Christmas is the season for giving. Spread the holiday cheer with your loved ones by putting thought and attention into their presents this year. Why don’t you go the extra mile and make the gifts yourself?
With today’s technological advances, everything is easily accessible with just a few clicks. Online shops make it easier for people to ship presents to the receiver without even going through the sender. Handmade greeting cards have become text messages peppered with emoji, and actual presents are often replaced by gift cards. But you can break down the digital walls and stay in touch with your loved ones with these tips.
Write It, Don’t Type It
Nothing beats handwritten greeting cards. Store-bought cards are growing less popular, as the designs and messages have become repetitive throughout the years. Texts or DMs, on the other hand, are highly impersonal. Writing a personal message or making a personal greeting card, however, evokes thought and effort that no text message or DM can ever express.
Calligraphy and stamping can improve the overall look of the card. Stylistic lettering is trending nowadays because of its visual appeal. It requires precision and focus, with every stroke, making the outcome neat, unique, and beautiful. Patterned wooden mount stamps give the outside of your card a festive look. Gingham and buffalo patterns make your typography pop and standout. Customize different ink colors or even overlap stamp designs to create a modern 3D effect.
Place the cards in envelopes to send to your loved ones, especially those who are far away. Postage stamps that have a modern aesthetic can be used for these as well. Finally, seal the envelopes with stickers or better yet, wax seals. These melting wax and seal kits are popular on social media because of how visually satisfying its finished products are. Handmade greeting cards will make for a good keepsake that its receivers can always come back to and read whenever.
Other alternatives to greeting cards are hand-painted motivational or personalized posters that the receivers can hang in their home. Calligraphy may not come naturally to you, but there are a lot of tips especially for beginners on the Internet.
Bake Instead of Buy
Similar to store-bought greeting cards, cookie or bread baskets are common, easy-to-buy presents given during the holidays. Break this mold by taking the time to bake cookies or muffins and personalizing them with decorative icing or fondant toppings. Personalize each cookie or cupcake by incorporating the receivers’ interests into your decorating process. Baking can also be a bonding opportunity for the whole family that you can carry on as a tradition for holidays to come.
Baking stores offer a variety of plain boxes you can store the pastries in. With Christmas-themed stamps or stickers, you can give a plain box some holiday swag. Tie it up with festive ribbons and they’re ready to go. Take the family out on a drive and deliver these fresh pastries personally to the recipients. By doing this, you and your family are spreading a whole lot of holiday cheer.
People today have been going around saying that Christmas doesn’t feel the same as it did before. The loss of human connection and the dwindling of are often undesirable results the digital age. This year, strive to be more present in the season and don’t stress too much about the physical gifts. Because no matter what you give your loved ones, what matters most are the thought and love that go into the gift.
