Clever Personalized Christmas Card Ideas

Have you been thinking about what you will do for this year's Christmas card? Are you tired of buying the same boxes of snowman and reindeer cards?  Are you looking for a fresh, fun new idea? Consider sending a more personalized Christmas greeting - a photo Christmas card is a unique way to send holiday wishes to friends and family. 

Photo Christmas cards come in many creative styles and colors.  Some cards have one focal photo while others feature two or more photos. Many Christmas photo cards have the option to include a short personal message.

Here are some ideas to help you create a clever personalized Christmas card using a photo card:

• Think 'outside the box' when choosing a photo. Not all photo Christmas cards need to have a picture of the kids sitting on Santa's lap or the whole family posed in holiday sweaters. Capture another fun family moment where your family's personality shines through - baking Christmas cookies together, a family ski trip, making the annual gingerbread house, or finding the perfect Christmas tree.
• Have trouble getting everyone to smile and look at the camera at the same time? Consider a photo Christmas card that allows for multiple photos. Choose photos that give everyone a moment to shine.
• Don't forget the pets (they're part of the family too). Put a Santa hat on the dog and some reindeer antlers on the cat and snap that photo.
• Optimize your color scheme. While your whole family doesn't need to dress in red or green, having everyone dress within the same range of colors will make the photo seem more cohesive. Or change all the photos to black & white or sepia toned, so you don't have to worry about the colors clashing. Coordinating the colors will help you choose a Christmas photo card design that compliments the color scheme of your photo(s).

 The sky is the limit when it comes to designing your personalized Christmas photo card, so have fun creating some Christmas cheer! 


Written by Kevin Phelps from SEO.com and Storm Litz.

2010 Christmas Card

Check out my awesomely beautiful Christmas cards at my main blog, All Things Cherished. You can find the whole card here.

Celebrity Holiday Cards that Make a Difference

Tiny Prints holiday cards are known for standing out, but this year they're also taking a stand against a painful childhood disease. These stylish ornament cards were designed by some of your favorite celebrities to benefit the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation, a volunteer organization dedicated to researching and curing the genetic skin disorder that affects thousands of children each year. It's your chance to send these holiday ornament cards that stand out and make a difference. Select any of the exclusive designs from the collection created by Reese Witherspoon, Courteney Cox, Rachel Zoe, Jennifer Garner, Kate Beckinsale, or Brooke Shields.

Tiny Prints

Showcase your family at its best with hundreds of customizable holiday and Christmas designs.

Tiny Prints has brand new, beautiful, classy, elegant Christmas cards this year. You can personalize 100s of cards with your photographs and your words. You can choose from contemporary, vintage, classic, and whimsy designs. There are many options, such as color changes, layouts, and formats for each card.

I am so impressed with the variety of cards available for the holidays and Christmas.  I looked at 1,476 cards in the Christmas section because I am fastidious and wanted to give a thorough and complete review.

Some of my favorite cards:
Reindeer Imposter
Crafted Nativity
Caring World
Happy Everything
Chic Collage
Boroque Snowflake
Patchwork Wreath
Merry Circle
Winter Zephyr
Sweet Center
Historic Charm
Posted Wreath
Round Wreath
Beautiful Believe
Precious Tree, and
Graceful Whirls,
and many more (but I won't continue to bore you with my favs).

Can you guess what card is the one I ordered?

After narrowing down the list, which was very difficult to do with so many fabulous choices, my daughter, Cassandra, 9, joined me.  We went through my favorites and picked the one we liked the best.  We chose the card (1.) that most fittingly expressed our thoughts (we were able to chose our own words) and (2.) that was most suitable for the photos we thought were most appealing and enhanced our lives from the past year.

Take the time to browse through the wide variety of Christmas cards featuring traditional holiday symbols such as garland, Christmas trees, gingerbread, snowflakes, wreaths, reindeer, and holly. Whatever your family Christmas tradition may be, they have a card to complement it and your photograph. When you add a picture of your family, the cards are sure to be cherished by those who receive them. Tiny Prints will even mail your cards for you.

Tiny Prints Christmas cards stand apart due to the one-of-a-kind designs!

Your Wish Is Their Command

• If you aren't 100% satisfied, they'll reprint your order for free.
• Their customers rank them in the 95th percentile (for U.S. companies).
• Easily personalize and instantly preview your cards.
• Luxurious, eco-friendly paper, custom-made in Italy.
• Premium printing methods and top quality products.

