The Personal Touch of Customised Christmas Cards

Once upon a time in Victorian England, the prominent educator and patron of the Arts, Sir Henry Cole pondered over how to keep in touch with his family and friends, and the acquaintances that he’d made in the most elite social circles. As a result of his inspired idea, personalised Christmas cards were invented.

The birth of a seasonal trend

To capitalise on the recent expansion of the British postal system, Sir Cole commissioned an artist friend, J.C. Horsley, to design a unique illustrated triptych, celebrating the festive season of 1843. The UK’s first-ever Christmas card was printed on cardboard and featured a charming ‘A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year To You’ seasonal greeting.

Sending decorative greetings cards in the Penny Post quickly became a custom that would stand the test of time. Although other artists copied J.C. Horsley’s original festive card design, it would take several decades before Christmas cards became a popular tradition.

These days, Christmas cards are widely available in a vast array of designs, styles and shapes to suit every preference and taste. If you want to write and send your best wishes to family and friends in a more unique and special way, personalised Christmas cards are definitely the way to go…

The appeal of customised Christmas cards

For many people, the task of sitting down to handwrite personalised messages in a huge pile of beautiful customised Xmas cards is something to look forward to. The timely seasonal tradition can help to build anticipation and excitement for the celebration of Christmas Day.

Another reason why some people find the tradition so appealing is centred on the practice of reflection. When composing a personal message inside a Christmas card that’s personalised, you take timeout from the festive chaos around you to focus on the loved one that you’re writing to. In the lead up to Christmas Day, these peaceful moments are wonderfully precious.

As modern day Xmas cards have no style restraints, anything goes. You can customise a traditional festive design with bells and whistles, or personalise your cards with tasteful decorative embellishments like foiling, embossing, debossing, watercolours, graphics, typography or photography.

Having so many artistic ways to give your Christmas cards a personal touch means that your family and friends never need to receive a festive card that’s visually boring or uninspiring. Even environmentally conscious folk that prefer to send their greetings of the season in e-card format have the option to add personal touches that make their DIY eco-friendly design stand out.

A striking Xmas card that features personal touch customisation can also give business owners the edge over the competition. Festive design business Christmas cards can incorporate your branding, and allow plenty of space for a personal message inside. Writing a concise message of goodwill shows gratitude and appreciation of your professional connection, to customers, clients, colleagues and associates.

Designing your own customised Christmas cards

If you’re feeling inspired to design customised Christmas cards this year, there are a number of important things to consider…

You’ll need to choose a card, and envelope, that’s perfect in size, shape, paper quality and colour. Do you want to feature a graphic print, illustration or photograph on the front of the card, is another consideration. Once you’ve decided on the basics, you can have unlimited creative fun adding personal touches with luxurious metallic inks and foils, and other stunning decorative details.

If you don’t have an extensive list of people to send Christmas cards to this year, you may be able to spend some extra time designing one-of-a kind cards that will impress your nearest and dearest. Everyone loves to receive a special card in the post at Christmastime. Sending loved ones handmade Xmas cards that are individually personalised shows the lucky recipient how much you care about them.

Handwritten personal touches

Don’t have the time, inclination, or budget to impress loved ones with bespoke Christmas cards that are beautifully personalised? No worries. You can achieve the desired effect by adding a personal touch to the message that you write inside your shop bought Xmas cards.

To get you in the festive mood, light some candles and play your favourite Christmas music in the background…

As you prepare to write your Xmas cards, it’s a good idea to take a moment to think about the individual that you are writing to. Close your eyes and visualise them receiving your beautiful Christmas card in the post. Imagine them holding the envelope in their hands and tearing it open with excitement. As they read your personalised message, see their face light up with a beaming smile. Hold the thoughts in your mind as you put pen to paper, and write a personalised message that comes straight from your heart.

Including a traditional Round Robin letter inside your personalised Christmas cards is a great way to ensure that your family and friends are bang-up-to-date with all that’s going on in your life. To make this message more personal, add a favourite photo of a happy memory. The recipient of your card will feel instantly connected, as they read your festive goodwill message and view the enclosed image.

Finish off by stamping each Christmas card envelope with a striking vintage style wax seal, or by adding a colourful Xmas sticker that features a cute seasonal motif or an on-point festive message.