What Are Some Things to Put in a Shut Ins Basket

Shasta Matova enjoys adding a unique and personal touch to Christmas cards. She shares tips for making your cards memorable.

Put more a message in your Christmas or holiday cards. Try ane of these fun, unique menu insert ideas.

Prototype by Biljana Jovanovic from Pixabay

Unique Ideas for Christmas Card Inserts

Times are tough, and you might be considering sending only a Christmas or holiday card instead of a gift this vacation flavor. You also don't want to spend a lot of money for vacation gifts, and these lightweight vacation gifts volition save you coin on postage. Since it is the thought that counts, you may also desire to add special value to show the loved ones on your Christmas card listing how much you care nearly them.

Tuck a Surprise Into the Envelope

There are several picayune things yous can tuck into the envelope to provide a pleasant surprise for your loved ones. Well-nigh of these ideas are quick and simple and efficient. For many of these ideas, you create one, and then make copies for everyone.

Giving cards is a bully Christmas tradition, and past including a little surprise, yous are taking total employ of your beginning course stamp. (Just be certain that whatsoever you are adding doesn't add so much weight that y'all will take to pay additional stamp.) These items are inexpensive and provide a special and thoughtful touch to your Christmas cards. You can mix and friction match the ideas, or come up with some of your own:

1. Recipes
2. Drawings
3. Family unit Photographs
4. Holiday Messages
5. Personal Notes
6. Cash

A re-create of a family recipe written in Grandma'southward writing, with her notes, would exist much appreciated.

Brian Kelley, CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia

1. Recipes

Blazon upward your favorite holiday recipe and add together a photo if you have one. Make lots of copies, and tuck them into your Christmas bill of fare. If there is a special memory that goes with the recipe, exist sure to include that also.

If you have a favorite family recipe written in Grandma's handwriting, then you lot may consider simply copying the recipe instead of typing it.

A cartoon made by a child adds a personal affect to your holiday cards.

William M. Connolley, CC-By-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia

two. Drawings

Drawings or other flat things would be appreciated. Your children could describe a picture and you lot tin can copy. Use a copier at home or at the role, you can simply become to a local print shop. Most part supply stores also take copying services. For simply a few pennies, you volition make your carte du jour special. Some other option is to simply have your children draw directly on the carte du jour for a special and unique touch on.

This fun family Christmas bill of fare uses photographs to personalize it.

dkaz, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

iii. Family Photographs

Take your favorite candid photo, and make many copies. Or you tin can become a professional photograph and social club wallet size photos. They don't even accept to be one photo—accept several pictures and decide which card recipient get which photo. You can fifty-fifty get through photos y'all have taken throughout the year and decide which ones you want to share.

• Tuck in a photograph or two in your Christmas card and the recipient will enjoy seeing your presence with the card, especially if you live far away. If you lot do this every year, they will bask seeing y'all and your family change through the years.
• Instead of tucking a photo into the envelope with your carte, y'all could likewise consider printing the photographs on the card. In that location are many services now that will turn your photographs into holiday cards.
• Y'all could also send a photograph of the bill of fare recipient if you lot have taken one during the year.
• If he has moved away, a photograph a local establishment he used to frequent or another indicate of interest in the town would be good to bring back cherished memories.
• Instead of a recent picture show, you can also send an older i, to remind the recipient of days gone by or of relatives who have passed. If the recipient doesn't have Greataunt Ethel'due south movie, she would probably appreciate having a re-create.

I of the means to make a Christmas bill of fare special and memorable is to tuck in a special note of thanks inside it.

Ross_Goodman, CC BY ii.0, via Flickr

4. Holiday Letters

Write a letter or newsletter about your year and share it with your holiday card recipients. You can add together photographs, drawings or clip fine art to decorate information technology. You tin even include recipes in it.

Scroll to Continue

Read More than From Holidappy

A Christmas letter is a good way for your friends and family to take hold of up on events they might have missed throughout the year, and helps you call up the special things that have happened.

It is also a good manner for you to see how things modify over fourth dimension in your family. I save a copy of each vacation letter with my genealogy files so I tin can keep runway of the changes in our family history.

5. Personal Notes

Taking the time to write a personal annotation on the menu is a great manner to add meaning to a holiday bill of fare. Maybe remind them of something peachy you did together during the year, or tell them why they are then special to you. A personal note adds a neat bargain to the boilerplate Christmas carte du jour.

