Holiday Greetings Made Special

‘Tis the season!

Many people use this time of year to catch up with friends and acquaintances that they haven’t heard from all year.  Special cards, letters and photos are exchanged at a rapid rate.  At our house, we usually send out about 150 holiday cards and letters, and we typically receive a similar amount.  So, how can you make your card stand out this year?  Here are a few ideas to create some unique and special greetings:

1. Don’t limit yourself to holiday cards.  Postcards are also fun to send and receive, and you can even make your own with some pretty cardstock and your computer printer!  Plus, the postage on a postcard is more economical than a first class letter.
2. Bring the design of the greeting to the outside as well.  If holiday bells or candy canes are the theme, stamp or draw some along the outside of the envelope.  The greeting doesn’t have to be simply contained inside the envelope!
3. Send a little fun as well.  Use a hole punch to make some festive holiday confetti, or purchase specialty confetti in fun shapes.  Even better?  Send snow - purchase a package of “fake snow” and throw a few flakes inside the card.
4. My parents forego cards at this time of year and wait until January to send out greetings to their friends.  I’ve received annual holiday greetings from friends at other times of the year as well: Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, and even one friend who chooses to mail out cards to her friends on her birthday!
5. If you have children, include them in the fun.  A couple of years ago, my son drew a fantastic picture of our family around a Christmas tree.  I was able to recreate the design on cardstock relatively inexpensively, and our holiday card for the year was born!  Children can also create unique cards if you don’t have too many, or they can help write names on the inside if they are old enough.
6. If you send out mass amounts of cards and use a printed greeting, make sure you also include a personal note as well.  Even a simple line like “Thinking of you this holiday season” means so much when it is handwritten.

Take the time this year to send out a few cards (or more) and make them stand out.  If you have other tips you’d like to share, leave a comment below!