by Debora Dyess
When I was a kid (more years ago than I care to recount) my daddy always made sure we each had a personalized Christmas ornament every year. He used a fine liner paintbrush and model car paint to meticulously write our name and the year on a Christmas ball, along with some memorable thing that happened that year. ‘Me, too!’ my ball reads for the year I was two. My sixteenth year ornament reads ‘Off to England!’ They are treasured keepsakes.
Options for personalizing Christmas ornaments have come a long way, baby. While the hand-painted Christmas messages are still a wonderful way to individualize holiday heirlooms, there are so many more ways available today to create your own personalized photo ornament. Here are simple instructions to help you create a homemade photo ornament using Microsoft Word and some simple materials.

Materials:
- Clear glass Christmas ball ornament
- Overhead transparency sheet (office supply store)
- Digital camera
- Computer and printer

Directions:
Open a new document in Microsoft Word. Open the drawing toolbar (view – toolbars – drawing), select an oval and ‘draw’ it onto your document.
Right click inside the oval; select ‘format autoshape’. Select ‘color and lines’; choose ‘no fill’ as the color. Click on ‘size’, and type in both height and width to match the size printed on ornament box. (NOTE: Because the ornament is a circle, height and width will be the same. If only one number is listed on the box, it is both.)

After closing the ‘format autoshape’ option, copy and paste the circle to cover the document, creating as many as you need. Insert the picture(s) by going to ‘insert’. Select ‘picture’, ‘from file’, and browse until you find your pictures. Insert pictures in circle document, resizing as needed to fit the balls. You will lose whatever doesn’t fit into the circle, so resize carefully.

Print onto transparency paper (a copy shop can do this for you). Cut out circles. Roll individual photo-circle around a skewer and insert into opened Christmas ball. Make sure the bottom of the picture is at the bottom of the ball. Once the photo is inside, it will open and fill the Christmas ornament. You may add glitter or confetti for a fun look, or decorate the outside of the ball with paint pens. Make sure not to obstruct the photo.
Using formal portraits or candid shots will change the character of the personalized photo ornament, as will how you choose to decorate each ball. You may even wish to combine the ‘old school’ method of personalization with the new, adding a name, date and words or event to remember to the outside of the ornament with a careful hand.
These personalized photo ornaments are sure to saved and cherished for many years.

Not long ago, when someone mentioned ‘Christmas cards’, you knew right away what they were talking about – a nice illustration and touching text, all wrapped up in a colored envelope and delivered to your mailbox. That was, of course, before the days of e-cards. Now paper Christmas cards are not always the greeting of choice at Christmas. But they are still the ones we hang onto, craft with, or hang on the walls to give the house a yuletide feeling. They are special.

Finding Christmas cards that say just the right thing can be a hassle. Admit it – standing on that aisle of the store, with other impatient shoppers elbowing you out of the way is not your best Christmas memory. It probably ranks right up there with hanging the lights on the tip-top of your roof in a winter gale. But take heart; there are other places to get paper cards.

Purchase cards online
Yes, Virginia, you can purchase paper Christmas cards online. There are several sites that sell cards from small presses, or that allow you to create your own. Cards are shipped to your home for personalization and addressing. The rest is up to you! Good places to shop online for a wide selection of paper Christmas cards are Gallery Collection, Cardstore.com, Zazzle or comparison shopping sites that can help you find great prices on paper Christmas cards.

Buy paper Christmas cards from a charity
Several charities, such as UNICEF sell paper cards for the holidays. Many are designed by people who use the charity. Contact the organizations you support regularly to find out if they sell cards, or look online for options.

Make your own
If you have children, you can have them draw pictures for the card fronts, and you can write the text and send them off to the printer. Or, better yet, print them on your home set-up. Look online for free Christmas card templates.

Paper Christmas cards not only help you send a note and a hello for the holidays, but they give recipients something to hold onto and look at for the entire season. There’s something about the texture and the smell of paper that cannot be replaced with an e-card or phone call. Ever try to hang one of those on the wall? Go paper.

