Let’s talk about how to send Christmas cards, without the stress.
Because you know what? Talking to friends, and especially other moms, I’ve learned that I’m not the only one for whom the tasks of creating and sending these holiday greetings has become a burden.
There’s the photos, the designs, the address-gathering, the labeling, the printing, the always-going-over-budget. All smack in the middle of an incredibly busy season.
I’m not saying I dislike them. Christmas cards are fun! I like sending them and I like receiving them. It’s still a great way to connect with family and friends and share joy. It can just, on top of everything else, be…stressful.
So here are some tips for how to send Christmas cards more easily, plus a template that can help it go faster.
Ask yourself: Why do you want to send Christmas cards?
Before you jump in to creating your cards, take a step back. Why do you want to send Christmas cards? Doing sixty seconds of reflection will help you focus your process. Then you can send cards in the way you’ll find the most fulfilling.
Many people do because they like receiving cards and displaying photos of family and friends in their home. It feels warm and like you have a community around you. Does this resonate with you? When you think Christmas cards, do you think joy?
Other people like to send cards as a way to connect with family and friends outside of the digital world. This is particularly relevant as you yourself or others are increasingly stepping away from social media. You may also feel that it helps you reconnect with people on your list that you haven’t spoken with in a while.
Or, do you send Christmas wishes because “it’s tradition” or because you always have? I’d urge you to ask yourself: do you simply feel obligated? If this is the case…let it go. I hereby give you permission to not send Christmas cards this year. Boom! To-do list simplified.
However, if you find that you do want to send cards, let’s jump in and find the best way to do it without stress.
Gather addresses
I recommend starting with updating your address list first. Inevitably, there will be people whose addresses you do not have or who have moved, and you’ll be dependent on their response to update your contact list before you can move forward.
To simplify this process, you can grab a copy of my Christmas card address book Notion template. Once you create your copy, you will:
- List out every family/household you will send a card to
- Formalize their name for the envelope in appropriate column, following addressing rules
- Add the addresses you already have, either by hand or importing from another source
- Note in the “address status” column which addresses need updating because you don’t have them or the person has moved
- Reach out to the people with out-of-date addresses. The template includes a simple message to send that you can copy and paste into a text message or email
- Export the addresses to print your labels or send to your card printer, depending on how you’re sending cards this year (more on that below)
Determine what type of Christmas cards you want to send
Next, you need to determine what type of Christmas cards you want to send. I’ve run across three main prototypes for Christmas cards.
- Photo-only card – typically a postcard, featuring one or more photos of your family and a couple words of holiday greetings. These seem to be the most popular. They’re great for letting people know you’re thinking of them and for recipients to display in their homes, but some find they lack a personal touch.
- Photo + note – similar to the above, but with a paragraph or two summary of the family’s year on the back. Combining the best of both worlds.
- Christmas letter – can include family photos – often a whole collection of them, albeit in low resolution and in small size – but focuses more on talking about family news and sharing your life with your friends and family. This is the most personal version, and they can be very fun to read.
What appeals most to you? What best meets your goals of sending Christmas cards? What is your reaction when you receive cards of these different types from others?
Now, since we’re talking about how to make the whole thing less stressful, let’s look at the two sources of stress: effort and budget.
Level of effort
Since there are overlaps between the three card prototypes, let’s break the effort down by the effort for getting the photo(s) for your card, creating the cards or letters, and mailing the cards.
| Easiest | Mid-Range | Hardest | |
| Photo effort | 0 hours Use a photo you already have | 3 hours Research photographers, book photographer, select outfits from your wardrobes, have mini photoshoot | 6 hours Research photographers, book photographer, shop for outfits, have full photoshoot |
| Card effort | 30 minutes Select a design from an online retailer, upload your photo and order | 1 hour Select a design from an online retailer, upload your photo, and write a paragraph of family news for the back | 2 hours Write a Christmas letter with family news, then design it and add family photos |
| Mailing effort | 1 hour Collect and update your mailing list, then send the file to your card retailer and have them stamp and mail the cards for you | 3 hours Collect and update your mailing list. Have cards printed and sent to your home. Print your own address labels and stuff, stick address labels, and stamp at home | 4-6 hours Collect and update your mailing list. Print your own letters and address labels, fold and stuff into envelopes, stick address labels, and stamp at home.Add extra time if you want to sign every letter, and even more if you want to hand-address rather than print labels |
The total effort could range from about an hour and a half for a photo card that uses a photo you already have and that you have mailed by your card retailer, up to 10 hours for a photo card with full family photoshoot that you sign and mail yourself. (I am assuming that those who print their own letter focusing on text not images are not also getting a full-scale photoshoot, but in that case the effort could theoretically go up to 14 hours).
