In our twitterfied times, handwritten letters are both rarer and more appreciated than ever. They’re special because they represent a sincere and personalized effort — something like seeing a friend to the door as opposed to grunting at them from the couch as they let themselves out. And all it takes is a pen, a piece of paper, an envelope and a stamp!

Actually, at least for me, that’s a lot of things to keep handy. Which is why I was delighted to come across this elegant way of folding up one-to-three sheets of paper into their own envelope — no tape, glue, or wax required. If you keep a few stamps in your wallet, you can grab a piece of paper and have a letter ready for the mailbox in five minutes flat.

I don’t recall where I first stumbled upon this design, but you can find it here as one among many at Gerard Hughes’ Envelope and Letterfolding site. Go ahead and surprise someone with a 19th century status update — you’re almost guaranteed to make their day.