Last
year I showed you how I make Christmas cards.
I didn’t even use the ones I made.
I had so many leftover cards plus the ones that I had made that when we
got ready to move I sold them in a yard sale as part of a bag filled with note
cards and stationery.
I used
up all my extra Christmas cards this past Christmas. I had exactly enough. Now I have exactly zero cards. I could make them and I do enjoy making cards
but this year I plan to do something I haven't done in years. I plan to buy them.
This
month my plan is to update my Christmas card list and then once the boxed
holiday greeting cards hit the shelves at the dollar store next fall I will buy
my cards. I won't wait too long or the
selection tends to get picked over. Fortunately
Christmas cards don't take up a lot of space and will fit nicely in my
stationery box until I am ready for them.
I
usually write and address my cards over Thanksgiving weekend so I'll have them
all ready to go in plenty of time. Do
you prefer to make or buy your Christmas cards?
I've done both. When my daughter who is very artistic still lived at home, I would print cards using some of her artwork. Now I buy them. I love the tradition of Christmas cards. It's sad to me when I read over and over that this is an easy place to slash the Christmas budget by not sending cards. While it's true that how many I send out each year varies by my available funds, I ensure that as a minimum they go out to family and my closest friends. Christmas cards are a lovely way to keep a non-commercial focus on Christmas as well as acknowledge meaningful relationships in our lives.
ReplyDeleteI'm not that artsy so I rely on images I find online or in clip art a lot. My daughters are though. Might have to tap into that some more. They made all of the cards they gave away last Christmas.
DeleteI love your idea of making Christmas cards! I have a stack of cards that we received over the years and I have been trying to come up with ways to reuse them. You just gave me a great way to re-make the cards over. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThe last couple of years I have bought my cards on clearance. The day after Christmas Walmart discounts their holiday items 50% and if you wait a few days after that it eventually gets discounted 75% and then ultimately 90%. I got a bunch of boxes of Christmas cards for 25 cents a box this way. CVS discounts their holiday items too. I got a couple of nice rolls of wrapping paper for 40 cents a roll- it is shiny red paper so it can be used for other occasions besides Christmas.
Thank you again for the link on how you make your cards! You have the wheels turning in my head now for a few different projects. :)
You find the best buys on stuff. I did get Christmas wrap for 50 cents a roll two years ago (still using it) but 25 cent cards would be sweet! I use my Christmas cards to remake into gift bags and tags. There's a post about that.
Deletehttp://thriftymominboise.blogspot.com/2012/01/christmas-all-year-long-making-gift.html
I buy them after Christmas when they are half off :) The Christmas cards we get I take off the side with words so that just the front side of the card is there (people rarely write on that part) and reuse those. I work with kids and there is no point in spending money on cards for little ones, so I punch a hole and attach it to their little gift bags with their names and mine on the back. The cards I really like the picture of, I keep those and put them back out as kind of decorations with the holiday stuff.
ReplyDeleteFabulous ideas. I love it!
DeleteI buy them usually after Christmas at half price or less, right now I have enough for the next couple years.
ReplyDeleteRhonda
At one time I had quite a stash. This will be the first time I've bought some in more than five years, easily.
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