6. Greenbacks

It is fun to go a small check, cash or a gift certificate or gift carte in a Christmas card. I don't know of too many people who might object, although it might brand them experience obligated to reciprocate.

Other Things to Put in Your Christmas or Vacation Card

There are other pocket-size and flat gifts yous can add to your Christmas cards:

• bookmarks
• stickers
• artists' trading cards
• postcards
• poems
• your favorite quotation
• coupons
• gift card
• tickets for a play, concert or movie
• baseball cards
• stamps
• ribbons
• charm squares of fabric
• announcement for a subscription to a mag
• handmade coupons for favors and chores
• lottery ticket

These do not cost very much, and—more importantly—they don't weigh very much, and then you can fit them in without having to pay additional postage.

Make Your Christmas Cards Special

Information technology takes only a few minutes and a few cents to make your side by side Christmas carte or holiday card special. Merely it means so much to the recipient to have something to cherish and helps them retrieve how much you mean to them. Brand their holiday season a footling brighter by tucking in a special something before mailing off your Christmas cards this year.

© 2011 Shasta Matova

Virginia Allain from Key Florida on January 01, 2020:

For some years, I've been cutting bookmarks from former Christmas cards. And then I tuck these into the cards or holiday newsletters that I send out.

Shasta Matova (author) from U.s. on December 21, 2012:

Thanks RTalloni, hopefully fun things will exist making their manner in the mail to friends and relatives this year. Yous are right, these ideas are also useful throughout the year with altogether cards, anniversary cards, thinking of you, and any other mail. I've even sent a thing or 2 to bill collectors!

RTalloni on December 20, 2012:

You offering some prissy ideas here for personalizing Christmas cards, and to use throughout the year. Thanks!

Shasta Matova (author) from United states of america on Dec 16, 2012:

Thank you Stephanie. A pocket-size painting sounds wonderful. Looks like yous are already making sure that your loved ones enjoy opening up their Christmas card envelopes!

Thank you Cyndi. I am certain your friends and relatives will enjoy getting a surprise with their holiday cards!

Cynthia B Turner from Georgia on Dec xv, 2012:

These are peachy suggestions. I haven't sent my cards yet and will add a few of the items you mentioned. I'chiliad glad Stephanie tweeted it. Very timely.

Stephanie Henkel from USA on December xv, 2012:

Adding a picayune special something to a Christmas carte du jour is a lovely idea. I hadn't thought most a special recipe - beloved that one! I do oft include a family picture or brand my ain Christmas cards using a photograph of my hubby and myself. Something I'thou doing this year is sending some special people a small-scale matted painting. It just feels proficient to share a bit of ourselves at holiday time! Voted upwards and tweeted!

Shasta Matova (author) from The states on December 12, 2012:

Thanks Mary. I don't send cards every year, merely I do like to constrict in a little present in my correspondence throughout the yr - even to companies!

Mary Hyatt from Florida on December 09, 2012:

Well, I'm a little embarrassed to say I no longer send Christmas cards. It's role of my frugal (my kids say I'k inexpensive) way of life. You do have some good ideas hither, though.

I voted this UP, etc.etc. and volition share.

Shasta Matova (author) from USA on December 09, 2012:

Thank you Jeannie, I don't feel like so much of a cheapskate if I can constrict a special surprise in each card.

Thanks Linda. Perfume samples sounds like a great piffling souvenir for your customers.

Linda Bilyeu from Orlando, FL on December 09, 2012:

This twelvemonth I'm adding samples of Avon fragrances! :)

Jeannie Marie from Baltimore, Doctor on December 09, 2012:

These are such cracking ideas! I would have never idea to include a recipe or a drawing in a Christmas menu. Thanks for sharing! Voted up!

Shasta Matova (writer) from USA on November 07, 2012:

Thank you Pamela - I am very frugal, only I exercise try to non brand it very obvious in real life. I retrieve of it as giving my friends and family unit an extra footling surprise in the mail and hopefully get a grin out of them.

Thanks Ishwaryaa, how sugariness that you lot make handmade cards. That is much better than the shop bought ones. Kudos!

Cheers livingsta. Esther and sereseus, I hope you can use one of these ideas with your Christmas cards this year, and that they work to increase the holiday spirit this season.

Albin Pius from kerala,India on November 06, 2012:

Packed with interesting ideas, great task.

Esther Strong from UK on November 06, 2012:

Great ideas for making Christmas just that chip more special. Thumbs up and more.

livingsta from United kingdom on November 06, 2012:

Enjoyed reading this hub. Beautiful ideas, to bring upwardly that smile and holiday spirit. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Voted upwards and Beautiful!

