Fun Stationery Finds for Pen Pals: Quirky Picks to Brighten Your Desk
Any seasoned pen pal will tell you: the best letters come from people who genuinely enjoy the ritual of sitting down to write. And part of that ritual is having a desk full of stationery that makes you smile before you've even put pen to paper. From novelty pens to 3D stickers and the kind of pencil sharpener that draws comments from every visitor to your desk, the right stationery isn't just functional — it's a reflection of your personality, and a little gift to yourself every time you write. Here are six of our current favourite fun stationery finds from Rex London, a British gift and design company that has been putting joy into everyday objects since 1981.
Why Personality Matters in Pen Pal Stationery
At Global Penfriends, our community of 500,000+ members across 195 countries share one thing in common: a love of letters that feel like they came from a real person with a real personality. Your stationery is part of that personality. The pen you write with, the stickers you tuck inside, the little extras that tumble out of the envelope — they all tell your pen pal something about who you are.
Novelty and fun stationery has always been a big part of pen pal culture. Whether you're decorating your envelope, brightening up your writing desk, or tucking a small surprise inside your next letter, these picks from Rex London are exactly the kind of thing the pen pal community loves.
1. Flower Shaped Highlighter Set — Flower Power
If you keep a correspondence journal (and many dedicated pen pals do), you'll know how useful a good set of highlighters can be. Use them to mark passages you want to respond to, colour-code your pen pal entries, or simply brighten up the notes you're drafting before you write your final letter.
This flower-shaped highlighter set from Rex London takes what could be a mundane desk item and turns it into something genuinely delightful. The set includes six vibrant colours — blue, green, yellow, orange, pink and purple — each highlighter shaped like a small flower. They sit beautifully on your desk and make a lovely gift to tuck inside a letter for a pen pal you know loves stationery.
Price: £3.95
View the Flower Power Highlighter Set at Rex London →
2. Adorable Animal Ballpoint Pen — Cat
You'll hear pen pals talk about finding "the perfect pen" with the same reverence most people reserve for more serious things. And while everyone has their own preference for ink type and nib feel, we'd argue that a pen that makes you smile every time you pick it up is half the battle.
This adorable cat ballpoint pen from Rex London is exactly that. Retractable, comfortable to hold with its rubberised grip, and topped with a little seated cat in pink, it writes in smooth blue ink and is absolutely the sort of thing you leave on your desk on purpose so people ask about it. It also makes an excellent enclosure for a letter to a pen pal who loves cats — at £2.95, it's the perfect kind of small happy mail surprise.
Price: £2.95
View the Cat Ballpoint Pen at Rex London →
3. 3D Puffy Stickers — Lunch Box
Stickers are one of the most beloved enclosures in the pen pal world. They take up almost no space and no postage weight, they're universally appealing, and they give your pen pal something tactile to enjoy alongside your letter. A sheet of stickers says: I thought about you, and I wanted to send you something fun.
These 3D puffy stickers from Rex London are particularly good — a sheet of 65 food-themed stickers featuring fried eggs, sushi and more, with a satisfying raised texture that makes them genuinely fun to peel and stick. Pop a sheet inside your next letter, stick a few on your envelope as decoration, or use them to brighten up your correspondence journal. At £2.95 for a full sheet, they're excellent value.
Price: £2.95
View the Lunch Box 3D Stickers at Rex London →
4. 3D Stickers — Quirky Cats
If your pen pal has ever mentioned their cat in a letter — and statistically, there is a very good chance they have — these Quirky Cats 3D stickers are the enclosure you've been looking for. A sheet of 59 cat-themed stickers with a satisfying 3D epoxy finish, they're the kind of thing that will earn you a mention in the next letter back.
Beyond enclosures, 3D stickers like these are wonderful for decorating the outside of your envelope (a few cats peeking out from the flap is an excellent look), marking sections of a long letter, or simply adding to your sticker collection — a beloved pen pal hobby in its own right. Compatible with scrapbooks, laptops, water bottles and of course letters.
Price: £2.95
View the Quirky Cats 3D Stickers at Rex London →
5. Pencil Sharpener — Hot Dog
Every pen pal desk needs a pencil sharpener, and if that pencil sharpener can also reliably make anyone who sees it laugh, so much the better. Rex London's Hot Dog sharpener is a sausage dog moulded into a hot dog bun complete with a stripe of ketchup — it's ridiculous, it's wonderful, and it works perfectly as a standard pencil sharpener. Shavings are retained in the body; just twist the head to empty it.
This is also one of those rare stationery items that makes an excellent pen pal gift in its own right — substantial enough to feel like a proper present, fun enough to raise a smile, and genuinely useful on a writing desk. A matching tape dispenser and mini stapler are also available from Rex London if you want to commit fully to the hot dog desk set.
Price: £4.95
View the Hot Dog Pencil Sharpener at Rex London →
6. Adorable Animal Doughnut Eraser — Unicorn
Pencil users will appreciate this on a practical level. Everyone else will appreciate it because it's a unicorn sitting on a doughnut with blue icing and sprinkles, and it is an objectively good thing to have on a desk.
The unicorn doughnut eraser from Rex London has become one of those pen pal community favourites that turns up in unboxing photos and happy mail hauls — it's the right size to tuck inside an envelope without adding much weight, it's affordable enough to send spontaneously, and it's the sort of thing that makes your pen pal smile when it falls out of the envelope. A great gift for pen pals of all ages, and a collectors' item for anyone building a fun stationery collection.
Price: £2.95
View the Unicorn Doughnut Eraser at Rex London →
About Rex London
About Rex London
Rex London is a British gift and design company that has been creating original, joyful products since 1981. With over 2,500 products across stationery, homeware, toys and gifts, they offer free standard UK delivery on orders over £35.
All six products featured in this article come from Rex London, a company we recommend for the pen pal community because of the genuine personality and playfulness of their designs. Their stationery range in particular captures the spirit of pen pal culture well — the belief that the functional objects you surround yourself with should also bring a little joy.
Whether you're shopping for yourself or looking for something fun to send to a pen pal in your next letter, their range is well worth exploring. Browse the full Rex London stationery range here →
Which of These Work Best as Pen Pal Enclosures?
One of the great pleasures of pen pal correspondence is tucking surprises inside your letters — small, flat items that travel well and delight the recipient when they tip the envelope out. Here's a quick guide to which of the above work best as enclosures:
- Best to send inside a letter: Both sticker sheets (the Lunch Box and Quirky Cats sets are perfect — flat, light, and universally loved), plus the Cat ballpoint pen for a pen pal who loves cats
- Best as a small pen pal gift: The Unicorn Doughnut Eraser (light enough to post without much added weight) and the flower highlighter set make lovely little gifts
- Best for your own desk: The Hot Dog sharpener — buy one for yourself, and it will inevitably come up in your next letter without you even planning it
A Desk You Love Writing From
The best pen pal letters come from people who genuinely enjoy the act of sitting down to write — and the right stationery is a big part of creating that feeling. Whether it's a pen that makes you smile when you pick it up, a sticker sheet that brings a little joy to decorating your envelope, or a pencil sharpener that earns a mention in your next letter, these small details matter more than you might think.
If you haven't yet found your perfect pen pal match, Global Penfriends connects letter writers across 195+ countries. With 500,000+ active members, your next lifelong international friendship could be just one letter away.