Ah, the humble greeting card. You might not think much of it as you stand in the shop, overwhelmed with the hundreds of options in front of you, before grabbing the first thing that catches your eye.
But there is a reason that there are so many options available, and that is because greeting cards can be an important part of showing your loved ones that you care.
Greetings cards allow us to express so many emotions, to celebrate or offer condolences to those we love. They can be a wonderful keepsake or an important way of letting someone know you’re thinking about them; they can even help to strengthen relationships from afar.
Although it might seem like a small gesture, you really should put careful thought into the greeting cards you’re giving your friends and family for various different occasions.
So, to help you hone your card selection skills, we’ve created this handy guide. Follow our steps below, and you’ll always be able to find the perfect card for your loved one, no matter what the occasion.
Take your time to choose the right card
Many people leave buying a card to the last minute or don’t see it as very important when compared to giving gifts or arranging events. However, it’s a good idea to give yourself plenty of time to find, create or order the right card.
As such, it’s best to keep an eye on your calendar and mark important dates to give yourself plenty of time to prepare. This way, you can spend more time looking for a card that shows you put extra thought and attention into the selection process.
This typically means finding a card that appeals to their personality and sense of humour or having something personalised for them, but we’ll look at this in more detail later.
Consider the recipient
One of the most important things to do when choosing a greeting card is to keep the recipient in mind at all times. Think about your relationship with them, what you know about them and the things they like/dislike.
This will make it much easier to choose the perfect card, particularly when you need to express deeper emotions such as sympathies or condolences. Of course, this also means you’ll be able to find them a card that is personal, amusing or heartfelt, depending on the occasion.
Think about what you want the card to say
By this, we don’t mean the actual message you want to write inside the card but rather what you want it to convey. You need to make sure it’s appropriate to the person and the situation in which you’re buying it.
For example, do you want something deeply personal that shows how well you know them? Perhaps you want it to contain at least one of their favourite things? Maybe they are a beloved colleague but not one of your closest friends, and you need it to reflect this.
Whatever the case may be, you need to think about your relationship with this person and how your card will convey this.
Consider personalising the card
You don’t just have to settle for shop-bought cards that you find in the local supermarket; there are plenty of crafty card makers out there offering something more personal and unique. Whether it’s handmade or printed online and sent to you, think about how you can add personal touches to the card.
This could be adding photographs of the two of you or having something entirely new designed and created to reflect their personality. At this stage, think about their hobbies, interests, likes and dislikes. This will guide your creativity and help you to add little extra details that make it even more special.
And, of course, you should also take some time to draft a heartfelt, personal message to go inside the card as well.
Don’t neglect the size of your card
Last but not least, you need to make sure that you choose the right size card. It might seem trivial, but this can have a big effect on the overall feel and impact of your greeting card.
For example, if you’re sending your card by post, you don’t want to choose anything that will be too big for the letter box. Not only this, but sometimes smaller, more detailed cards speak louder than large cards with a small impersonal message scribbled inside.
On the other hand, if you want multiple people to write messages on one card, such as a leaving card, you might want to opt for a larger size, so everyone has room to add a heartfelt message.