-Deborah Dyess

If you’ve Elf Yourself-ed too many times to find it funny anymore, grab your digital photos and head over to FunPunch.com to check out their “You’re the Star” ecards for the holidays and Santa yourself. They’ve got some great free ecards for the holidays that let you add your own photo. Put on a Santa costume and dance with the rocking reindeer (shown here) or don an elf outfit to dance by the fireplace. You can also check out some of the racier options, such as the Xmas stripper cards. (Don’t worry – the animated characters don’t bare it all.)

You’ll need an account to send your cards or post them on Facebook, but it’s free, so have fun!
They’re all free, so go have some fun!

Americans send about 2.1 billion cards during the holidays, and most of them end up in the trash after the holidays. Here are some ideas for reusing your old cards.

1. Bookmarks – This is an easy craft that’s great for readers. Simply cut your old cards into long strips about one to two inches wide and use them to keep your place in your favorite book.

2. Gift tags – Probably one of the most useful ideas, and it will save you money next holiday season. Just cut square or rectangle shapes from your old cards, and then fold them to use as gift tags.

3. Post cards – Cut off the picture side of the card and draw a line down the blank back to use it as a postcard. Write your message on the left and address on the right.

4. Dinner placecards – If you host the big family dinner every year, this is a great idea for table place cards. Cut off and discard the back portion of the cards and cut the picture on the front into a rectangle. Then fold that in half to create a placecard.

5. Christmas placemats – Kids will have fun with this one! Cut pictures from your cards into fun shapes and arrange them, collage-style, on a sheet of 11×17″ paper, then laminate.

6. Christmas tree ornaments – Cut a picture from one of your holiday cards, punch a hole in the top, put a string through it and use it as an ornament on the tree.

7. Christmas tree spiral ornament – First cut the card into a circle. Then turn it into a spiral by cutting from the outside of the circle and working your way in. Then pull the spiral apart slightly and put a hole and string in the top to hang it three-dimensionally on the tree.

8. Scrapbooking – No explanation really needed! Simply cut out pictures from your holiday cards and use for scrapbooking projects.

9. New cards – This is a fun way to reuse your cards the next year. Go to a crafts store and buy blank cards. Then cut out some pictures from the cards you receive this year and past them on the blank cards to create cards for the next year.

10. Jigsaw puzzle game – Cut 5 -6 cards into several pieces, mix them all together, and have the kids try to put them back together.

Craft ideas from Where to Buy Recycled Christmas Cards… and What to Do with the Old Ones on Squidoo

It’s fun during the holidays to pick out just the right Christmas cards or create your own holiday photo cards. But once you stick these carefully selected greetings in an envelope, all cards pretty much look the same – like boring rectangles of paper.

The US Postal Service found a way to liven up our holiday mail years again when they issued the first Christmas stamp, and today you can still count on the USPS to release holiday-themed postage every winter. But now you no longer have to wait for the post office to get festive postage for your mail.

Today you can create your own personalized USPS stamps or buy some of the many designs available on sites such as Zazzle. This North Pole stamp is a great example of what’s available.

This stamp shows Santa’s workshop at the North Pole surrounded by snow and trees. Use it to liven up your Christmas cards and letters or add another touch of magic to a Santa letter.

You can add even more fun by getting an official North Pole postmark from North Pole, AK.

One of the busiest U.S. post offices during the holidays is the one in Santa Claus, Indiana. The only post office in the world named after Santa Claus post helps keep ol’ Kris Kringle’s magic alive by offering special “picture postmarks” during December.

The city has been offering a picture postmark every year since 1983. Each year’s unique postmark is designed by a local high school art student as part of an annual contest.

“The holiday postmark has become one of the most popular in the nation over the past two decades,” said Santa Claus Postmaster Marian Balbach in a 2008 USPS press release. “Postal patrons world-wide request the picture postmark. Also, many customers traditionally drive hundreds of miles to personally obtain the cancellation on their holiday mail.”

In 2008, the Santa Claus post office expected half a million pieces of mail to come through the office between November 15 and December 20. During the rest of the year, the post office processes only about 13,000 pieces of mail per month.

