Sending Christmas cards can be the dreaded chore leading up to the holiday season.
Why, oh why, can this be so intimidating and filled with obligation? I’ll tell you why.
Because it can be a nightmare. It can turn you into some version of the Grinch and drive you to drink the spiked eggnog, all because we feel pressure to get it right. To get the perfect photo of the kids (if you go the route of photo cards), the perfect card, and get them in the mail on time. Not to mention the signing, the stamps, did I mention the time it takes?
Well, this year, it can be different. Today I’m sharing some tips for bringing back the joy to sending out Christmas cards.
- Start now. Especially if you are doing a photo card or ordering online. This is my card this year and I love it! This wasn’t the first photo though. The teens in my house didn’t like the photo I had chosen orginally, so we had to rush out and snap this one. Lesson learned.
- Easy, simple design. This year I was looking for something a bit different, creative, and beautiful, but most of all easy to make. Artifact Uprising* covered all that and more. I chose their 3-in-1 design and couldn’t be happier with the results.
3. Get your stamps early. I have made the mistake in the past of forgetting to buy stamps and then find myself almost done, but having to dash out last minute. That can quickly take the fun out of things at around 11:30 pm.
4. Recycle. Reuse. I love to keep the photo cards I receive and put them up on the bulletin board, that way the card has a second life. Consider using a postcard design vs a folded card (less paper) or incorporating another purpose to the card. Maybe write a recipe on the back. Or a gift tag.
5. Don’t delete the bloopers. In our quest for the kid photo where no one is crying, scowling or fighting, we sometimes miss the most precious moments of all. I like to include at least one blooper shot on my card. And usually, it is the one everyone loves the most.
6. Mark ages and dates. I don’t know about you, but I can’t seem to keep everyone’s ages straight anymore. I’m so grateful when people indicate on their cards the ages of the kids. It keeps people up to speed on your family and brings them close, even across the miles.
7. Don’t try to get it all done in one night. See if you can find a corner in your house and stash all the Christmas cards, stamps, envelopes there. Using a tray keeps things all together and portable in the event you want to change spots.
8. Return address labels. For years I wrote out my return address. How insane was that?! I’ve since invested in a stamp with my address and with one push I’m done. Saves a ton of time.
9. Use tape to seal envelopes. Washi tape is your new best friend. Quick, no mess, and adds some colour to your envelope.
10. Know the deadlines for mailing cards in country or overseas. Within Canada we need to get our cards in the mail by December 19, 2016, and for packages it is December 12th.
Sending Christmas cards is not about being perfect or meeting someone else’s expectations.
Rather it is about sending something from your heart; a wee bit of joy across the miles.
Will you be sending out Christmas cards this year?
You can see that I’m *just* catching up on posts. I love all your tips. Only thing I would add is to include the adult family members (and pets if applicable) in the photo at least once every few years. I love to get photos and updates from folks and so I tend to send that kind of card……which really is more of a sheet of pictures and a sheet written……or sometimes pictures interspersed with an update. Love your card!
Hello there Melanie, Thanks so much for taking the time to get caught up! 🙂 I love your suggestions, especially the one about including the adults in the photos every few years. I tried this year, but the teenagers of the house vetoed the pic…yeah, welcome to my reality. Next year I will try again. The thing also, I wish I did on this year’s card was leave more room for a handwritten greeting; perhaps should have left off the ‘blooper’ pic. Talk soon.
Great idea……too late for me this year as I have already acquired a stash of cards to send. 🙂
Love that you are already all over this Julie! I bet you’ve chosen great cards too. Thanks for stopping in.
Excellent post! These are good points. In fact, I think I followed them before reading! This year I ordered postcards with my Christmas pictures. They have already arrived, ans I started to write, little by little 😀
Wow, Eva! This is impressive. Do you have other tips for us?
Love the Christmas card Barb!
Ahh, thanks Glenda. 🙂