Need Help? No Problem
• Enjoy online shopping with a personal touch.
• Etiquette experts are ready to answer questions seven days a week.
• Professional designers assigned to almost every order.
• Contact us at 877-300-9256, info@tinyprints.com, or chat.

Designs To Love From Artists You Adore
• Shop thousands of exclusive designs by style, color, or event.
• New items added each week.
• Find cards from famous design studios and independent artists alike.
• More than 11,000 product reviews to help you shop.

My Review

It was a straight-forward process.  The quality is first-rate!  You have the choice to click on "live chat" throughout the process of picking your card and adding your personal touches.  I did not do this since I had no trouble placing the order.  The Tiny Prints site is easy to navigate and well organized.   There are many holidays and occasions to choose from -- birth announcements, birthday cards, invitations, thank you cards, wedding stationary, and much more  -- but Christmas, of course, is my favorite.  There are a lots of extras -- etiquette tips, mail service, party ideas, sample verses, etc. -- that make the site #1 in my book.  Even on the tightest of budgets, these cards are affordable and a great package deal!  I LOVE all the personal touches we were able to add to make the card more precious and more personalized.

Cassandra's Review (in her own words):

• The process was quick and easy.
• There were LOTS of cards to choose from.
• The service satisfied my picky mom. :)
• It was fun to see all the different cards.
• It was exciting to put all the personal touches on the card.
• I had a great time with my mom.

Read more raves and reviews.




Click the box above or in the side column to look at all those wonderful cards and place your order.  Let them know in the comments box that Storm sent you.

The Cards That Give Twice

This holiday season, send cards that mean more.

We donate ten percent of card sales to well respected nonprofit organizations working throughout the world.

Good Cause Greetings is proud to support nonprofit organizations throughout the world through the sale of our unique line of holiday greeting cards. The purchase of Good Cause Greetings helps end hunger, provide housing, medical care and education for world citizens and improve the environment for people and animals worldwide. At the site, click on a charity logo to be linked to the collection of cards supporting that particular organization.

Christmas Card Writing Party

During the height of the holiday season, sending out Christmas cards can seem like just another chore on your list of things to do.

This year, address this sometimes daunting task by turning it into a card-writing party!

Invite a few close companions to your home one evening and have them bring along their cards, envelopes, address books, pens, and postage stamps.

While writing out the cards at the dining room table, nibble on delicious and special appetizers.

Christmas Card Making Week

The Christmas Card Making Week of Webisodes is this week. All this week we’re celebrating . . . and getting a jump-start on our Christmas cards.

Christmas Connection #4

This week's assignment is to make your card list, including friends, family, colleagues, children's friends, church family, teachers, children's classmates, online groups, mailman, hair dresser, etc. Complete your list as completely as you can.

If creating your own cards, determine how many you need (see above) and what date you want to have all your cards mailed. Remember that cards going overseas need to go 1 to 2 weeks earlier to arrive in time for Christmas. Divide how cards needed by how many weeks are left (depending on your own personal due date). For example, if mailing on December 3rd and its now the beginning of October, you have 8 weeks to create your cards, so each week you should be creating 25 cards if mailing 200 cards total. That means each day you should create 3-4 cards.

Use the same formula above to determine how many cards need addressed and stamped each day.

Freebie of the Month - Printable Christmas Cards

Print some mini Christmas cards made by Canon. There are 12 designs to choose from and envelopes are included.

12 Ways to Make Christmas Cards

Everyone loves to get cards on Christmas, be it a child or a teenager or even an aged person. Christmas cards have a certain emotional aspect attached to them which makes us feel special. The attractiveness of Christmas cards goes much further the moment we come to know that the sender of the card had made it himself/herself. Handmade Christmas cards add a much more personal touch to the wishes written within.

1. How to Make Christmas Tree Pop-up Card
2. Homemade Christmas Cards
3. How to Make Christmas Cards
4. Card Making Tips
5. Make Your Own Paper Christmas Cards
6. How to Make a Christmas Photo Card
7. How to Make Your Own Greeting Cards Using a Computer
8. Homemade Christmas Tree Card (video)
9. Greeting Cards for All Occasions (scroll half way down page for how-to's)
10. Christmas Card Gallery from About.com
11. Christmas Card Ideas
12. How to Make Christmas Greeting Cards

More fun things to make with the cards you receive each Christmas:

• How to Make a Christmas Card Basket from Recycled Christmas Cards
• How to Make Christmas Cards into Christmas Ornaments

If you start now, you can have your handmade Christmas cards finished early. Do a few a week or on the 25th of each month.