The postmaster offers these guidelines for individuals interested in getting a Santa postmark:

- Allow at least a two-inch by four-inch space in the stamp area for the picture postmark;
- Have postage applied to cards or letters before bringing or mailing them to the post office;
- The picture postmark is only available during the month of December;
- In order to ensure a good postmark imprint please do not enclose large or bulky items in your holiday mail (i.e.; reindeer food, snow flakes, glitter, stickers, etc.);
- There is no charge for postmarking—however there is a limit of 50 picture postmarks (hand cancellations) per person per day.

Customers who wish to have the Santa Claus Post Office mail Christmas cards should package them—with postage stamps affixed—in a sturdy envelope or box, and mail to:

Santa Claus Postmark
Postmaster
Santa Claus Station
Santa Claus, IN 47579-9998

Make sure you send your envelopes early. The post office should receive them no later than December 15 to ensure delivery to your recipients by Christmas.

Americans send more than 2 billion greeting cards during the holidays, and many of them are adorned with special Christmas postage stamps issued by the US Postal Service just for the occasion. But holiday stamps haven’t always been around. The first Christmas stamp in the United States was released in 1962, the first Hanukkah stamp was released in 1996, and the first Kwanzaa stamp was released in 1997.

So how did this tradition get started? Canada is widely credited with issuing the first Christmas stamp. In December 1898, Canada issued a 2-cent stamp celebrating the introduction of imperial penny postage and inscribed with the words “XMAS 1898.” But it wasn’t really released to celebrate the holidays. Rather, the Xmas inscription came about quite accidentally. Postmaster William Mulock commented to Queen Victoria that the stamp should be released in November “to honor the Prince” (i.e., the Prince of Wales, who was born in November). But when he could see she was not at all pleased with the idea and asked which prince he was referring to, Mulock replied, “Why, the Prince of Peace, ma’am”. Hence, when the stamp was issued in December, it bore not only the image of a world map, but also the words “XMAS 1898″ at the bottom.

A few other countries issued some type of Christmas stamp in the 1930s and ’40s (some without holiday images and some to raise money for a specific cause), but it wasn’t until 1943 that Hungary issued the first Christmas-themed stamp that was sold specifically as a holiday stamp to be used on seasonal mailings.

The United States didn’t issue its first Christmas stamp until 1962. It was a 4-cent stamp that featured a wreath, two candles, and the words “Christmas 1962″. Earlier stamps that had conveyed a holiday spirit had proved popular during the holidays in previous years, such as the 1958 Forest Conservation stamp showing a deer in a clearing in the woods and the 1960 stamp showing a stylized green tree resembling a fir, commemorating the 5th World Forest Congress. So the post office was anticipating a large interest in the first Christmas stamp. They ordered 350 million copies, the largest number ever produced up until that time for a special stamp. But it wasn’t enough. When the initial supply ran out, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing had to work around the clock to meet the demand. By the end of the 1962 holiday season, one billion of the first Christmas stamps were sold.

The US Postal Service has issued new Christmas stamps every year since then, and now it’s also possible to create your own personalized USPS stamps for the holidays with online services that make it easy to use your own photos and images.

If you’re ready to start shopping for your holiday cards but are looking for something a little different this year, you can find some great ideas online for unusual Christmas cards that are sure to delight your card recipients. All of the following articles will help you find unusual Christmas cards that be personalized and created online with ease.

At Hubpages, you can see a slideshow of eight different cool Christmas cards, including round cards, trifold designs, and gatefold holiday cards, along with a description about what makes each one different from an ordinary boxed card.

Christmas Letter Tips highlights some unusual Christmas cards that can be used as Christmas letters, too.

Squidoo gives examples of a variety of unusual Christmas cards. You can see samples of pop-up holiday cards, musical cards, cards that have punch-out designs that can be used as tree ornaments, calendar cards, and other out-of-the-ordinary designs you probably won’t find in your neighbordhood.

