How to Write Greetings Cards

We have all faced the problem of how to write greetings cards. Faced with a blank card, our minds tend to go blank too.

Choosing the Right Greetings Card.

The first step is to take your time to choose the right card. A moment’s thought about the person who is going to receive the card can actually do much of the work for you. Most of the cards we send go to the people we love the most. We know who they really are and our choice of card can reflect this level of intimacy. Most people like to feel seen, thought about, understood and remembered. Choosing the right card shows that you have taken the time to think about this. If the card itself is right, there is often not so much at stake when it comes to what to write. Even just a message to say “I saw this beautiful card and it made me think of you.” Can be enough to make the recipient’s day.

Cards for Every Occasion.

There are so many reasons for sending greetings cards. The year is punctuated by special days which can be marked by sending a thoughtful card. However, you don’t have to restrict yourself to the obvious occasions, just thinking of someone is enough reason to send a card.

Christmas

One of my pet hates is Christmas cards with just the senders’ names inside. It makes me feel like I am just part of a very long list that had to be ticked off for appearance sake rather than a special person that the sender genuinely would like to have a wonderful Christmas. If your Christmas card list is that long, perhaps consider general season’s greetings announcements on your social media? Save the physical cards for special friends or family that you have an intimate message for. Perhaps share a memory of a previous Christmas that you spent together? Maybe you had an epic night out together one year? Perhaps an excrutiating and hilarious shared office party experience?

Birthday

The classic card occasion, but oh my goodness how many cards will be sent saying “Happy Birthday, love from …”? “Many Happy Returns, love from …” Not exactly inspiring content. How about writing a memory you have of them from the year just past and a hope for the year to come? If you haven’t seen them all year perhaps a wish that they had been with you when … happened? A hope that you can spend some time together in the coming year? Think of the birthday as that person’s personal New Year. Wish all good things, specific things that you know are important to the recipient. Whatever you choose to write, make it personal, that is the key to making the recipient feel all warm and loved.

Wedding

What a great opportunity to write a card to the happy couple! What do you hope for their future together? Remember that though a wedding is just a day a marriage is a lifetime. Newly weds need the support of their community, that is why we get married with our friends and family around us. How can you let them know that you will be there for them in tricky times as well as at the parties?

I Miss You

I absolutely love to receive personal post, hand written, through the letterbox. What could be more exciting! Taking a moment to choose a card and write a little bit about what you have been up to and how much you are looking forward to being able to meet up again can make all the difference to someone who may be missing you too. These tiny kind gestures don’t take long but can make a huge difference to someone’s day. Perhaps you could even turn the card into a voucher for coffee and cake for a time when you can get together.

Blank greetings cards can seem like a daunting prospect but as they are so versatile it is worth having a few tucked away at home ready for just the right person or occasion. They allow you to communicate on a very personal level to someone who matters. I like to have a little stock of cards in my bureau ready for when someone pops into my head so I can just quickly let them know that they are in my thoughts.