32 Fully-Developed Open When Letter Ideas and Examples

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Looking for creative Open When Letter ideas and topics? It can be hard to think of what to write inside letter gifts for your boyfriend.

Don’t despair, though. Open When Letters involve a lot of up-front work on your part, but they can make your boyfriend smile for months to come!

Personally, I’ve found that scrolling through an enormous list of phrases isn’t very helpful if you don’t know what to actually put inside the envelopes. Matching the phrases to the letters’ contents is perhaps the hardest part of creating Open When Letters.

That’s why I’ve tried to develop each idea a bit further than normal. Each open when topic below is followed by an example note or small, inexpensive gift you could include.

Of course, it’s up to you to decide what to write inside your Open When Letters, but I hope these ideas and examples can be a helpful launch point.

Printable Open When Letter Labels

What if you love the ideas, but you’re short on time or creative energy?

These printable Open When Letter labels can help you create beautiful Open When Letters. I created a label for each of the 32 ideas listed below. You can print and cut them out on sticker paper, or use regular paper and tape them to your envelopes or gift boxes. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 32 printable Open When Letter labels with matching stickers (Use the code OPENWHEN to get 30% off)
• 8.5 x 11″ sticker paper
• Kraft envelopes

32 Open When Letter Ideas and Examples

1. Open when you miss me: Write a heartwarming, heart-shaped love letter with photos.
2. Open when you’re sad: Put smiley face stickers and hearts on an encouraging note.
3. Open when you’re bored: Draw a maze, print a crossword puzzle, or create a complex riddle for him to solve.
4. Open when you need a laugh: Look up knock-knock jokes and write them on index cards.
5. Open when you feel discouraged: Create a list of ten reasons you’re proud of him.
6. Open when you miss seeing my face: Print out a selfie of you.
7. Open when you miss my scent: Fill a travel-sized bottle with your lotion or perfume (this works great if his love language is physical touch)
8. Open when you need to remember I love you: Assemble a photo collage. When you take each photo, hold up a letter to eventually spell out “I love you” throughout the photos.
9. Open when you’re feeling nostalgic: List your favorite memories from your time as a couple.
10. Open when you can keep a secret: Explain a secret or story from your childhood you’ve never told him before.
11. Open when you want to remember how we met: Make a simple, hand-drawn picture book describing how you met.
12. Open when you want to know why I like/love you: List five things you love most about him and why.
13. Open when you miss my kisses: Include a bag of Hershey’s Kisses.
14. Open when we run out of things to talk about: Choose questions from this list of 225 conversation-starters and write them on a piece of paper.
15. Open when it’s the first snow: Cut out a paper snowflake and write little notes on it.
16. Open when you’re coming to visit me: A gift card for fuel or road trip snacks, accompanied by podcast recommendations.
17. Open when you’re feeling sick: Supply him with a bag of cough drops, tissues, and tea.
18. Open when you’re hungry: Give him his favorite snack (include an expiration date on the outside of the letter if needed, and avoid meltable items).
19. Open when you want to explore the outdoors: Create a nature scavenger hunt that he can complete with friends in a park.
20. Open when you can’t sleep: Draw a bunch of sheep for him to count before falling asleep.
21. Open when you move into your new dorm/apartment: Give him a framed photo of the two of you that he can put on a bookshelf.
22. Open when it’s your first day of school/work: Find a pen or pencil in his favorite color. Write “You got this!” on a piece of tape and wrap it around the pen or pencil.
23. Open when you’re working on an intense project: Create two playlists for him — one for focused study and one for relaxation when he’s done.
24. Open when you’re stressed: Write an encouraging message with Bible verses for long-distance relationships.
25. Open when you run out of food: Include a package of Ramen or Easy Mac for him to cook.
26. Open when it’s our anniversary: Make a photo collage or custom photo item on a website like Shutterfly.
27. Open when it’s Christmas: Make a homemade Christmas ornament.
28. Open when it’s Easter: Cut out an oval-shaped card and include jellybeans.
29. Open when it’s Valentine’s Day: Fill an envelope with mini heart confetti and a love poem
30. Open when it’s Groundhog Day: Write out a bunch of groundhog jokes.
31. Open when it’s your birthday: Find a small, meaningful gift, like a themed bowtie or engraved utility knife.
32. Open when it’s your friend’s birthday: Put balloons and birthday candles in an envelope.

Read next: How To Write Open When Letters for Your Boyfriend: The Complete Guide