It’s the holiday question that haunts me every year: Christmas cards, or no Christmas cards? Wasteful or nostalgic?

Flickr image by WordRidden

I love receiving mail. Wedding invites, letters, cards – really anything other than bills. I keep a scrapbook of all the baby announcements and wedding invites I’ve ever received. For a while I even kept greeting cards, but they really started to clog up the keepsake box, so that had to end. I didn’t want to end up in an episode of ‘Hoarders: Card Edition’. However, I know that I may be unique in this love. I’ve watched my father glance at a beautiful wedding invite and immediately toss it. I’ve also received cards with just a signature and I’ve thought, why bother? It’s nice to know people are thinking of us but unless there is some effort involved, I say save your money and do the trees a favour.

So this year, I considered sending an e-card to avoid the whole hassle. That’s hip and modern, right? Fun for the kids? In fact, I already do an annual JibJab.com Christmas ‘card’ for my friends’ kids and they love it! But, that really wouldn’t work for my technology-delayed aunts and uncles. Creating multiple versions for different people seemed like it would make the Christmas card tradition feel like a real chore.

After procrastinating for weeks, I had a flash of brilliance. If I created a photo card, I could print and mail a few but I could also email it to people. There are countless sites online that have photo card templates and will do all the work. The only thing needed is the photo. In fact, when Maggie was born, I looked into getting these nifty photo birth announcements made but when I received a quote of over $100, I decided to see what we could mock up with Photoshop. It was simple, but I saved a bundle and I was really happy with them.  If I could do it for a birth announcement, why not do it for a Christmas card?

It was settled then; I would make a DIY photo card for baby’s first Christmas.  Now, all I have to do is find the perfect moment for a family photo… and soon, as Christmas is nearly upon us!

 Do you send cards or a holiday letter?  Or does your family have a unique holiday tradition?