9 Simple Tips for Sending Christmas Cards!

9 Simple Tips for Sending Christmas Cards!

Sending Christmas cards is a time-honored tradition and this year it just might be having its biggest comeback yet!  So whether you are a seasoned card sender or just starting out, I’ve got nine tips to make the task both fun and functional!

Hello, friends!

Well, the holidays are in full gear around here! And while I’m in planning mode for a few gatherings coming up, I’m also trying to check off some very important tasks that I do every year.

Now before I get to the nitty-gritty of today’s post, let me first start by saying I’m a reformed Christmas card sender.

You see, like many seasoned card senders, I just bought a box of cards (usually the same card), placed it in an envelope, slapped a neatly typed return address label on it, and mailed the cards out. DONE!

There was never much thought involved. And I certainly didn’t put forth a whole lot of effort to personalize each card. Although way back when creating the return address labels was quite a challenge.

But my friends, there’s more to sending out cards than just buying in bulk and making sure the recipient knows where the card came from.

This time-honored tradition of sending cards to family and friends goes way back to the 1840s. And while there have been MANY technical advances, and changes since, one thing hasn’t changed.

Proper Christmas card sending etiquette.

Yes, that’s right. Etiquette. And for the longest time, I was doing it ALL wrong.

A few years back I wondered if it even mattered because it seemed like no one was interested in card sending anymore. Especially now with all the technology. And then the pandemic hit. And it would seem that all those old traditions, even sending cards are more popular than ever!

9 Simple Tips for Sending  Christmas Cards!

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#1- It starts with THE PERFECT CARD

Sir Henry Cole commissioned the design of the very first Christmas card back in 1843. One thousand of those cards were sold that year. Things have come a LONG way since then. And there is SO much more variety to choose from. But just in case you missed it, sending out the same Christmas card to everyone on your list started WAY before I began doing it.

While everyone may have their own opinion on what the perfect card might look like. One thing is for sure. The more personal it is the more folks will look forward to receiving it. Here’s a couple of easy ways to do that.

• Add a brief-hand-written message- a special memory you share, or thank you goes a long way to add that personal touch.
• Family Photo– In this day and age photos online are a dime a dozen, but a REAL actual photo is priceless! TIP: Look through the many hundreds of photos you have on your smartphone and use apps like Shutterfly, Snapfish, and even Walgreens to print them off!

OR,

Make your own card!- You don’t have to be a techie, crafter, or DIY’er to design and create your own Christmas cards!

There are many wonderful sites that have templates and tutorials to make creating your own cards SUPER easy and fun! Canva is one of my absolute FAVORITE sites, along with Minted. But there is also Smilebox,    The Stationery Studio,& Vistaprint just to name a few.

#2-Get organized:

Way back when…I used to cringe every year when it came time to send out Christmas cards. I would literally spend hours trying to decide who I was sending cards to. And when I finally had that completed, I would spend even more time trying to find updated addresses and correct spelling of names. Never mind, the additional time it took me to search for stamps, pens, and other supplies that were spread throughout the many, many Christmas totes in my basement.

Now my reformed Christmas card sending self is SO MUCH more organized!

How did I do it? Well, first you need to gather up all the supplies you’re going to need to send out those Christmas cards.

• Cards (of course) along with the right size envelopes
• Return address labels(see tip #4)
• Pens (make sure you have at least two with the same color ink. (TRUST ME you’re going to run out of ink and there won’t be another pen with black ink ANYWHERE to be found in your entire house!)
• List of card recipients TIP: Word and Excel have templates you can use to create a list. And if you have a LOT of cards to send out, you can even incorporate the list into address labels and print them off too!
• Stationery, Notepaper, or cards for personalized message
• Scissors
• Stamps

How to corral all your supplies: You don’t need anything too fancy to hold all of your Christmas card sending supplies. But you do need SOMETHING!

• A simple cardboard box (recycle one from all the online gifts you ordered)
•  mail organizer
• Plastic tote

OR,

Mini Crates!  Since becoming a reformed card sender, most of my ‘supplies’ like address labels, etc are online. But for those odds and ends, along with my cards, of course, I needed a suitable, yet inexpensive way to keep everything in order. My trusty tote of years past had seen better days so I went through my craft stash this year and found these adorable but functional mini crates!

