HomeHolidaysChristmasCreative Ideas for Holiday Greeting Cards

Creative Ideas for Holiday Greeting Cards

Sending out holiday greetings is a tradition for many. The first Christmas card, according to the Greeting Card Association, appeared in London in 1843. It is said that Sir Henry Cole hired an artist named John Calcott Horsley to design a holiday card that he could send to his acquaintances and friends; but recently, the number of holiday cards in the mailbox are far fewer.

People no longer want to waste paper and postage on cards. Instead, they are making statements with personalized greetings. With that in mind, here are some fun, creative, and interactive greeting ideas for the holidays to replace your typical greeting cards.


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Recordable Storybooks

In Hallmark stores and on their website, you can find an assortment of recordable storybooks for children. These books allow you to record your own voice on every page. Grandparents and relatives who live far away can certainly appreciate the chance to personalize a storybook that the kiddies can enjoy every night. What child wouldn’t love their own special copy of Goodnight Moon or The Night Before Christmas?


StickerBooks

With MOO, you can design your own StickerBooks, and who doesn’t love stickers? You can say happy holidays with tearable sheets of stickers which are bound into colorful pocket-sized books. Each sheet can fit 90 customizable stickers, which are the size of a postage stamp, and can also include photos. If you’d like to create fun stickers for the kids, or even the scrapbooker in your life, visit the MOO website to get started on your special StickerBooks.


Charitable Giving

For a holiday greeting with a twist this year, you can save money on cards and instead donate to your favorite charity. The Non-profit JustGive offers you the power to make a difference with a selection of charity gift cards. Their Holiday Gift Guide includes charities for the homeless, children, hunger, the environment, women, animals, veterans, endangered animals, and human rights.


Photo Collage

You can turn your holiday photographs into a work of art with the Collage Maker by Smilebox. The finished product, complete with music and animation, can be shared online. (You can even turn it into your Facebook cover photo.) If you prefer, you can print the collage as greeting cards, framed gifts, or home decor. The Smilebox application can be downloaded for free.


Gifts in a Jar

Give the gift of a homemade ingredient mason jar this holiday season. This DIY present can be made in a variety of ways; you can fill mason jars with Hershey’s Kisses, bits of peppermint bark, or mini white chocolate pretzels. Another approach is to make a recipe jar. Inside of the jar you create layers of ingredients for your famous soup, hot chocolate, or chocolate chip cookies. The recipe is then included with the jar. You also can use a mason jar to hold bath salts, treats for Fido, or a Christmas votive. Don’t forget to add a special touch to your mason jar with a note and festive trimmings.


Seasonal Video

Animoto allows you to design your own holiday videos. For a low monthly fee, you can make a warm holiday greeting just for the family, or a company video to send to your clients. You can select from such styles as Eight Days of Light, Blue Frost, Noel, and A Wonderland of Snow.


The Digital Family

With Weebly, you can create a free website or blog for the entire family to stay in touch. Family reunions, special news, photos, even holiday newsletters can be posted online. A variety of design themes are available to customize your site.


Hero (Top) Feature Image: © gitusik / Dollar Photo Club

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