Four Great Alternatives to Holiday Cards

Everyone loves to get yearly holiday cards in the mail, but after the new year they are often discarded or put away for another year. With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, getting the perfect holiday photo printed and mailed can be overwhelming at best.

If you want to send a token of your love this holiday season, why not get a little more creative with your yearly season’s greetings? Sending one of these unique alternatives to the traditional holiday card will surely make you stand out, and may become one of the most treasured traditions you participate in each year.

Send an area-specific ornament. Ornaments are meant to create memories, so choosing a small ornament that represents your town or a family tradition is the perfect way to remind people you are all connected for the holidays, no matter where you all may be. Often cities will make ornaments for each year that represent a special part of their heritage, or a specific building. If you live somewhere with a rich history, local holiday folklore is a great way to spread your holiday cheer.

Send a framed photo to hang year round. If you did manage to get those perfect family photos this year, don’t waste them on a disposable card that will hang for a month. Choose a small silver picture frame, or a large antique picture frame for closer family, and send them a great recent picture of your family. Grandparents especially love to have photos of the next generation hanging in their homes, but they may not have the resources or time to get prints themselves. Sending the gift of a beautiful gold picture frame with their loved ones smiling inside will spread cheer year round.

Write a newsletter. Instead of the impersonal “Season’s Greetings!” that so often are the only words that will fit in the provided box of a holiday card, write a lengthy letter to your loved ones detailing how your year has been in blessings, and what your wish is for theirs. Choosing a pretty holiday stationery will add a festive touch. If you have the time, a handwritten letter is always a warm touch, but friends and family will also appreciate a printed letter with a few handwritten notes for personalization.

Send a blessing. If you are looking for something more spiritual, many churches will offer small tokens to be sold at the holidays that are blessed by a member of the church. These small gifts are often inexpensive, and small enough to mail, but they contain a big message of the season for your loved ones. Often these tokens are a representative of something meaningful to the season or to the congregation themselves, which makes it even more special.