Easy Ways to Decorate Your Home for Christmas

Christmas is coming and you've got a million things to do! I'm here to help. Here are ideas that are simple yet classy and they'll add some Christmas cheer to your home.

1. Create a charming display of teddy bears dressed for the season. Gather three or more teddy bears together. Arrange them on a table, on the floor in a corner, under a tree, or in a basket. Dress the bears with scarves and mittens. Place candy canes in their hands or tie bows around their necks. You can even wrap up some small, empty boxes with Christmas wrapping paper to place in the bears' hands.
2. Make simple bows from Christmas ribbon and pin them to your curtains.
3. Display a collection of nativity scenes from different cultures.
4. Hang a collection of Christmas stockings on your mantle, a shelf, a wall, or the stair banister (even if you don't stuff them). The more the merrier.
5. Cut snowflakes from heavy-weight white paper and hang them in all of your windows or over the tree or from the ceiling over the dining table.
6. Use red and green 3-dimensional fabric paints to trace simple Christmas patterns (like stars, bells, Santas, stockings, etc.) on a white tablecloth.
7. Buy a clear plastic shower curtain. Use a hot glue gun to attach Christmas decorations to the outside of the curtain. Don't use breakable ornaments.
8. Dress up your house plants by hanging a small group of Christmas lights or small Christmas ornaments on them.
9. Tie a red ribbon around a tall, slim drinking glass. Fill the glass with candy canes or other Christmas candies. Display on a shelf or side table.
10. Use a group of tall, slim drinking glasses filled with tea lights to create a centerpiece on any table.
11. Fill small glass bowls or decorative Christmas bowls with small cones and display on end tables, shelves, buffet tables, etc.
12. Purchase plain green or red place mats and attach Christmas ribbons, bows or small wooden ornaments with a hot glue gun.
13. For quick ornaments, hang Christmas cookie cutters with ribbon. Hang them in a window.
14. Decorate plain red, white, green, or gold candles with 3-dimensional fabric paint. Draw stars, bells, angels, snowmen, etc. (If you make a mistake, let the paint dry and peal it off, then start again.)
15. Create a cookie wreath centerpiece for your table. Just arrange Christmas cookies in a wreath shape right on the table cloth. No need to attach them to anything 'cause everyone will want to nibble at them. If you like, place a pillar candle on a small plate in the center of the wreath.
16. Pile a collection of Christmas books on a side table.
17. Cut a Christmas silhouette from a piece of plywood. Using screws, attach your silhouette to a short post that you can drive into the ground. You'll want the silhouette to stand right a ground level several feet away from the wall. Position a spot light on the other side of the silhouette so that it will shine on the silhouette and project a large shadow on the wall.
18. Wrap indoor Christmas lights around a railing or banister. Secure periodically with chenille wire/pipe cleaners.
19. Add color to a room with vases of red and white flowers. Use roses, carnations, mums, daisies, etc. Or, float the flowers in large crystal or glass bowls.
20. Wrap an assortment of medium to large sized boxes with Christmas wrap. Attach ribbons &/or bows. Pile the boxes in a corner from floor to ceiling.
21. Sew scraps of Christmas fabric into a patchwork tablecloth. Simply cut your fabric into square pieces and stitch together. Hem the entire cloth.
22. Cover an end table or a shelf with white paper. Arrange cut evergreen boughs on top on top of the paper. Place tall tapered candles in glass candle holders on the table top. Before lighting candles, be sure that the greenery is not close enough to catch fire.
23. Use pliers to bend coat hangers into a simple wire-frame tree shape. Wrap a string of outdoor Christmas lights around the frame attaching with electrical tape or duct tape. Stick the decoration in a flower bed or on your front lawn.
24. Hang mistletoe everywhere.
25. Wrap your doors in Christmas wrapping paper and attach large bows.
26. String a ribbon from one end of a wall to another. Attach the ribbon to the wall (at each corner) with thumbtacks. Clip Christmas cards to the ribbon with clothespins. If the ribbon is too long, the weight of the cards will pull it off the wall, so tack it here and there with more thumbtacks.
27. Purchase a large glass plate. Paint the underside of the plate with gold craft paint and let dry. Place the plate on a table and fill with several white or off-white pillar candles of varying sizes.
28. Make basic sugar cookies or gingerbread cookies. Before baking, make a hole toward the top of each cookie using a straw. Bake and cool. String a ribbon through each cookie and hang them on the tree.
29. String popcorn, cranberries, cereal, beads, etc., and hang the garlands everywhere.
30. Glue ribbon to pine cones for hanging on the tree.
31. Make paper chains.
32. Frame old Christmas cards and postcards. Hang on the wall or create a grouping on a table.
33. Wrap a lampshade with translucent Christmas tissue paper. Put the paper on the outside of the lamp shape, overlapping the edges just a little and tape the edges down on the inside. Be careful that the tissue paper doesn't come too close to the light bulb or it may catch fire.
34. Replace your fish tank background mural with a piece of Christmas wrapping paper or a collage made out of pictures cut from Christmas cards.
35. Tape a doily to the outside of a glass canister or clean glass mayonnaise jar. Spray the outside of the container with artificial snow and let dry. Remove the doily. Fill the container with cookies, candy, ornaments, etc.
36. Wrap photos and other wall art with Christmas wrapping paper.
37. Make a gingerbread house. They make wonderful centerpieces or decorations for any table top.
