You can purchase plain postcards, but it's also pretty easy to make your own.
To qualify for mailing at the First-Class Mail postcard price, it must be:
- Rectangular
- At least 3-1/2 inches high x 5 inches long x 0.007 inch thick
- No more than 4-1/4 x 6 inches long x 0.016 inches thick
Postcard stamps
As of July 13, the price of a postcard stamp increased from 56 cents to 62 cents. The price of a Forever stamp, for mailing letters in envelopes, increased from 73 cents to 78 cents.
The thickness info provided by the post office isn't much help since it is seldom on the paper pack.
Look for this —> 250gsm - 400gsm. (gsm is sometimes written as g/m2)
I use 300 g/m watercolor paper. I buy 9x12 sheets and cut them to a tiny bit less than 4x6. Some watercolor papers are a bit textured. I prefer the smooth, but the textured surface is what I'm using at the moment and it's fine.
Most cardstock is too thin, but they do make super thick cardstock. I haven't tried that because I've mostly used what I have on hand.
Postcards from Cereal Boxes
Another postcard medium I have seen used is the thin cardboard used on processed food packaging like cereal. It's thin as far as cardboard goes, but appears to be a nice thickness for postcards. Just cut it into pieces that meet the postal requirements. The logo side can be painted over or decoupaged. The blank side is just right for the note, address, and stamp. Since you probably acquire box packaged from your groceries, this is pretty much a freebie. You don't have to buy special paper.
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| I was only able to get one card from the guacamole package because of the holes on the front. |