Homemade Christmas Cards

Each year people send out dozens of Christmas cards to friends and family.  They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.  Sending Christmas cards is a relatively new tradition. In fact, it is less than two hundred years old.  The tradition began in England and spread to America.  Since then, millions of Christmas cards are sent and received all over the world each and every year.

One thing’s for sure; these cards don’t get less expensive each year and normally the Christmas card list grows with every year as well.  So, what can you do to make your growing Christmas card list less expensive?  Here are some ideas for homemade Christmas cards that will delight the receiver and your checkbook.  

Make use of that clip art on your computer.  Unfortunately, there are those of us (me included) who don’t have an artistic bone in our body.  That doesn’t have to stop us from adding a reindeer, instead of what looks like road kill, to the front of our homemade holiday cards.  There are sites on the Internet that offer pictures that are free for reprint.  The combination of those sites and clip art offer plenty of ideas for Christmas card covers.   

No need to spend a fortune on thick, heavy paper for your cards either.  Homemade cards will work on medium cardstock paper.  Simply, print the outside picture on the cardstock and pen the inside greeting yourself.  Each card will be unique and you can save the designs you create to use next year too. 

Dried flowers and leaves can adorn the cover of your homemade Christmas cards.  Follow instructions, which can be found in books from the library or local craft store, for drying different types of flowers and herbs.  Once they are complete dried, arrange them on the front of your card in the design of your choice.  Using glue or spray adhesive, affix the largest pieces first and then the smaller ones.  Contact paper or cellophane wrapping can be used to cover the front of the card to protect your herbal decorations from wear and tear. 

Family Christmas portraits make perfect covers for homemade cards as well.  Spray adhesive will probably hold the portrait to the card better.  Cut your cardstock paper to fit the size of the portrait.  A 5’ x 7’ picture is sufficient.  For an added personal touch, let each member of the family sign their names and individual greeting on the inside of the card. 

There are tons of computer software programs with tons of options for Christmas cards too.  Customize the cover that you want to send and add the message of your choice.  With these card programs, you can choose the font, color, and size of the card being printed.  Non artist types like this option for making Christmas cards that are funny, serious, or spiritual to help personalize each card for the individual recipient.   

Homemade Christmas cards can be hand-delivered since they don’t come with envelopes.  This will help add to the hand made feel and purpose.  For those you need to put in the mail, you can purchase envelopes in various shapes and sizes at the post office or from stationery or craft stores.