaign I’m doing with Yahoo! Mail on different ways to keep in touch with family and friends. I had wanted to recreate an easier version of this big project I did for Aubrey last year and this seemed like the perfect time. I contacted the artist, Shanna Murray, to help me come up with artwork for a poster that everyone could download. It says “I’m so glad you were born” which is my favorite way to wish someone happy birthday. If you have a special person whose birthday is coming up here is how it works. You download the pdf below made up of 25 different pages that each have a part of the poster or “piece of the puzzle” on it. Then you email each page to a different person like their family and friends and assorted lovers. Then each person prints it out on cardstock, cuts it out, writes a note on the postcard, and stamps and mails it to the birthday person. The birthday person will get love notes and birthday wishes for a week or two from everyone they know as the postcards trickle in with the daily mail! Find detailed instructions and the download below!.

Step 1: Decide who you are going to give this surprise to and get their mailing address. You’ll also need to make a list of 25 friends and family with their email addresses.

Step 2: Download the 25 sheet pdf. Each pdf has some basic instructions explaining the project but you’ll need to include more detailed instructions with your email. Here is a sample of instructions you could include:

Hello,

I’ve put together this little poster project for (__________’s) birthday. It’s pretty simple and just requires you to print out the attachment of this email on cardstock, write on it, stamp it and drop it in the mail. Then (_________) will receive all 25 pieces of the poster in the mail like a puzzle. (__________’s) birthday is (_____) so please mail it between the dates of (_____and____). If for some reason you can’t send your card in will you please let me know so I figure out a plan B.

1. Print out the paper on a heavy paper like cardstock.
2. Cut out the card.
3. Address the other side of the card to (_____________) fill in address.
4. Write a note to (__________) feel free to get creative, draw pictures, or even mail it in an envelope and attach old pictures.
5. Stamp it and drop it in the mail between (______________and__________)

If you have any questions email me at (______________).

Step 3: Send an email to each person with a different attachment and instructions.

Step 4: If you want you can send a follow up reminder about the mailing dates. When we did it we tried to get everyone to send it in but I sort of liked that a few came up missing, it wasn’t “perfect.”

Download the 25 pages with postcards below!

A special thanks to Shanna Murray for the beautiful design, to Aubrey Trinnaman for the photos and for Alexis Birkmeyer for pulling it all together. What do you think? Would you ever do this? Do you think you could get 25 people to mail in a postcard?

All photos by Aubrey Trinnaman for Oh Happy Day