How To Begin

How to Begin

Joining Flat Travelers is easy and fun. All you need is a little creativity and to know where to find people to host your traveler. There are many groups who are dedicated to the Flat Travelers. The group we belong to is the yahoo group, found at Groups . Joining the group is easy and membership is free.

Below, you will find the steps to guide you through first time travelers. Click here for steps to guide you through first time hosting.

Easy steps to guide first time travelers

Make your travelers and color them. Be as creative as you like. Travelers are in various sizes and shapes. Some are pictures of people, animals, and cartoon characters, while others are paper dolls dressed in their finest. Sites with paper doll patterns can be found on our Links page.
Write your name, address, and email address on the back of your traveler. If your traveler is separated from it's envelope, the host family will know who he/she belongs to.
Laminate your traveler. Laminating will keep your traveler clean and safe while going through the United States Postal and Overseas Systems. Lamination paper is inexpensive and can be easily found at many department stores, craft stores and office supply stores.
Find a host for your traveler. The Yahoo group is a good place to start.
Email a prospective host to see if they are still hosting. If they are, exchange mailing addresses and other information through private email. Do not post your address to the groups message board. This is not a safe practice as it could cause unwanted mail to your home address. Never mail a traveler to a host family unless they are willing to accept him/her as a guest.
When you find a host, prepare your journal sheet (a plain piece of notebook paper is sufficient but you can be as creative as you like. Some visitors take small book type journals with them), and a short letter with information about your family and your state. The information about your state can be something you prepare yourself or can be preprinted brochures found at your local chamber of commerce or tourism board, or printed from an online source. You can type in questions you would like answered and put in lines for the answers or you can just put blank lines for the host to fill in as they see fit. Journals and travelers should be small enough to fit inside a business size envelope (approximately 9 1/2" x 4") and cost no more than a single postage stamp (Currently 37 cents for the U.S.). (If you include more than the journal, information about your area and family, and your traveler, the cost may be higher. Your local Post Office can weigh your package and tell you how much it will cost for the area you are mailing it to.)
Now you are ready to put it all together!
Address your envelope carefully.
Gently place your traveler, journal sheet, and information inside the envelope and seal it.
Add the proper postage and put your traveler in the mail.
Email the host family that your traveler is on its way.
Stay in contact with the host family through private email.

Go to Hosting