LetterAgent
Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.
Home > Guides > Mailing glitter
LetterAgent prints letters only, with no inserts, so glitter can't go through LetterAgent. Glitter is legal to mail, but seal it in a small inner bag inside a second envelope: loose glitter spills, jams sorting equipment, and turns the envelope nonmachinable. A powdery leak can even trigger a hazmat scare, so pack it like it matters.
Yes. Neither USPS nor Canada Post prohibits glitter. It is not hazardous, not flammable in the amounts anyone mails, and not on any restricted list. The problems with glitter are practical, not legal: it escapes from everything, it gets into sorting machinery, and an envelope that leaks a fine powder looks alarming to the people handling it. Mail it correctly and nobody cares; mail it loose and you become someone's bad day.
| Step | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Inner bag | Seal the glitter in a small zip bag, then tape the zipper shut | Zip bags pop open in transit; tape keeps the seal honest |
| 2. Inner envelope | Put the bag inside a small envelope or folded card | Double containment: if the bag fails, the envelope catches it |
| 3. Outer envelope | Put that inside a larger envelope and address the outer one | The machinery only ever touches clean paper |
| 4. Postage | Pay for a nonmachinable or rigid piece | The bag makes the envelope lumpy, which costs extra but arrives intact |
Keep the amount modest. A tablespoon of glitter in a sealed bag is a fun surprise; a cup of it is a mess no packaging can fully contain. And skip the "glitter bomb" prank mailers aimed at people who did not ask for it: what feels like a joke to you reads as harassment to the recipient, and several places treat it that way.
Because postal workers are trained to treat unknown powders as a possible threat. An envelope leaking white powder can trigger a hazmat response: the facility gets evacuated, emergency crews get called, and your glitter becomes a very expensive incident. Colored craft glitter is obviously glitter, but fine silver or white glitter in a leaking envelope does not look obviously harmless at a glance. Sealed inner packaging is not just etiquette; it is what keeps your mail from being treated as dangerous.
The same rules of thumb apply. Glitter is not prohibited, but leaking envelopes cause the same problems in Canadian sorting facilities, and Canada Post can refuse or return mail that is leaking its contents. Pack it in a sealed inner bag inside a second envelope, just as you would for USPS, and pay for the appropriate non-letter rate if the envelope is lumpy or rigid.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent - describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it's printed and mailed.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
Need help? Ask your assistant. It can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com