So you've done the hard yards, got your cards all written and tucked away inside their envelopes ready to go in the postbox.
Now it's time for the finishing touches. Here's a few ideas to make your Christmas cards extra special this year.
Address labels
While it's certainly no big deal to write directly on the envelopes, sometimes it's rather more lovely to use an address label. They bring the added bonus of keeping your handwriting straight!
You can just use plain white stickers of course - particularly handy if you have a metallic envelope that doesn't like ink too much or if you want to use a metallic pen to write the address.
However, for every card you buy from Lovely Paper, we include complimentary special address labels to jazz up your envelopes. We think they're pretty lovely - and add a nice bit of pizzazz to the envelope.
A little personalisation
Writing your sender address on the back of envelopes is a real pain. Some people get around this by having sender address stickers made for their family - it's a cheap and cheerful solution.
I love Woodruff & Co.'s custom address stamp (and not just because of the vintage Neighbours reference on the website!) Complete with a cute little house illustration, you can supply your address to have a custom return address stamp made to personalise your envelopes. Be quick if you want to snap one up though, you must order by 15 November to get yours in time for the season.
A classic wax seal
Should you want to take your envelopes to the next level, it's hard to go past a wax seal. You can have custom wax seals made to your specification, or many stationery stores carry initials or simple icon designs. They're easy and quick to use, but certainly give a grand effect and a lovely first impression.
I love the festive collection of wax seals from Melbourne-based Fiona Ariva, as well as the huge range of coloured waxes to choose from so you can go for a traditional festive colour. If you prefer something a little more unexpected, take a look at the very special Festive Cheer Christmas mix, a glorious mix of gold, yellow, red, green and cream.
My eye is definitely on the adorable Christmas Tree Gift wax seal this Christmas, so cute!
To jazz your wax seal up even more, consider sealing on top of a piece of ribbon, or even a piece of greenery like rosemary. You'll need to be hand-delivering your cards in that instance; decorative as it may be, it'll never survive the mail!
If you have little ones, choose stamps and stickers
What kid doesn't love stickers? It's an easy way to add a bit of something extra to your envelopes and involve your kids in the process too.
We also love these little Christmas stamps from good old Kmart, to add a bit of colour and fun to your envelopes. A few dollars and some enthusiastic kids will have your envelopes looking festive as, in no time!
Washi tape
The Japanese paper tape has surged in popularity in recent years, and you can now pick up a roll for a couple of dollars.
Many stores have Christmas themed prints, so you can nab a roll that fits your colour scheme and add some tape to the envelope seal for a bit of extra visual interest.
Leave it out: glitter
Remember that phase where it became popular to include glitter confetti inside cards, so when you opened it up it went everywhere? Well don't. Not only is it pretty annoying (who hasn't been picking glitter out of their household for weeks after it arrived...), it's also really not good for the environment as almost all glitter can't be recycled and takes years to break down.
Some stores stock paper confetti if you're really dedicated to the 'confetti in cards' cause.
Do you have go-to finishing touches for your cards? Let us know in the comments!
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The Lovely Paper Christmas Shop is now open. Order your most special letterpress Christmas cards early to ensure they arrive on time!
This is part four of our Christmas card writing blog series. Check out our other posts here.