Another page at Squidoo shows cool Christmas cards that include personalized cartoon characters and holiday designs with multiple photos. You’ll also find information on creating your own personalized electronic card.

And if you’re a beach lover or a cowboy, check out beach Christmas cards and western Christmas cards.

This year, Americans will send 2.1 billion cards during the holidays. Most of these cards are made from virgin paper, and most of them end up in the trash after the holidays.

Creating cards from recycled paper not only saves virgin forest, but it also takes less energy to create paper from recycled materials than virgin materials. So if you’re looking for a way to reduce your environmental impact this year, here are some places where you can find recycled Christmas cards. Happy shopping!

Gallery Collection
You’ll find two types of cards in their Environmentally Friendly Christmas Card category – recycled paper cards and wind power cards. Cards are marked with icons to let you easily see which ones are made at low-impact, emissions-free mills powered by wind-generated, renewable energy, which ones are made from recycled paper, and which ones are made from raw materials that have been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Holiday Classics
Holiday Classics offers a variety of recycled holiday cards, some of which are also printed with soy ink. Detailed card descriptions help you determine which cards have 100% recycled content, post-consumer content or soy ink printing.

Pear Tree
Yes, you CAN find recycled photo Christmas cards online! In addition to offering a nice selection of regular recycled holiday greeting cards, Pear Tree also offers recycled photo cards that contain 100% post-consumer fibers. Simply choose your design and upload a digital image to create your own eco-friendly photo card for the holidays.

Fine Stationery
Although they don’t have a category specifically for recycled greetings, Fine Stationery has over a dozen designs you’ll find if you search for recycled Christmas cards on their site. Some contain post-consumer fiber. You’ll just need to read the descriptions to discover which ones.

Sierra Club
The Sierra Club’s holiday cards offer beautiful images of nature on them and come on recycled paper with soy inks. Plus, you’ll be supporting their environmental efforts with each purchase.

Greenfield Paper
In addition to offering 16 recycled card designs, Greenfield Paper also offers recycled gift wrap.

Creating your own personalized Christmas cards is easy these days, thanks to sites such as Astonishing Cards, Shutterfly, Moo.com and others that let you choose a card design, upload your own photo, and select your own greeting. But sometimes that big blank space inside the card can be intimidating. If you’re paralyzed by the white space inside the card and need some help getting past your writer’s block, here are some Christmas card greetings you can use for your holiday cards and letters.

1. May peace, love and prosperity be your gift this holiday season and throughout the year.

2. Merry Christmas and warm wishes for a wonderful New Year.

3. The gift of love. The gift of peace. The gift of happiness. May all these be yours at Christmas

4. May God fill your life with love, joy and peace this Christmas season and throughout the New Year.

5. Sending you warm wishes for the holidays and for health, happiness and prosperity throughout the year.

6. Warmest wishes for a happy holiday season and a wonderful new year.

7. May joy, faith and love be your gifts at Christmas and your treasures in the coming year.

8. Wishing you and your loved ones peace, joy and prosperity during the holidays and throughout the year.

9. May all the blessings of Christmas be with you today and always.

10. Wishing you the special gifts of this holiday season – peace, joy and lasting happiness.

11. Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a happy New Year.

12. May the wonder of that first Christmas be with you always.

13. God bless you at Christmas and always.

14. May your heart and home be filled with the true spirit of Christmas today and always.

15. Wishing you many blessings this Christmas season.

16. May God’s love surround you at Christmas time and throughout the year.

17. May the wonder and glory of that first Christmas Day fill your life with love and hope this holiday season and always.

18. Warmest wishes for a wonderful Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

19. Wishing you the gift of faith, the blessing of hope and the peace of God’s love at Christmas and always.

20. May the holiday season bring you much joy and happiness to you and your loved ones.

21. May the joy and peace of Christmas fill you now and throughout the year.

22. Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy new year.

23. Wishing you happy holidays and best wishes for the New Year.

24. Sending you season’s greetings and good wishes throughout the year.

25. May the spirit of the season fill your home with peace, your heart with love and your life with happiness.