Design

10 Easy Ways to Make Your Holiday Cards Stand Out

By Chanel Dror

Last week, we got into a heated conversation about holiday cards (well, it was about as heated as a conversation about holiday cards can be.) It basically came down to each of us in the office being at different life stages — from being married-with-children to fresh in a new relationship — and because of that, we all approach the tradition of sending out holiday greetings really differently. But whether we planned to send out photos of our cats or not send anything at all, there was one thing we all agreed on: receiving holiday cards is always fun. And any time the sender put a little creativity into their greeting, it’s even more of a treat. Feeling like you wanna go the extra mile this year? Here are 10 ways to make your holiday cards feel extra special…

*featured image by Kate LeSueur for Camille Styles 

1. Outline the edges of your envelope with a marker.

Get Martha’s instructions for adding this poppy accent here .

2. Seal your envelope with wax for instant romance and texture.

Go all out by investing in this brass seal, or visit Nostalgic Impressions for more affordable options.

3. Make them stand out by making them small!

Business card-sized well wishes just might find a home in your recipients’ wallets all year long.

4. Make them smell like the season.

Make your own holiday scented spritzer with essential oils and alcohol, then give each card a spray before stuffing into envelopes.

5. Don’t forget about envelope liners.

Add pattern or a fun photo to the inside of plain envelopes to delight everyone on your list.

6. Impress them with perfection.

An addressing stencil saves time, helps minimize mistakes, and makes your address appear perfect every time.

7. Make your envelopes frame-worthy.

Cater to your artistic sensibilities and make a statement on your envelope exterior like Lucy Halcomb.

8. Make them out of your Instagrams.

Companies like Sticky9 make it easy to print and send out your favorite snapshots from the year.

9. Add a vintage element.

Using vintage stamps on your cards is nothing new, but I recently discovered this site which sells mint sheets of almost every American stamp ever produced!

10. Make them modern and playful.

Cut out cards and fold your own envelopes in fun, geometric shapes.