![6 Tips to finish and mail holiday photo cards - holiday cards](https://artfulparent.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/holiday-photo-cards.jpg)
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A big thank you to Mixbook for sponsoring this post.
One of my favorite parts of the holidays is sending and receiving holiday photo cards.
I really, really like it.
It’s one of those things that I think some people might consider a chore, but that I actively anticipate and turn into kind of a big deal.
![Set up a holiday card writing station](https://artfulparent.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Set-up-a-holiday-card-writing-station.png)
I enjoy every aspect of it from setting up a photo shoot (usually we do our own photo) and choosing the holiday card design to writing the cards and mailing them.
I especially like to think of our cards going out into the world, flying this way and that, until they reach their destination and arrive in a friend or relative’s mailbox.
And I love receiving holiday cards even more.
Sometimes with photos, sometimes with notes and updates. Always a bit of connection with people we may not see regularly.
6 Tips To Finish & Mail Holiday Cards
![Using Washi Tape to Seal Holiday Cards](https://artfulparent.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/JeansPhotos_10-2015_Pic-66.jpg)
When Mixbook invited me to try out their holiday cards this year, I said, yes, please! (Their sister company Montage makes the photo books I like so much, so I was pretty sure I would love them.)
1. Plan a photo shoot
I already had a holiday photo shoot scheduled with my favorite Asheville-area photographer, Lenka Hattaway (she’s photographed the covers for both of my books as well as the photos for my chapter in Hand in Hand).
![Our Family Photos by Lenka Hattaway Photography](https://artfulparent.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Our-Family-Photos-by-Lenka-Hattaway-Photography.jpg)
2. Choose the photo(s)
As soon as I had the photos, I hopped onto Mixbook to find the perfect holiday card.
3. Find a card design
There are so many good holiday photo cards so I was excited to try a few different ones this time.
I am partial to cards with one big photo, but also like sharing other photos. So I selected a few that had a single photo on the front but let you add one or more on the back as well.
![6 Tips to finish and mail holiday photo cards - holiday cards](https://artfulparent.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/holiday-photo-cards.jpg)
These are the cards I chose (pictured clockwise from top left)…
But there are many other great ones as well.
I especially love the idea of this photo wreath collage card and this year-in-review card!
![Holiday Photo Cards](https://artfulparent.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/JeansPhotos_10-2015_Pic-61.jpg)
The photo cards were easy to create, arrived promptly, and are beautiful high-quality prints.
![Sending Holiday Photo Cards](https://artfulparent.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Sending-Holiday-Photo-Cards.png)
4. Buy stamps & address labels
I even ordered address labels while I was on Mixbook, to make the holiday card writing process quicker and easier.
While I enjoy writing the names and addresses of friends and family as I hold them in my thoughts, I don’t relish writing my own address over and over and over as I usually do.
![Sending Holiday Cards](https://artfulparent.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/JeansPhotos_10-2015_Pic-89.jpg)
5. Write & mail cards
And so all that remains is to write the cards and mail them! This is the earliest I’ve ever had my holiday cards in hand and I am so excited about it!
6. Prepare a card display
![6 Tips To Finish And Mail Holiday Photo Cards This Season](https://artfulparent.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/holiday-card-wreath.png)
I also want to give you the (super simple) instructions for making my favorite way to display the holiday cards that arrive in the mail :: a wreath! You can make one of these on your own, or enlist the kids to help with the painting.
- Use a utility knife to out a large wreath shape from sturdy cardboard.
- Paint. Let dry.
- Glue wooden clothespins all around the perimeter, with the clip part facing outward. I use a hot glue gun.
- Hang.
- As the cards arrive, add them to the wreath.
Disclaimer :: This post is sponsored by Mixbook and they sent me holiday cards for free to review. As always, all opinions expressed are mine.
6 Tips To Finish And Mail Holiday Cards
![Free Printable Holiday Card Checklist](https://artfulparent.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/How-to-Get-Holiday-Photo-Cards-Out-This-Year.jpg)
Click here to get my step-by-step checklist and holiday photo card tips as a PDF printable.
Pin It For Later
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