38. Use a child's Christmas pop-up book as a centerpiece. Just open the book up to a desirable picture and place the open book in the center of your table.
39. Hang a large December wall calendar on your wall. Count down the days to Christmas by gluing a brightly-colored bow on each passing day.
40. Tie five or six cinnamon sticks into a bundle using red ribbon. Create a bunch of these bundles and display them in a bowl, on the tree, or tuck bundles into nooks and crannies on shelves.
41. Get out your old toy trains. Run the track around the perimeter of the Christmas tree.
42. Paint the inside of a glass white to simulate milk. Display the glass along with a plate full of cookies and a hand-written Santa's wish list. It looks great if you take a bite or two out of one cookies.
43. For easy Christmas tableware, tie red, green, or gold ribbons to the stems of wine glasses or the handles of cutlery.
44. Cut pictures from Christmas cards and Christmas wrap. Decoupage the pictures to the inside of a serving tray. Be sure to cover the entire surface of the tray. Once all the pictures are in place, cover the entire inside surface of the tray with one or two more layers of decoupage medium.
45. Print your favorite cookie recipe on Christmas stationary. Roll each recipe up like a scroll. Tie the scroll with ribbon. Place the scrolls in a basked by your front door so you can give them to departing guests.
46. To add a lot of color to a room quickly, use red or green towels or blankets.
47. Display colored glass ball ornaments in bowls, on a cake stand, or in baskets.
48. Wash and dry half a dozen small jars (it's better if they're all different sizes and shapes). Fill each jar 2/3 full of water and add a couple of drops of red or green food coloring to each jar. Stir. Place one sprig of evergreen in each jar and display the jars in a group on a table or line them up in a row on a shelf or window sill.
49. Use children's bath crayons (for coloring in the bathtub) to draw Christmas decorations on your mirrors and windows.
50. Using a small brush, paint the tips of pine cones with gold craft paint. Place on a rack or piece of waxed paper to dry. Display cones in bowls, vases, or cake stand.
51. Create an easy wall hanging using a piece of sheet music for a Christmas carol. Cut a piece of Christmas wrapping paper or red paper a few inches larger than the sheet music and glue the music sheet to the center of the paper. Use a hot glue gun to glue a small sprig of artificial holly to the top right-hand corner of the sheet music.
52. Turn an old chest into a treasure chest. Place the chest on the floor against a wall and open the lid. (Prop the lid up securely if it's prone to closing by itself). Line the inside of the chest with fiber fill to create the illusion of snow. Drape strings of beads and white indoor Christmas lights over the chest. Fill the chest with wrapped presents or wrapped empty boxes. Sprinkle with gold-wrapped chocolate coins.
53. Create personalized gingerbread men as place cards for your dining table. Use colored icing to decorate each gingerbread man with a guest's hair color and usual clothing and then using the icing print each person's name across the chest of the gingerbread man.
54. Trim door frames, window frames and the edges of mirrors with Christmas garland.
55. Strong jute cord from one end of the hall to the other end and clip mittens, gloves, and scarves to the jute using clothespins.
56. Purchase small bells from your craft store. Tie each bell to a piece of ribbon between 6" and 18" in length. Gather all of the ribbons together and knot together at the top. Drape the bells over a door knob so that they ring when someone enters or exits.
57. Poinsettias are a beautiful way to add Christmas color to a room but don't just stop at one. Create a stunning display using, at least, six plants of all different sizes. Group them together, larger plants in the back. Tie a large gold fabric ribbon around the whole group of pots. Sprinkle the plants with gold glitter.
58. Wrap a large empty coffee can in Christmas wrapping paper. Place on the floor, add some water, and fill with evergreen branches. This looks wonderful on its own, or you can hang ornaments or Christmas cards from the branches.
59. Replace your usual curtain valence with a large piece of Christmas fabric draped over the curtain rod.
60. Tie bows around door knobs.
61. Create an easy wreath. Tear Christmas print fabric into strips. Wrap a Styrofoam wreath with the fabric or ribbon.
62. Wrap a table in Christmas wrapping paper.
63. Purchase cork place mats or coasters. Using Christmas stamps and red/green/gold stamp pads, stamp shapes onto your coasters and place mats.
64. Put some color into your bathroom by displaying red and green glycerin soaps, bath gels, and oils.
65. Make a snowman. Better yet, make a whole snow family.
66. Wrap your front door in plain white paper and decorate with a large bow. Place red and green pens by the front door and have guest sign the door as they leave your home.
67. Create an red and green display in your kitchen using a collection of standard food items. Jars of olives, sun dried tomatoes, pickles, red peppers, cans with red or green labels.
68. Create another easy wreath. Use a glue gun to attach nuts or wrapped candies to a Styrofoam wreath. Attach a large red ribbon.
69. Paint nuts gold with craft paint (use a variety of nuts of different shape). Line a large bowl or basket with Christmas greenery. Fill the bowl with oranges, apples, and the gold nuts.
70. Display a large collection of photos from Christmases past. This makes a sensational conversation piece.
71. Put a Christmas screen saver on your computer.
72. Wrap your plant pots in red or green foil wrap. You don't even have to remove the plants first.
73. Create a display by your front door with unused boots. Assemble a group of boots and fill them with wrapped empty boxes.
74. Purchase an inexpensive mail box. Spray paint it red or green. Attach ornaments, pinecones, greenery, etc., with a hot glue gun. Set outside the front door.