All I did was give them a coat of white and black paint (classic color combo any year) and filled them up with all my must-have supplies.

#3 timing is everything:

When is the right time to send out Christmas cards?

Seasoned card senders will tell you that you should never send a Christmas card out before Thanksgiving. With that said, it all depends on where you’re sending the cards too!

Ideally, the first week of December is the best time to get those cards in the mail. (Which means you better get busy if you haven’t started, LOL!) BUT, you can always check the USPS website to get details on deadlines which will include international and military mail too!

#4 Don’t forget your return address

So why is a return address so important?

Well, #1 It will let the recipient know where the card is coming from. # 2 It allows the recipient the ability to return the favor and send YOU a card.

And # 3 if you handwrite your return address it gives you another way of personalizing your Christmas card.

Of course, handwriting the return address is definitely NOT required. In fact, if you have more than 25 cards to send, it might be a bit overwhelming. In that case, using websites like Avery.com can save SO much time and stress!

#5- Proofread the card and envelope

No one is perfect. Especially if you’re crunched for time and feeling overwhelmed with the endless list of things you still need to do for the holidays! So before sealing up all those envelopes do a once-through just to make sure you’ve dotted your i’s, crossed your t’s, and didn’t misspell your co-worker Nancy’s last name. TIP: Try Grammarly for free! It’s an amazing tool and you seriously will wonder how you ever did without it!

#6- Do your research

Not everyone celebrates Christmas. But that doesn’t mean you can’t send some joy and a heartfelt note wishing them a Happy New Year! And if you’re not sure, send a “Happy Holidays” card instead!

#7- Who should you send Christmas cards to?

In your sweet little Christmas heart of hearts, you’d love to send a Christmas card to EVERYONE you know. Am I right? Yes. We all would. But it’s just simply not possible. So then, who does get on the list?

• Family- It’s up to you whether you want to send a card to your third cousin twice removed or just immediate family only. It really is all about family ties and connections, and most importantly reciprocating if they sent you a card.
• Friends- Again this is totally discretionary because like family this category can get quite large if we don’t set some limits.
• Neighbors
• Clergy
• Children’s Teachers
• Co-Workers
• Employees
• Hairstylist/Garbage Collector, Mail Person, Town & City Employees (police, fire, etc.)
• Day Care Provider
• Anyone who sends you a card! (This is just common courtesy!)

TIP: The holidays can be a lonely time for many, and receiving a Christmas card can bring such joy to many. So think about sending or dropping off some special cards to those in nursing homes and hospitals. And although it’s too late for this year, our military could always use some extra thoughts and prayers this time of year too! You can find more information on where and when you can send cards here.

#8- To Sign or not to sign

SIGN! Nothing says ‘impersonal’ like a stamped signature. So yes, a handwritten signature is a MUST!

#9- When to stop sending a Christmas card

This is a tough one.

The very first time I decided to stop sending someone a Christmas card was about ten years ago. I hadn’t seen or heard from the family in a couple of years, and it just seemed like the right thing to do. Two days after Christmas that year, I received a beautiful card filled with a long and very detailed newsletter describing how the husband had been diagnosed with cancer. They hadn’t wanted to burden anyone around the holidays, and obviously, they had more important things to worry about than sending out Christmas cards. I felt absolutely HORRIBLE that year, and although I vowed I’d never remove anyone off the list again, I did.

So for me, removing someone from my list simply because they don’t send me a card is no longer a reason.

But I have limited it to those I haven’t heard from in say five years. And also those whose address has changed and I’m unable to contact them or find a new one.

Whether to send or not to send is entirely up to you.

I hope today’s post 9 Simple Tips for Sending Christmas Cards has helped inspire you to get out those boxes of Christmas cards and start licking those envelopes!

 

SAVE FOR LATER ♥

 

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9 SIMPLE TIPS FOR SENDING CHRISTMAS CARDS