Making Your Own Greeting Cards

If you’ve ever spent an hour browsing through the greeting card aisle and not found a card that really works for the occasion, then you’re a good candidate to make your own. You can save money, invent your own personalized greetings, show off your creative side and involve your kids in the whole process.

A computer and printer will put you well on your way to making great greeting cards. One option is to invest in greeting card software like Hallmark Card Studio, PrintMaster Platinum or the Greeting Card Factory. These all cost less than $50 and have the advantage of being able to walk you through the process. An inkjet or color laser printer will add pizzazz to your creation, or you can go artsy and hand-color black and white cards.

For a free alternative, just download greeting card templates for programs that you already have. A quick Web search will turn up templates for popular programs like Word and Publisher. Most of these templates are designed to work with standard 8.5- by 11-inch paper. You just customize, print out and fold the card, and you’re ready to go. Microsoft is a good source for instructions and templates when you drop by their “Create your own holiday and special occasion greeting cards” page. For cards that really stand out, you can hand finish your creations with crayons, paint, glitter, confetti, ribbons or small trinkets. This is a fun, hands-on project for kids.

Another way to make your own cards is to use a service like VistaPrint or Zazzle. You use their online templates to customize your cards and then place an order that is professionally printed and delivered to your house. When you need to make a lot of cards for a holiday occasion or big party, services like these can save wear and tear on your home printer.

Online greeting cards are a fast and fun way to say “thank you,” “happy birthday” or mark any special occasion. For very important and formal events, you’ll still want to stick with real world cards, but online cards are a quick way to let someone know you’re thinking about them. Try out these sites for online cards:

• BlueMountain: This site has been around for over a decade and it is still one of the top ecard destinations. There is a one-month free trial and a membership fee that makes sense if you send a lot of ecards and want to be able to access premium cards.
• Hallmark: Yes, the Hallmark that you’re familiar with in the greeting card aisle also has digital online options. Interactive cards that feature songs, games or your personal photos are a specialty here. There are free options, and most premium cards cost under $2.
• Regards: You’ll have to wade through a lot of advertising, but Regards offers a large selection of free ecards, sorted by category. Also check out their off-the-wall sister site Regardsbox if you’re looking for an ecard that is out of the ordinary.
• Yahoo! Kids ecards: Kids can make their own ecards for friends and family at this kid-friendly site. All the usual holidays and occasions are covered, and you’ll also find theme cards related to the Chronicles of Narnia, Nancy Drew and the Banana Splits.