Much like jolly ol’ Saint Nick with his sleigh full of goodies, the holiday season brings with it plenty of baggage. That baggage often comes in the form of a seemingly endless to-do list full of holiday errands. The good news is that you can make that to-do list a little less stressful by taking care of one of its most time-consuming items: Sending out Christmas and Holiday cards to your loved ones.
If you’re like most people, you have been a little disappointed with the stationery options at most retail stores. Thankfully, there are companies out there offering better, more convenient options. Here’s a list of our favorites.
1. Waldograms
Waldograms are a fun, new solution to sending Christmas and Holiday cards in 2020. Waldograms are beautiful, personalized cards you create using our templates or with your own design, printed and mailed for you. Each card is $1.99, delivered by USPS first class postal mail within 4-6 business days, on high quality 5×7 UV-coated gloss cover. Waldograms are sent envelope-free thanks to their high quality material.
Waldograms come in hundreds of templates for the holiday season —Christmas, Hanukkah, or simply Happy Holidays— and you can then personalize them if you would like by uploading your own photo. You can even add a photo for a custom stamp – super cute!
Bulk sending also becomes super easy with Waldo — all you need to do is create your card, import your contacts and hit send. Waldo will automatically send your card to each recipient — no stamping, writing, or mailing needed. For businesses, Just Because cards are available as a bespoke solution for bulk sending holiday cards to customers.
Pros:
- Starting at $1.99 per card and gets less expensive as you send more — no stamping fee required
- Bulk sending is available and easy-to-use
- Personalize with your own photos
- High quality prints
- Envelope-free sending
- Beautiful templates available, or upload your own design
- Quick delivery nationwide
- All creation and sending are done through Waldo — no need to go to the post office
- Super convenient and pandemic-proof!
Cons:
- Currently only available in the US
2. Etsy
You’re probably well familiar with Etsy already as a one-stop shop for all things handmade and unique. Etsy is a great way to create that handmade feel for your holiday card this year — without doing all the crafting yourself. Instead, you can outsource that work to an independent artist. You can pick from plenty of pre-made cards or custom orders. Some artists will draw illustrations of your family, and others allow you to insert your own photography.
Pros:
- Unique designs
- Handmade feel
- Can be tailored to what you need depending on vendor
Cons:
- Need to mail the cards yourself
- Expensive, and gets pricier for more custom designs
3. Moo
Moo has gained notoriety recently as the trendiest business card producer on the block. They also have a quality collection of cards that can be used for the holidays or year-round. All of their cards are design-forward and very sophisticated. You can of course edit each template online and add your own photos as well.
Pros:
- Personalizable with own photos
- Templates are available
- Sophisticated look, great for businesses
- Other holiday items are available too
Cons:
- Not mailed for you
- Relatively long mailing time
4. Paper Source
A Hallmark store for those who love to craft, Paper Source has some of the best-designed stationery around. Their beautiful cards and envelopes have much charm, and they’re a great option as far as traditional retail cards go. Lots of their designs are genuinely funny, and they also offer blank card designs as well. If you don’t mind the labor that goes into hand-writing and addressing cards, Paper Source is a great way to go.
Pros:
- Beautiful designs
- Customizable templates
- High quality prints and envelopes
Cons:
- Need to mail it yourself
- Need to handwrite your messages
5. Paper Culture
Paper Culture is a card brand with a unique mission to give back to the environment. Every one of their cards are printed using post-consumer waste and wood alternative materials. They also plant a tree for each purchase made. The cards usually have a decidedly “cute” aesthetic (which isn’t a bad thing.) They offer bulk discounts, plus free design assistance. If you’ve ever tried to design your own cards online, you understand just how helpful that can be.
Pros:
- Environmentally-friendly mission
- Bulk discounts
- Free design assistance
- Mailed for you options available
Cons:
- Delivery cost adds up
6. World Market
World Market is already on a lot of people’s to-do lists because of the wide selection of unique gifts they offer. They also have plenty of pre-made box sets of holiday cards at great price points. World Market is a great option if you want to spend less time stressing over design details and more time picking out gifts.
Pros:
- Assortment of gift options available besides cards
- Stores widely available nationwide
Cons:
- No mail for you option — only curb pickup or ship to home
- Lack personalization
7. Minted
Say good-bye to generic drug-store cards; minted offers a hand-picked selection of beautiful cards made by independent artists. Minted’s online platform allows you to select from their gallery of designs and customize with your own photos and text. You can filter through their gallery by choosing selections like “Christmas” or “New Year’s.” They also offer a ton of different designs ranging from funny to serious, so you can find one that works well for the occasion. Minted also offers custom envelopes with your recipient’s address printed directly on them, saving you a lot of writing time.
Pros:
- Personalizable with own photo
- Beautiful designs from independent artists
- Free custom envelope and address printing
Cons:
- No mailed for you option
- Longer delivery, expedited delivery gets expensive
8. Zazzle
If you’re into vintage-themed cards, Zazzle is a great option. They have a ton of unique, quirky designs that you won’t find in a Hallmark or Walgreens store. They also offer the option to customize things like paper weight and sheen (perfect if you care about the details.)
Pros:
- Unique designs
- Photo card options available
- Have greater discounts
Cons:
- Slightly pricier option than most
- You need to handwrite and mail your cards
9. Amazon
Most of us probably do the bulk of our Christmas shopping through Amazon already. You can also order single or bulk cards through them as well! The benefit of Amazon is the staggering variety it offers, plus free 2-day shipping through Prime.
Pros:
- Wide variety of cards
- Easy ordering
- Fast shipping
Cons:
- Might be hard to find something suitable to your taste
- Prices vary
- No mailed for you option
10. Tiny Prints
Tiny Prints is a great all-around option if you want some hands-on action with your cards but don’t want to spend hours and hours addressing and sending them out. They have a great selection of unique designs available on their website, plus a handy address book tool that helps you keep track of all your recipients.
Pros:
- Unique designs that include foil and glitter designs
- Good shipping options
- Personalization is available
- Team of experts to review your designs and cards
Cons:
- On the expensive side