Ishwaryaa Dhandapani from Chennai, India on Nov 05, 2012:

A wonderful hub packed with creative & economical ideas! These ideas sure add together a lovely personal touch to the Christmas or Holiday cards. I ofttimes fabricated handmade cards for my family on special occasions. Handmade cards are far better than store bought ones as they are created out of love.

Thank you for SHARING. Useful, Awesome & Interesting. Voted upwards & Shared

Pamela Dapples from Arizona. on November 05, 2012:

My dad is a wee fleck like you, but much more than frugal. He uses once-used envelopes to send his mail.

Shasta Matova (author) from United states of america on Nov 05, 2012:

Thanks Terrye, rasta1, Mary, Pamela, Nick, and stillwaters707. As a cheapskate, I always endeavor to get the cost out of the cost of the postage stamp, and honey it when I can think of something personal that I can tuck into the envelope to show the person that I am really thinking of him or her, and not only sending a mass production bill of fare out of obligation.

stillwaters707 from Texas on November 04, 2012:

I've received prissy newsletter updates from people who accept moved away. Poems and modest photos are prissy new ideas for me.

nanderson500 from Seattle, WA on Nov 04, 2012:

Nice ideas, I like to send out Christmas cards. They are fun to become every bit well. Voted up and interesting.

Pamela Dapples from Arizona. on November 04, 2012:

Very prissy ideas. A recipe in grandma's handwriting -- sent at Christmas -- is my favorite and I never would accept thought of it myself. Thank you for sharing your ideas. Voting upwards and useful.

Mary Craig from New York on November 04, 2012:

What great ideas! I send a 'family newsletter' every yr and hear dorsum that people dear it and expect forward to it. I don't include too much information 'cause I don't want to bore anyone. I love the recipe idea and there are certain folks that stamps or baseball cards would certainly be a good fit!

Voted this helpful hub upwardly, useful, and interesting.

Marvin Parke from Jamaica on November 04, 2012:

I volition give it a endeavour.

Terrye Toombs from Somewhere between Heaven and Hell without a road map. on November 04, 2012:

Those are some fantastic ideas and I'll be using several. :)

Shasta Matova (writer) from USA on September 21, 2012:

Thank yous Kathy. I don't really like getting plain cards that are sent to everyone else, so I like to personalize the ones I send out. Instead of sending cards because it is on my list of things to practise, I hope my menu recipients experience like I actually care nearly how they are doing and actually do desire them to accept a happy holiday season.

Kathy Sima from Ontario, Canada on September 20, 2012:

These are all bang-up ideas for things to add to your Christmas cards, and I'g sure most recipients would enjoy receiving any of these little surprises along with your holiday greetings. :)

Shasta Matova (author) from USA on September twenty, 2012:

Thanks for your annotate and vote alocsin. I hadn't thought about getting invited to endeavour out the meal, simply information technology does audio similar a great bonus!

Aurelio Locsin from Orange County, CA on September eighteen, 2012:

All fun ideas just to me the virtually interesting ane is to include an old family recipe. The method too ensures that your favorite meals stay live and peradventure yous can even invite yourself to the recipient to try them out. Voting this Up and Useful.

Shasta Matova (author) from USA on Dec 04, 2011:

Thanks quilt827. Those are great ideas.

quilt827 from Tampa Bay, Florida on December 04, 2011:

lots of practiced ideas! I some times will enclude tickets, groupons and of course there is the plastic gift cards we see everywhere!

Linda Bilyeu from Orlando, FL on December 03, 2011:

Or just say ooops how did my HP card end up in your holiday card?! :)) Go on on hubbin' MT!

Shasta Matova (writer) from The states on December 03, 2011:

LOL Sunshine - you have to be subtle though - maybe if yous wrote a hub most how special they are, and hope they follow the links to your other hubs...

Linda Bilyeu from Orlando, FL on December 03, 2011:

Concern cards advertizing your hubpages is another idea:)

Shasta Matova (author) from USA on December 03, 2011:

Thanks Sunshine! This was actually a part of a Christmas card exchange I was in with a quilting newsgroup.

Linda Bilyeu from Orlando, FL on Dec 03, 2011:

Never thought of a favorite recipe! Expert idea MT!!:)

richardbeirate.blogspot.com

Source: https://holidappy.com/holidays/Write-a-Christmas-Letter-to-Insert-in-your-Christmas-Cards

Share this post