On this page we have compiled tips and tricks for making your Christmas cards stand out from the crowd.   We start with a Guest Blog from Erin Levine who is a contributor on behalf of PaperStyle.

Adding Your Own Touch to Christmas Cards

One of the many joys of the holiday season is giving and receiving Christmas cards. Many families display the cards they receive on garlands, cork boards, and Christmas trees. If you’ve gone to the trouble of addressing, stamping, and mailing cards this season, it’s likely that you don’t want your card to be lost in a sea of salutations. By adding personal touches, you can ensure that your Christmas cards will be cherished by family and friends for years to come. With the following ideas, turn an ordinary boxed card into a memorable keepsake:

Several types of small gifts can fit inside of your Christmas cards. If it is within your budget, you can place lottery tickets, gift cards, small jewelry items or other gifts in an envelope with the card. A number of items, including LED light bulbs, key finders, magnifying glasses, and bottle openers, are designed to fit within a wallet, so they can easily accompany your cards. A low-cost item for holiday card giving is seeded paper. Cut or folded into festive shapes, seeded paper can be planted in the recipient’s garden in the spring to produce beautiful flowers.

Even if you already take the time to hand sign each card, you may want to add a few additional signature touches on the cards or envelopes. This can go a long way in making your Christmas cards memorable. Use your favorite wrapping paper to line the inside of your envelopes, or to cover the outer flap for a festive look. Scrapbooking die-cuts and stickers add instant appeal to envelopes and cards, and pattern-cutting scissors can create a festive edge on the envelope flap. With a stencil and embossing powder, you can create intricate designs on your cards or envelopes, which give the look of opulence to even inexpensive ones. Similarly, there are a number of embossing stencils that can be used with a pressing machine to alter the texture of the envelope flap, giving your cards a bit of fun flair.

If you have a way with words, pen an original holiday greeting or poem inside of blank cards. Practice with calligraphy pens to create a beautiful work of art that will impress your friends and family. While some greeting cards have messages that touch the heart, it is much more meaningful to your Christmas card recipients when you take the time to write your own. It is the perfect way to let your loved ones know how much you care during the season and throughout the year.

Use the Internet to find more excellent paper-crafting ideas that will help you make your Christmas cards special for everyone in your address book this year. You can easily find a number of tutorials for these techniques. Start early so that you have plenty of time to create stunning holiday greetings to send to those that you love. Make it a family Christmas tradition: Involve your children by letting them help cut, glue, stencil or hand-decorate envelopes. Your family and friends will appreciate all of your extra effort, and they are sure to treasure your special Christmas cards.

Erin Levine is a contributor on behalf of PaperStyle, an online company that sells everything from wedding invitations to holiday greeting cards.

Do you have any tips for making your Christmas cards extra special?

If you can think of any ways to make your Christmas card extra special do please get in touch and we’ll add your suggestions to this page.