What Do We Love about Christmas?

What do we love about Christmas;
Does our delight reside in things?
Or are the feelings in our hearts
The real gift that Christmas brings.
It's seeing those we love,
And sending Christmas cards, too.
Appreciating people who bring us joy
Special people just like you.

~~ Joanna Fuchs ~~

12 Days of Christmas Crafts - Day 6 - Displaying Christmas Cards

Christmas is the season for holiday greetings. Do you receive tons of greeting cards from friends and family? How do you display the cards you receive from others? Here are some ideas.

Clothesline Display
http://familycrafts.about.com/library/projects/blchcardsline.htm

Fishing Line Display
http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/miscchristmas/a/fishlinecarddis.htm

Juice Can Display
http://familycrafts.about.com/library/projects/blchcardjuice.htm

Shutter Display
http://www.craftown.com/xmas/craft11.htm

Christmas Tree Card Holder
http://familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/season/feature/famf199611_home1/famf199611_famfcard.html

Card Carousel
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=10142

Card Display
http://crafts.kaboose.com/christmas-card-display.html

Pringle Can Card Display
http://www.allfreecrafts.com/christmas/pringle-cards.shtml

Card Displays
Variety of different ways and materials to craft Christmas card displays.
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_occasions_december/article/0,,hgtv_3270_3924020,00.html

Garland Card Display
http://familycrafts.about.com/library/projects/bldisplline.htm

Ribbon Card Display
http://familycrafts.about.com/library/projects/blchcardribbn.htm


Shopping for Christmas card displays:

Magic Card Tree
http://www.grippingstuff.com/gs-mct.htm

Target
http://www.target.com/gp/search/602-3240347-1189421?ie=UTF8&CPNG=Seasonal&LID=25685962&ref=tgt%5Fadv%5FXSYH0982&AFID=yahoocom&field-keywords=christmas%5Fholder%5Ffor%5Fcards&LNM=christmas%5Fholder%5Ffor%5Fcards

Pottery Barn
http://www.potterybarn.com/shop/acc/acchol/accholdis/index.cfm?cm%5Ftype=lnav&bnrid=3350501&cm_ven=Overture&cm_cat=NonBrandSearch&cm_pla=SeasonalChristmasHomeDecor&cm_ite=christmas+card+holder