Why I Still Make Holiday Cards by Hand

Every year, as the leaves start to turn, my worktable changes. The birthday colors get put away, and out come the warm oranges, the deep greens, the kraft paper and the gold. Holiday card season has started.

You might wonder why I still make holiday cards by hand when a box of printed ones is so easy to pick up. The honest answer is that a handmade card asks you to slow down twice: once when I make it, and once when someone opens it.

A card is a small piece of art

Before I made cards, I was a school teacher, and I have always loved art and creative design. Making cards lets me bring the two together: something useful that is also something beautiful. I work with watercolor, real pressed flowers, embossed textures, die cutting and layered paper. Each one gives a card a different kind of character.

With watercolor, the paint does part of the work. I lay down a wash, and the color spreads and settles a little differently every time. Two cards painted from the same idea never come out quite the same, and I’ve learned to love that.

With pressed flowers, nature does most of the work. A real flower or leaf, pressed flat and dry, keeps its shape and much of its color. No two blooms are alike, so no two pressed flower cards are alike either. Natural variations in color, shape and texture are part of what makes each one special.

With embossing and die cutting, it’s all about texture: a raised pattern that catches the light, or a layer of leaves you can feel under your fingers. A card like that wants to be touched as much as read.

A few of this season’s holiday cards

Here are some of the holiday cards I’ve made this fall.

Bluebirds & Berries holiday card ($7.00 on Etsy). Two bluebirds sit on a branch of green leaves and red winter berries, hand-colored in soft watercolor, with a “Happy Holidays” sentiment tag. The panel is layered on a kraft card base, which gives it a cozy, rustic feel.

Pressed flower Happy Holidays card ($8.00 on Etsy). This card has real pressed pink daisies, fern and Queen Anne’s lace arranged in a scalloped window on kraft cardstock. It’s framed with gold borders and finished with a gold “Happy Holidays” script. Because the flowers are real, every one is a little different.

Autumn leaves Happy Holidays card ($8.00 on Etsy). Layered die-cut autumn leaves in warm orange, with a bold “Happy Holidays” script. It works just as well for Thanksgiving as it does for the winter holidays.

Botanical Wishes ($15.00 on artfulsn.org). These cards are inspired by flowers. The designs feature delicate blue dried blooms, pressed pink flowers with fern leaves, and a soft pink watercolor rose, each finished with a “Happy Holidays” greeting.

Created to be kept, not discarded

A lot of cards end up in the recycling bin once the holidays are over. I make my cards hoping they’ll be kept: tucked into a book, propped on a shelf, or saved in a memory box. That is why I say each card is created to be kept, not discarded.

A handmade card is really just the beginning, though. The most important part is what you write inside. A flower chosen for its color, a few carefully arranged layers of paper, and your own words together turn a simple greeting into a reminder of a person, a celebration or a moment that mattered.

If you do keep one, handle the dimensional paper details and pressed flowers gently. Keep the card dry and out of long stretches of direct sunlight, and it will hold its look much longer.

Something more personal

Sometimes nothing in the shop is quite right, and that’s okay. I’m happy to talk about a personalized card. Just share the occasion, who the card is for, the colors or theme you have in mind, and the date you need it by. If you need several cards for a holiday gathering or an event, reach out as early as you can with the quantity and date, and we’ll see what’s possible. The options, price and timing are always confirmed before you order.

Two ways to find these cards

You can find my cards in two places. Some are listed in the ArtfulSN shop on Etsy, and others are sold directly on artfulsn.org with PayPal checkout. If you’re in Louisville, home delivery is free for orders arranged through artfulsn.org. Prices can differ a little between the two shops, so the listing always shows the current price.

Thank you for reading, and for choosing to send something made by hand this year. Each card is handmade, and no two are alike.

With warmth from my worktable in Louisville,Suja