For many years I’ve taken a lot of pride in my handwriting. I can write neatly in a variety of styles, and I’ve often been asked by friends to write things for their craft projects. However, I recently was going through old notebooks and realized how my writing has gotten a little sloppy over the past few years. It didn’t take me long to figure out the reason: I’ve been doing most of my writing on a computer instead of with my trusty pen and paper.

Like anything, handwriting takes practice. The more you do it, the better you’ll be at it (usually). With so many different high-tech ways of recording things, it takes a conscious effort to practice your handwriting, but here are a few things I’ve been doing to give my writing a boost.

And keep reading for a fun way to practice your handwriting and win a free magazine from Stampington at the same time!

Six Easy Ways to Improve Your Handwriting

1.     Invest in a workbook.

If you’ve ever been at a loss over what exactly to write, consider picking up a copy of Field Guide. There are a ton of different prompts and worksheets that you can use to help perfect your handwriting.

2.     Write a letter.

Remember the days of writing a letter to your pen pal in elementary school? Send a letter to a friend or family member. They’ll love getting something special in the mail, and they may even write you back.

3.     Observe others’ handwriting.

I used to love copying my friends’ and teachers’ handwriting. Look on Pinterest or Instagram, or pick up a copy of Art Journaling magazine to see a variety of different writing styles. Practice writing in that manner, and once you feel comfortable with it, make a few tweaks to make a style all your own.

4.     Record your favorite quotes.

I’ve been keeping a journal of my favorite quotes since middle school. It’s nice to pull it out and read through it when I need a little spark of inspiration. It’s also a great way to keep your writing nice and neat.

5.     Learn brush-lettering.

Beautiful hand-lettering is so trendy right now, and because of that, there are a ton of resources online to help you get that “Pinterest look.” You can find free worksheets that will help guide you through the process. YouTube is also a good resource for artful lettering techniques, and I like experimenting with different artist pens or markers to change up the effect of my handwriting.

Download your free brush-lettering practice page here, to help get you started.

6.     Doodle

I find that the main thing that makes my handwriting sloppy is that my hand gets very tired very quickly these days. Doodling is a great way to keep those hand muscles strong.

 

Christen Hammons is the director of publishing for Stampington & Company. She lives in Orange County with her husband, two sassy cats, and one scruffy dog. She usually has her nose in a book, and you can follow along with her reading adventures on Instagram (@christenreadsalot). 

 

Win a Free Magazine

January 23rd is #NationalHandwritingDay, and we want you to join in on the fun!

Take a step back and remind yourself what a pen, hand, and piece of paper can do.

Handwrite your favorite quote for a chance to win one of three FREE magazines from @stampington!

 

How to Enter

Post your handwritten quote on Instagram with the hashtags #NationalHandwritingDay and #StampingtonMade.

We’ll randomly select three winners on February 7, 2019.