Blog7 min read
Open when letter ideas, and what to put in each one
Open when letters are sealed envelopes, each labelled with a moment: "Open when you can't sleep", "Open when you got the job". The best ideas cover the moments they'll actually have while you're not there. Below are prompts grouped by moment, with what to write and what to tuck inside each one, plus how to give them so they get opened at the right time rather than all on the first night.
Open when letter ideas for hard days
These are the letters that get reread. Keep them short and steady: on a bad day nobody wants four pages. For each one, here's the idea and what to put in it.
- Open when you've had a terrible day. Don't try to fix it. Tell them one thing you know about them that the day can't change, and give them a plan for the evening: a film, a bath, bed by ten.
- Open when you feel like giving up. Remind them of a time they nearly quit and didn't, in detail. The specific memory does more than "you've got this".
- Open when you're ill. A tea bag, the name of the comfort film you'd watch together, and permission to do nothing.
- Open when we've had a fight. Write it on a good day, when you're calm. Say that you still love them, that you'll talk properly, and that this letter was written by the version of you who remembers what matters.
- Open when you're stressed about the exam, the interview or the deadline. A short note to read the night before, and one line to read on the way in.
- Open when you feel lonely. A photo of the two of you and the time you'll next call, in their time zone.
If you're opening this, we've had a fight. I'm writing it on a quiet Sunday when everything is fine, so believe this version of me: I love you, I'm not going anywhere, and I want to talk about it properly once we've both had some sleep.
Open when letters for missing each other
- Open when you miss me. Not about how much you miss them. A memory from a normal day together, and something you want to do the next time you're in the same room.
- Open when you can't sleep. Something slow to read: the story of how you met, told in more detail than usual. Or a list of the things you'd talk about if you were there.
- Open when you want to hear my voice. A QR code or a link to a voice note, printed and folded in. Record it when you're relaxed, not when you're rushing to finish the letters.
- Open on the first night apart. Keep it light. What you'll be doing at the same time, and the date of your next call.
- Open when it's been a month. How many days are left, a photo you haven't shown them, and a question for your next call.
- Open when you're counting down to seeing me. A list of what you've saved up to do together, and the first thing you'll say at the airport or the station.
- Open when you need to know how much I love you. Not "so much" but why: five or six reasons, each tied to something they actually did. Our list of reasons why I love you has ones to start from.
Remember the first night you stayed over and we talked until the birds started? I've written down everything I remember about it. Read it slowly. I'll tell you the rest on our next call.
If you're apart for a long stretch, our free long-distance tools show the hours you're both awake, which makes "call me when you read this" a promise you can keep.
Open when letters for good news and big days
- Open when you get good news. You won't know what it is yet, so write about how proud you are in general and say you want the full story tonight, every detail.
- Open on your birthday. Something to do on the day, a photo from a past birthday and a line about what you hope the year holds for them.
- Open on our anniversary. One memory from the year, told properly. Our guide on how to write a love letter has a five-step way to do it.
- Open when you've done something brave. Leave the bravery unnamed. They'll fill it in, and the letter will fit whatever it was.
- Open when it snows (or the first warm day, the first day of autumn). Something to do outside, and a photo from the same season last year.
Funny open when letter ideas
A set of only serious letters can feel heavy. Mix in two or three that are just for fun:
- Open when you're bored. A word search you made with your inside jokes in it, or a list of twelve questions to answer and send back.
- Open when you need a laugh. The worst photo of you that exists. They deserve it.
- Open when you can't decide what to have for dinner. A folded menu of three choices you've picked for them, with a note saying which one you'd pick.
- Open when you're hungry. A small snack taped inside. Choose one that won't melt on the way.
- Open when you've opened all the others. A short letter saying you knew they'd peek, and what you'll do together when you see them.
What to put inside an open when letter
Words are the main thing, but one small object makes a letter something to open rather than something to read. It needs to be flat, light and not melt:
| Put in | For the letter about |
|---|---|
| A photo they haven't seen | Missing you, the one-month mark |
| A tea bag or a packet of hot chocolate | Being ill, a sleepless night |
| A printed QR code to a voice note or a playlist | Wanting to hear your voice |
| A pressed flower or a leaf from somewhere you went together | An anniversary, a season |
| A ticket stub or a receipt from a date | Missing you, a hard day |
| A handwritten "voucher" for a long call or a dinner you'll cook | Good news, a birthday |
How to make and give open when letters
- Pick six to twelve moments from the lists above, the ones you can picture them actually having. More than that and the last few get padded.
- Write them over a few evenings, two or three at a time, so they don't all sound the same.
- Label each envelope clearly with "Open when…" on the front, and number them if you want some opened in order.
- Seal them and put them in one box with a short note on the lid: the one rule (open each one only when it's true) and the date you wrote them.
- Hand the box over before you leave, or send it at least two weeks before the first moment you're writing for. Anything crossing a border can easily take that long.
If they're already far away, you can send them as digital gifts instead: one link per letter, each labelled with its moment, kept in a note on their phone. The Letter is free and you can make as many as you like. If you'd rather one letter opens at a set time, such as midnight on their birthday, scheduling comes with “Make it special”, a one-time paid extra for The Letter.
Questions people ask
What do you write in an open when letter?
Write for the moment on the envelope. For a bad day, one thing that day can't change about them and a plan for the evening. For missing you, a memory from an ordinary day together. Keep each one short and add one small thing to hold, like a photo or a tea bag.
How many open when letters should I write?
Six to twelve is enough for most people. Pick the moments they're likely to have while you're apart, write those properly, and stop. A dozen letters you meant is better than fifty where the last thirty are padding.
What are good open when letter topics?
The ones that get opened: when you've had a bad day, when you miss me, when you can't sleep, when you're ill, when we've had a fight, when you get good news and on your birthday. Add two or three funny ones, like when you're bored or when you've opened all the others.
When should I give open when letters?
Hand them over before you're apart, in one box with the rule on the lid. If you're sending them, allow at least two weeks before the first moment you've written for, since anything crossing a border can take that long.