Christmas Card Budget
Again, let’s break the budget down by the cost of getting the photo(s) for your card, the cost of the cards, and the cost of mailing the cards.
| Low end | Mid range | High end | |
| Photo cost | $0 if you use photo(s) you already have of your family or have a friend take one. Wear outfits already in your wardrobe | $75-200 for a budget or mini family photo session. Wear outfits already in your wardrobe | $300-500+ for a family photo session Add $100-300+ for cost of new outfits |
| Card cost | $25 for 100 cards if printing a color letter on basic paper at home – using these estimations, and including envelopes, labels, and return address labels | $115 for 100 cards if choosing a simple design and paper from a retailer like Snapfish, and maximizing offers/ discounts | $445 for 100 cards if choosing extras like foil design and premium cardstock |
| Mailing cost | $73 for 100 cards if self-stamping $0.73 per card for stamps | $68-199 for 100 cards using retailer’s “mail for me” option | |
So, for 100 cards, the cost could range from $98 for a letter that you print and mail at home, up to $1,100+ for a photoshoot, premium card, and done-for-you mailing service.
Summing up the options
Let’s imagine we’re sending 100 cards. Here are the options, optimizing for different versions of “least stress”:
- Cheapest (and most personalized) option – write a Christmas letter and print and mail it at home. This is what my family has chosen to do. We opted to include a few photos from throughout the year, and to digitize our signatures so we didn’t have to sign all 100 letters.
- Least effort (and least personalized) option – use a photo you already have and have your card retailer print and mail the cards for you. Don’t worry about including family news, just the photo greeting.
- Balance of personalization, effort, and cost – I’d say the happy medium is a photo card, using a photo you already have, with a brief paragraph about your family’s year on the back, which you have sent to your home so you can sign them and stuff/mail them yourselves.
What do these three options have in common? They all omitted the photoshoot. If the photos make you happy, then of course, go ahead and find a photographer and shop for those outfits. But if you’re looking for ways to reduce stress this holiday season, I’d cut that from your list and go with the “best available” photo.
Christmas card timeline & tasks
The full Christmas card timeline will look something like this:
- September – set a budget. If applicable, research photographers and book a photographer.
- October – If applicable, plan and shop for outfits for photos and have your family photos taken.
- November – update your Christmas card address list. If using a card printer, design and order cards.
- December – If writing a letter, then write, design, and print your letter. If mailing your own cards, purchase stamps, envelopes, and label stickers, create your labels, and then sign, address, stamp, and mail your cards.
Check out the full Christmas to-do list, which includes a timeline and checklist template you can use to track these tasks.
Stress-free Christmas card tips
Here are some ways to send your Christmas cards with less stress.
- Use a photo you already have – as discussed above, eliminating the photoshoot, which includes the effort of researching a photographer and acquiring specific outfits, can reduce the stress of this task. Scroll through your photo reel, or hand your phone to a friend and have everybody smile and say cheese.
- Collaborate with your partner and/or children – Christmas cards are from the whole family, so if that includes more than just you, make sure you’re not the only person contributing. Can your partner take care of the address book? Can your kids be in charge of sticking the return address labels on the envelopes?
- Don’t wait for addresses when people don’t respond – it’s possible there will be a few folks who you would have liked to send a card to, but don’t have an address for. Don’t worry about it. Decide what day you’re going to finalize the address list in advance, and don’t wait for any responses after that. You can always reply to late responders with a screenshot of the card you would have sent them!
- Let go of “perfect” – you don’t need to send a magazine-worthy photo card. You don’t need to portray that you have a perfect life (no one does!). Remember that cards are for sharing moments of your real family with your real friends, and we’re all…real people. Authenticity breeds connection.
- Do what makes you happy – don’t fight your instincts. That will cause stress. (If that means not sending cards this year, then don’t send them!)
Do you plan to send Christmas cards this year? What will that look like for you?
