THERE are so many ways to communicate in the modern era.

You can text, email, tweet, chat on the internet, listen to the radio or watch the TV.

But my favourite by far is the old fashioned letter or postcard.

This do-it-yourself letter holder is the perfect place to display those hand written notes.

I started the project by tracking down an old wooden shutter.

Salvage City in Maroochydore had a great range. I paid $15 for a door-sized shutter and cut it in half with a saw.

One point to keep in mind is that you want the shutter gaps to be thin enough to hold a letter. If you cannot find one to suit, you can also attach a piece of plywood to the back.

To give the letter holder a rustic look I bought some sandpaper from Bunnings for $1.99 and gave the shutter a once over.

After dusting off the shutter, I applied a layer of white paint around the outside and mint green to the inside. You can get little sample pots from Bunnings for less than $7 each.

Depending on the outcome you want to achieve, you can run the sandpaper over the corners to add a relaxed coastal feel.