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Hi all! I'm requesting some help on a project very dear to my heart. My mother loves for me to make her cards for our family throughout the year. I love doing this, too, but because I am so busy with my 3 girls and our family schedule, timing isn't always "perfect." I need an advance notice to work my magic! Another problem has come into play, too. The economy has hit us just in time for the Christmas season, so money is tight. I have the supplies needed to do this project, and making something from my heart seems just the right thing I need to put a smile on everyone's face during this tough time.
I would love to make a card set for my mom and give it to her for Christmas. I just need a little help in deciding on just how to do it. Has anyone else ever done this? We have a small family...just my sister and I. We both are married, I have 3 kids, and she has 2 with a grandson. None of the grandchildren have significant others. My mom has a brother and sister, each with a spouse. She doesn't give to nieces and nephews...too many. She doesn't really give to my dad's side, as his side is just too large with 10 brothers and sisters. I won't even get into how many cousins I have on his side! So in all, we are looking at 15 birthday cards and 5 anniversary cards. My dilema....do I try and make each card specific for the person/people, or do I choose a theme (based on paper color/pattern or stamp set)?
Well, maybe make the cards "sort of" specific. When I do this I try to think how many men, women, kids birthday cards I need to make and then I make those "kinds" of cards. I may not make them super specific but in the area of what is needed. I dont put names or even super specific themes that a person may like because your mom may want to chose which card to give to which person based on what SHE thinks they would like and what SHE wants to give. (Ask me know I know because specific cards I have made for my mom to give to someone, she never wants to give that one to them but a dfferent one I had made!)
So I make like 10 "girly or flowery" birthday cards, 10 "manly or masuline" birthday cards, 10 "kid type cards" with animals and bright colored theme. I also make a few "general" birthday cards....neutral colors and using specific birthday themes like cake, balloons, cupcake, candles, etc.
Same with anniversary...I make generic anniversary cards that both the men and women will enjoy receiving.
I agree with Kelly-make a variety-don't drive yourself crazy though-no matter what you make and give it is a gift from the heart and will be loved by whom ever receives it
I decorated a tin lunchbox and filled it with cards for all occasions as a gift. My neice loved it. The next Christmas I gave her cards to refill it. I loved making the cards. I had the suplies. She loved it. It was a win win gift. I am making one for my sister this year for christmas as her request.
I agree with Kelly-make a variety-don't drive yourself crazy though-no matter what you make and give it is a gift from the heart and will be loved by whom ever receives it
yep, you know what...I meant to say this...no matter what, your mom will LOVE IT! Its a gift from the heart. I am probably going to do this for my mom, sister, sister in law and niece this year because its fun for me and a good gift for them.
I made similar gifts for my mom and her friend. Both said they preferred non-specific occassion cards in masculine and feminine themes. This way, they could write a personal note (birthday, sympathy, get well, etc). They both asked if I would just put "Thinking of You" or "Hello" or something similar on the front instead of "Happy Birthday", "Get Well", etc. on the replacement cards.
I am sure your mother will so appreciate this. My feeling is if you know she needs ten birthday cards, then choose/make ten nice cards, but not too personalised. If she gives to the grandchildren, then obviously some will need to be suitable for their age groups. But at the end of the day, if you've enjoyed making the cards your mum will enjoy giving them, so I wouldn't stress too much. Using a theme might make it easier for you, but when I'm giving gifts of a set of cards, I usually just pick a good mix out of my stash, so obviously I don't worry about it all being matching .
I did this for my 92 year old Grandmother. I did make cards for specific people and put a post-it note on the envelope with the name and the date of the intended person. I then included some cards that could go to anyone for people that I hadn't thought of. She loved it and really appreciated the labels as she can't remember things as well as she once could. Guess it depends on the person.
I do this for my 89 yo MIL every year. She loves to write letters and send cards to people, but she can't drive any more so she can't go buy cards. She LOVES this gift. My SILs all want me to do it for them now, too.
BTW, I make return address stickers and include stamps with her package every year, too. For someone like her, those little things really help.
I made similar gifts for my mom and her friend. Both said they preferred non-specific occassion cards in masculine and feminine themes. This way, they could write a personal note (birthday, sympathy, get well, etc). They both asked if I would just put "Thinking of You" or "Hello" or something similar on the front instead of "Happy Birthday", "Get Well", etc. on the replacement cards.
I like this idea, but again it depends on the person sending the cards. There are some people who just hate to have to write in a blank card inside.
The reason I say this is I have family members who always want a sentiment inside, so they can just write Love, and sign their name.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
I think this is a sweet idea, and I am intending doing it for a few relos this year as well. I will be making some gender specific cards and some general cards. I haven't decided if I will colour theme or not. I would like to make a nice little box to present them in, like a magazine holder.
I would go with a basic assortment.....thinking of you, birthday, anniversary, get well. that sort of idea............I would also do mulitples of them in groups!
Male birthday
Female birthday
you get the idea.............
children birthday
adult birthday....and so forth!
