Receiving a card in the mail is always a special treat. It can brighten anyone’s day and bring smiles for days to come.
This is even truer when it comes to holidays. Holiday greeting cards are a tradition that everyone loves to cherish and share with the family. Most of us have put those beloved cards over a mantle, or taped them up for all to see.
Greeting cards make for a special addition to any holiday season.
If you’re stretched for time, however, it can be difficult to make sure all of your cards get out in a timely manner. There’s always so much to do during such a busy time of the year.
Luckily, there are many ways to simplify the making of those cards and getting them out in time. All while having some fun in the process.
Simplify Your Holiday Greeting Cards #1
Use Personalized Photos
An easy way to make your holiday greeting cards even more special and personalized is by using your own digital photos. Instead of having a generic scene on the card, you can use a family photo, maybe one from a fun vacation trip.
This not only lets you make use of your own photos in a creative way, but you can also update family and friends on how your family is doing in a fun way. They can take one look at your personalized card and see how the children have grown this year, or how happy you all look together.
It makes it clear that this card is coming from specifically your family, rather than being another generic kind of holiday greeting.
Simplify Your Holiday Greeting Cards #2
Make it Fun
It can sometimes feel like making holiday greeting cards is a chore. Plus, it takes time away from the hundreds of other things you need to get done this season.
This is when you make the process more fun for yourself.
Put on some music. Move to a more festive location to really bring out the holiday cheer. Bring out your arts and crafts supplies.
The more fun you have in making your cards, the better they will turn out. And, if you’re enjoying the process, it makes completing them a whole lot easier for everyone.
Simplify Your Holiday Greeting Cards #3
Get the Family Involved
There are a lot of reasons to send holiday cards, but one of the main reasons is to celebrate family. So why not get your whole family involved when it comes to making those holiday greeting cards?
It can become a whole new kind of holiday tradition. Including a personal touch from each family member can make those greeting cards even more special. Wouldn’t your parents love to have a little message written specifically for them by your youngest?
There’s also the bonus of the entire process going faster when there are more hands to help out.
Simplify Your Holiday Greeting Cards #4
Keep a Full List of Addresses
One of the harder problems that come up when making holiday greeting cards is when you realize you don’t have an address for someone. You don’t want to leave them out of course. But it takes several phone calls and a lot more time to learn what their new address is.
To keep this from happening in the future, try to keep an updated list of addresses throughout the year. It can also be a good idea to jot down important dates like birthdays or anniversaries.
The best way to keep all of this easily accessible is to have a booklet specifically dedicated to this kind of information.
Having a little booklet with all of this information will make it easier when the time comes to make your yearly holiday cards. It can also save you time and energy when it comes to remembering birthdays and phone numbers when you need them.
Simplify Your Holiday Greeting Cards #5
Set Up a Reminder System
In the busy whirlwind that is the holiday season, time can easily escape from us and suddenly it’s the new year already. While it’s okay to send out some late cards, most of us would feel better if we just did it all on time.
Make sure to put a reminder system in place many months ahead of time. If you use a calendar, go ahead a few months and jot down a date that you’ll dedicate to card making. Or put in an event on your phone so that you’ll be alerted to when the time has come to make those holiday greeting cards.
With a date set in place, it will be easier to make time for your holiday cards before the holiday season is already over.
Simplify Your Holiday Greeting Cards #6
Buy Cards in Advance
Did you know you can buy holiday greeting cards throughout the whole year? Getting the cards bought and ready before the actual holiday season can make things a whole lot easier for you in the long run.
Trying to get the design of card you like best can be difficult when there is such a high demand for these kinds of cards. Purchasing cards way before the holiday months can ensure that you’ll always have the beautiful cards you want.
Plus you’ll already have them on hand when you’re ready to send them out. Instead of needing to scramble to the store and settle for a card design you’re less than happy with, you can simply pull your cards out of the closet and get to work.
Simplify Your Holiday Greeting Cards #7
Handwrite Your Message
Handwriting a message inside of holiday greeting cards is a great way to make that card truly memorable. It can feel rather generic if you just leave the printed card to say everything for you.
Instead, handwriting in a small message to a family member or a friend can be the perfect way to convey the exact kind of message you want to share with them. It gives it a personal touch that is impossible to get in any other way.
Plus, it strengthens relationships when there is a specific message on the card that is only meant for the recipient. Don’t rely solely on the cardmakers to do all the work for you.
It may take a little more time to write down that message, but it goes a long way in making your holiday cards special.
Simplify Your Holiday Greeting Cards #8
Don’t Get Too Specific with Holiday Terms
If you’re sending holiday greeting cards to a lot of different people, you could be sending cards to families that may not celebrate the same holidays as yourself. In order to speed the process along, it’s often much better to be less specific with your holiday cards.
This way, you can use the same base card for multiple families without needing to worry about accidentally offending them. This will make the cards a lot easier to plan out and will keep you as stress-free as possible during this already somewhat stressful season.
Simplify Your Holiday Greeting Cards #9
Keep the Message To the Point
It may seem like a cute idea to write out a long letter inside of the holiday card. But if you have a lot of cards to get through, it may not be the best idea.
Adding in a personal message is a great idea, but it doesn’t have to be too long. Just a few lines are all you need, especially if you have a whole stack to get through.
There isn’t too much space available on greeting cards. If you want to write a long message, perhaps a proper letter or even a friendly phone call would be better. You’d have more space to say everything you want, and you’ll get through your holiday greeting cards a lot faster as well.
Simplify Your Holiday Greeting Cards #10
Practice Beforehand
You don’t want to send a holiday card that is full of scribbles and white out. It doesn’t look good and doesn’t give the best impression you want to make.
Don’t waste energy and materials on cards you’ll just throw away. Save your good cards for the final product. A product that you can be proud of.
Instead, practice on a regular piece of scrap paper before committing to writing on those special cards. This will give you a chance to figure out exactly how to fit your message in the allotted space and helps get rid of any jitters you may have.
If you’re involving your kids in the card making process, get them to practice beforehand as well. It will give them some practice with penmanship while ensuring the resulting card is as error-free as possible.
Use Holiday Greeting Cards To Share Your Love
When it comes down to it, greeting cards are just about sending a little love to family and friends. There is no right or wrong way to do it. As long as you put a little bit of effort, the recipient is bound to adore the card you’ve given them.
Try not to worry too much about the process and you’ll find that it’s enjoyable to create a special card meant for a loved one. Set aside a little bit of time every day and work on a card or two.
Eventually, you’ll have everything done and sent out right on time.
If you’re looking for some extra inspiration, check out some motivational quotes to add to your greeting cards!
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