
Where do you want to go this year? January’s project guides you through the process of how to make twelve postcards – one for each month of 2023. Plan your dream destinations and create images to represent them, in collage, crayon, calligraphy or cut outs!
You’ll need:
- Twelve postcard-size and postcard-weight cards
- Ink pen
- An envelope to hold all the cards
- Magazines/maps/coloured paper/ephemera
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Old postage stamps (optional)
- Paper or sketchbook for notes
Step by step:
Start by making a list of the places you’d like to visit. States of mind, city breaks, parts of the body, friends, libraries, recipes… Maybe pick a theme, or duck and dive in different directions.

Have a little think about how to describe each place. Try out ideas.
Here’s my list, with thoughts about images alongside:
January – planning/editing – pencils lined up
February – Booklover’s Edinburgh – letterpress letters
March – MapLove – the number three cut out of a map
April – Iona Driftwood Binding Retreat – pebbles or shells
May – sun holiday – an orange
June – island time – boat
July – Shetland Text and Texture – Fair Isle pattern
August – Iona Driftwood Binding Retreat – water
September – Booklover’s Bath – copperplate calligraphy
October – Personal Geographies Venice – canal map
November – Paris Love Letters – envelope
December – holiday cheer – star
On one side of each card, illustrate each destination. Take the pressure off January by starting in March perhaps.
Steadily work through all twelve.

If you like, recreate a conventional postcard layout on the reverse side, with lines for the address, space for a message and room for the stamp.
When your set of twelve postcards is complete, put them in the envelope to keep them safe.
Don’t forget to label the front, and add a sender’s address on the back. And a stamp too?
Please tag @paperhazell and/or @thetravellingbookbinder if you post pictures to the socials.
Refer back to the postcards regularly, or save them for twelve months.
Wishing you a year of discovery, compassion and colour, with plenty of gluing and sticking.
This sounds very interesting.
I’ll try my best,
Good for you!