How to Personalize Your Christmas Card

When my brother, sister and I were younger, we would instantaneously call out "I get the mail!" when we heard the metal lid of our mailbox slam close as soon as the mailman made the delivery. For some reason, I still find it fun when I beat my husband to the mailbox on our lunch break…I guess some kids never grow up, ehm. But who can blame me, it's Christmas time and there's nothing more fun than a Christmas card! 

So here I am, a lover of Christmas cards, to help you add a personal touch to your cards this year! I would love to show you the cards that I'm currently working on for my household, but you'll just have to wait until they get mailed out (I know, real cliffhanger!) So instead I've collected some ideas and images for inspiration if you haven't started on your own cards yet! 

FAITH

Include your religious affiliation, if applicable. Personally, I think it's important to keep the "reason for the season" in your cards – whether it's a big or small touch. You can include your faith in the wording of the card, the picture or even something as small as the stamp.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Pretty much everyone has pictures and including them on your Christmas card has been a huge trend for a long time now, but what if you took it a step further and staged a fun picture? You don't need to be a professional photographer, but it definitely helps having a camera with a self-timer or a friend who can snap a few for you. Here are a few cool ideas and popular trends. 

Add this to your lens and set your aperture low!

Seriously love this!

Silent Night..hehe

It's also a great idea to reuse recent professional pictures (make sure you have permission to print these!) Professional pictures don't come cheap, so why not use them as much as you can right? For instance, my husband and I took engagement pictures a year ago so we decided to use a winter one, that we haven't used for anything prior, for the photo on our cards. It's also a great time to show off any new baby or kids pictures you may have, just try to pick one that will fit with the theme of the card or winter season. 

Too cute...

MATERIALS

Materials can completely take a regular card from normal to outstanding! You can either start from scratch or you can even take an existing store holiday card or photo card and alter it. For example, instead of sending out a flat photo card, you could mount it on colored card stock for a more finished look (paper materials found at craft or art stores, such as Hobby Lobby). 

Few ideas for layering a regular photo on a blank card: 

•  Cut 4 small slits into the card to hold the photo's corners in place

•  Punch small holes and tie the photo on with ribbon

•  Trim the photo's border with edged scissors then mount with tape or glue

Another fun way to make your card to stand out is by the shape of the card and envelope, I have always been fond of square cards.

Also, think about how often ribbon is incorporated in wedding stationary, what if you incorporated fun flourishes like this in your card? For example, you could tie a folded card shut with a flat bow. Learn how to tie a flat bow here. 

Also, craft stores have plenty of holiday themed cut outs, stationary paper and stamps. 

Hobby Lobby Stamp

ENVELOPE

Now we can't forget about the envelope – why can't this be just as much fun as the card? Envelopes come in all different colors and sizes, so why not step outside of the box and have a fun envelope? If your cards already come with envelopes then consider sprucing it up with a fun, handwritten address in a colored pen or marker. If you have all the time in the world, you can even cut out liners for the inside of your card for a pop of color, like in the photo below. 

Lastly, don't forget about postage stamps – those red, white and blue flag stamps just won't cut it! The US Post Office carries religious and secular holiday stamps! 

I hope some of these ideas will help transform your cards into attention getting cards that will make it to the top of everybody's card holders! Please comment below and let us know if you have any other great holiday card ideas!