Send a [Real] Card

With the online world threatening to take over our lives and most of our interaction with our friends and family, push back a bit and send an actual, tangible, through-the-mail, birthday or anniversary card. 








 



You can:

•  make it simple (head to a dollar store or to the clearance aisle at your local discount store and stock up)
• or you can make it creatively complicated (make your own!)...  but I recommend just doing it!

A few years ago I decided to exchange the craziness of Christmas-time gift giving to my (many!) nieces and nephews with a handmade birthday card and enclosed gift card.  This seems to have been a popular decision all-around and it certainly takes away some of that holiday time stress. Plus, I have the benefit of thinking about some of our extended family members throughout the year and specifically on their special day!

I always send a birthday card to my brothers and sisters and their spouses and try to send anniversary cards to all my immediate family members as well. And don't forget congratulations cards to the newly graduated!

Personally, I enjoy making cards -- it is another crafty past-time that I have taken up since my children are now older and caring for their needs is less time-intensive-- but you don't have to get this complicated.  I also enjoy involving our whole family in this endeavor by letting my girls choose just the right card from the ones I've made.  Sometimes they make a card themselves, or together we design one for that special cousin or loved grandparent or auntie.

There are oodles of card-making resources online and many scrapbooking companies also sell products for making your own greeting cards.  You can also buy card-making kits at craft & hobby stores.  I personally enjoy the products sold by the scrapbooking & stamping company Close To My Heart and particularly like their cardmaking idea books found here and here.  I particularly like Wishes because it includes directions for making 20 cards at a time using minimal supplies!

Gift it a try -- I think you'll enjoy this simple way to make someone else feel especially loved and remembered.

[Here are a few cards I recently made using some scrapbooking papers scraps I had left over as well as a few embellishments, stamps, and punches.  Not complicated (if you have the supplies and good instructions!) and sorta cute!]

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