Do It Yourself Christmas Cards

We are a one-income family on a tight buget and every year we seem to break ourselves. I don't like it, it's stressful. This year was especially hard because we chose to participate in the family event and only buy for kids, but it still added up and of course I buy for parent(s). It was so close this year, that I didn't send out Christmas cards!!! Is there something you do that helps to watch your Christmas funds without being short at the end of the month?

I plan my presents all year. This allows me to buy from yard sales and flea markets. Not c.rap, but things that my friends and family truly will love. For example, I got my sister two molas (worth at least seventy five dollars each) for a dollar apiece. I can sew, so I make what I can. (Everybody needs nice pot holders.) I give gift certificates and follow through. (Babysitting, shoveling the walk, a casserole each month, cookies every month.) The trick to making this one work and not just become a cheap cop out is to follow through. One year when I was really strapped I dehydrated apples that a neighbor had let me pick from her tree - it was a big hit. I cut them cross ways so that they made big circles that were quite beautiful and save the not-so-pretty ones for myself.

If your nieces and nephews live in the area, have your kids decorate gift certificates for future outings. Promise a hike, a day of sledding, or a day of baking. Tailor the event to the child and be sure and follow up. There are so many fun things to do that don't cost much. Be creative and don't give into the pressure to keep up with the Joneses. As you said, it just stresses you out. What most people really want is a little piece of your time, anyway.

2006-12-20 15:58:17 by LittleFreedom

The intro to a DIY post I did on My Girl Thursday. In the post I show you how to make envelopes from old magazine pages, and how I made my ...

A young, married, child-less couple? We live far away from our families and rarely see them....I'd like to send a photo card of us. Do you need a kid to send out photo cards?! Would this be weird? or cute?

thats usually something people do with their young children, so it might come across as weird and egotistical.
maybe just include a photo inside the card.

2009-12-16 13:11:20 by Bride-2-Be

I'm a high school graduate and I recieved my senior pictures this October. I don't really know what the ettiquete for giving pictures is but I was planning on including a wallet sized photo inside all the Christmas cards I'll mail out. Is that an appropriate thing to do?

As a matter of fact, how do you send family and friends photos of yourself? Is it wierd to give your best friends a picture of yourself?

I think it's totally fine. My family has received lots of senior pictures included in Christmas cards, and it is always nice to see how everyone looks, especially if you don't get a chance to see that person a lot. Christmas is probably a good excuse to send some senior pictures out, that or the announcement of your graduation would be fine as well. It totally isn't weird to give your best friends a picture of yourself, in fact, they'll probably appreciate it, especially after graduation when your lives tend to branch off into separate areas.

2007-12-09 15:35:54 by kvkvn

Price: $11.99 $11.99

Each Eco Snooper character has its own story of fun, friendship, and environmental responsibilty
Make 10 fun and fabulous greeting cards featuring the colorful and quirky Eco Snoopers characters
Die cut accessories make your greeting cards pop

Or a christmas card for that matter just to see if you would be surprised when you get it? or because nobody else does or for any other reason for that matter.

No... I have friends...

2010-09-17 11:18:41 by only me

I read some previous post where people ask the question - Is it necessary to send a thank you note for a Christmas gift. Almost everyone replied yes!!! I have to admit I was quite surprised. While I do agree that it is polite, I have never received a thank you note for any gifts that I have given, unless it was a gift to a co-worker; although I have sent some myself.

So now to my question - Is it necessary to send a thank you note when a gift is being exchanged? For example, my daughter just celebrated her first Christmas. We received a lot of gifts for her from her Aunt's and Uncle's but in exchange we gave their children gifts (as we always have in previous years and never received or expected a thank you note).

And even though I know that everyone said it is polite to send a thank you note, have you really sent thank you notes yourself for Christmas gifts?? Please be honest. :)

Just wondering.
In addition is it ok to send a thank you via an email greeting?

When I was a little kid - there was a dreaded night a few nights after Christmas when we sat down and wrote a million thank you notes. My Mom got two kinds - some were pre-written and had little poems in them or something and all you had to do was sign your name. Those were for the smaller presents. The others were blank and you had to actually say thanks and what you liked about the present and how grateful you were and so forth. Those were for the bigger presents. We all absolutely hated that night - but always got through it.

My kid does not write thank yous to anybody who is there when she opens the gift (she just says thank you right then) or anybody who she talks to on the phone that day and thanks. Sometimes though - there is somebody - like an Aunt or Grandparent who we don't touch base with - and she sends them a thank you. BUT - we let her do it by e-mail. She understands about gratitude - and she's very polite. I think that's good enough.

And - like you - I have sent MANY presents out over the years - and received very few thank you cards. However - I've always loved receiving them.

Hope that helps.

2006-12-26 13:58:52 by Denise S