Holiday DIY: Greeting Cards

At the end of the year, I often panic and realize how many good friends and family I have neglected to be in touch with.  I then neurotically think about my annual holiday card as a last chance of redemption.

I have made my holiday cards every year since high school.  I know this just seems masochistic to those with busy schedules (A.K.A.  Everyone I know…) but I do have my reasons.   A) I find it impossible to find anything to purchase that is special enough for the people I care about. B) I don’t have children (yet) so I feel it would be silly for Hubby and me to send those photo cards that everyone else sends and C) I have a huge ego that tells me that the only person that can create what YOU deserve is ME.

If you find yourself as ego-maniacal as me, let me assure you that it is NOT difficult or nearly as time consuming as it sounds to create your own cards.  Granted, before I was fully employed, I would make elaborate origami, or fiber embroidered beaded greetings.  These days, I take a decidedly more minimalist approach.

The internet and printer are your friends… If you are not graphically inclined, there are images online that you can grab and manipulate from the web.  Google images are great for this.  Right click and it’s yours.  If you have any skill with editing software, you can personalize things to make it your own.  Print on cardstock with a holiday message and you’re done.



Bonus points: If you want to take it a step further, you can embellish your home printed cards.  Craft punches are fabulous, and are an economic way to make use of fancy paper (especially scraps and damaged pieces).  Add these as a 3-D element to your design.  If you have a partner, child or  trainable pet, you have yourself an assistant.  Anyone can help you punch pieces out and even glue them to your cards.  If you have loose sequins, jewels, metallic dust bunnies these also work to “bling out” your cards.

Now, if only locating the right postage stamps was this easy...