How to pick the perfect Christmas card this year

It’s that time of year again where we all start pulling out the diary or contact list and start  making a roll call of names of  who will be given Christmas cards to celebrate our little bit of festive cheer.

However, once we start looking at the growing list of candidates it is clear to see there are different groups of people we want to send our seasonal greetings to, ranging from family, friends, work colleagues, ex-colleagues, old school mates, teachers, lecturers even people from the pub.

But how do you pick the perfect card for each group? Surely a one-size-fits all approach doesn’t work, does it?

I’ve found that setting out people into different groups, first of all, helps me decide what types of cards I will give to them over Christmas.

Firstly, I look at organising family names from extremely close individuals, such as partners, parents, grandparents and siblings. After this as I have a large family I concentrate on aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins and those that your mum and dad tell you to call “Uncle Bob or Aunt Linda” as they are very close family friends.

For me picking Christmas cards for the family is a personal thing and a conscious decision which has to be made,  because I feel a nice card with either a traditional winter setting or a family picture allows me to convey a more honest, real and personal greeting to the people I truly care about.

So when it comes to the holiday season I invest a little more time and money in sourcing the perfect card for family members.

Secondly, I look at my list of friends from close ones to old school mates and former University pals. For people in my really close social group I sometimes make my own cards and my friends have done the same, so it’s a little bit more special and personal.

If not we’ve sent cards that have a picture of the Christmas tree that we’ve decorated or even the mountain load of presents that we’ve had to wrap up.

To the people who are distant pals, such as old university ones and school mates, I still feel it is still important to choose a card that looks nice and reminds everyone of the holiday cheer with a personal and individual message in each card for them all –not the generic “To….” “Merry Christmas” “Love….”. Be a little more inventive, that’s my approach.

Thirdly, for the work colleagues and former ones I feel you can be a little more fun, or that’s what I’ve learnt over the recent years.

When it comes to this group I’ve usually invested in some comical ones where Santa is getting stuck down the chimney, while Rudolph eats the mince pies and port instead. This is because on a daily basis most of us laugh and joke with our workmates and I feel this should be carried on with the Christmas card giving.

Finally, to the old teachers and people we have met that are still in the diary I feel it is still worth buying simple, elegant cards with either a snowman, Christmas tree or even Santa on to spread the festive cheer.

So remember, this year prepare early and take you time in picking the perfect Christmas card for the ones you love.