You mom will love whatever you come up with.......
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vintagechick
I do this for my 89 yo MIL every year. She loves to write letters and send cards to people, but she can't drive any more so she can't go buy cards. She LOVES this gift. My SILs all want me to do it for them now, too.
BTW, I make return address stickers and include stamps with her package every year, too. For someone like her, those little things really help.
CindyB
What a sweet thing to do! You could have been describing my MIL who doesn't get around too well these days.......Thanks for an awesome gift idea for her!!!!!
i make an assortment for two special friends...they know they will get some kind of card gift, so this year i asked what they wanted. made it easier...who would have thought to make lots of baby cards, wedding and shower cards !! not one birthday card request for friend #1.
i had fun making them and i know they will be just what she wanted !! my other friend has yet to put in her request !! she may just get whatever i feel like making !! maybe gift cards will be included this year.....and some tags. i have had fun making these, new for me.
Each year I make a set of "regular cards" , christmas cards, calendars, christmas money holder cards, and christmas gift tags to give as gifts to my family and friends. I start from January and takes me about till Thanksgiving to finish (I make about 20 sets). By starting early, I have plenty of time to design and then gather supplies, and finally start making the cards and calendars. I found these make really great gifts...especially the calendars...they are the one gift that I know people will use for the whole year.
But gettin back on topic here, I try to make my cards sort of generic...that is since they are gifts, I wanted to make cards that could be used for almost any occasion (birthday, get well, thank you, hello). That way when you need a card, one is always available.
I am doing this for my mother and mother in law this year. It has become hard to find gifts for them as they don't need anything and I thought It could become a tradition. I purchased a box that was made to hold DVD's that has a lid that flips open and 2 dividers in it. On the inside of the lid I am going to print off a list of important birthdays/anniversaries etc and mount it inside. I am planning on giving them about 40 cards each that are an assortment of Bday, Get well, sympathy etc. and the envelopes. I never thought about trying to make cards that would be matched up to the recipient but I am struggling enough to get the cards made in time so trying to make them specific would be hard. I know for instance my mom likes to send get well cards so I am making quite a few of those, or making them with a basic "thinking of you" so that way they can be used for other occasions too.
I give card sets often for gifts. I would start early...The great thing about them is you can use all your on hand stash... I make a bunch of thank yous, sympathy, birthday, baby cards, wedding cards etc.. I make duplicates of each card and so when I make 'sets" I just add a few of each. People love to have them on hand when an occasion presents itself.. I go to staples to get a big box of envelopes.. I know they are cheaper than my "good" stash.. I put them in containers I find throughout the year for a dollar or so...baskets make a nice holder...I tie ribbon around the set and it looks lovely...Heaven knows I have a stash of ribbons to use.
Another gift idea I make for people is sets of gift tags..I give them for birthdays so they have them for christmas gift giving.. I put them in tins and it is another way to use up my ribbons and scraps of paper...People seem to love them.
you don't need to make each card specific to each person. Your Mom will love what ever you make for her. She is proud of you and requesting cards from you is because obviously she likes what you make. You know it does her heart good when them away and they see that you made them.My Mom died two years ago and I wish she were still here for me to make cards for her. Keep up the good work for you Mom. No one in your life will ever love you like your Mom.
I made 100 cards for my mother last year. I agree with the more generic cards...my Mom says she went through all of the THinking of you cards very quickly, but has lots of Happy Birthday cards. This year I am going to make masculine and feminine cards and then have a tin filled with stamped sentiments that she can add to the inside of the cards if she wants to. That way a card can be a thinking of you, birthday, anniversary, thank you, or even a sympathy card just by taping the mounted sentiment inside.
I have made "social blunders" boxes - usually a photo box from Michaels or some other pre-decorated box. I divide them up by sympathy, birthday, get well, etc and add the cards. I have also added "blank" cards and sent along pre-stamped happy birthday, get well, thinking of you dentiments with the photo tape squares attached so all they have to do is take off the extra paper and place on the card as needed.
__________________ Kyloe
The lesson from Charlie Brown: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
Depending on the age of the person, if they are older, make sure to make sympathy & Get Well/thinking of you cards. They go through a lot.
I started doing this for my MIL years ago. I'm going to ask if she even needs any this year. I think she's forgetting to send them out now.
What a great thread! Lots of terrific ideas as I start to think about this idea for my Mom and Aunt. They have lots of need for family birthday cards and illness doesn't allow them to get around as easily as in the past. I also like the idea of including some stamps or a listing of family birthdays with the box. I have 9 brothers and sisters, 23 nieces and nephews and now 6 or 7 great- nieces/nephews so my Mom is busy every month keeping up with that. Thanks for sharing all the ideas!
I made a set of generic cards for my daughter as she headed off to college. I made a dozen cards without any specific images or sayings...just the backgrounds and some ribbons. Then I stamped a variety of card add-ons for them, with sayings and images that could be mixed and matched, and bows. I put foam dots on all of the add-ons so they could be ready for her to add to the card and make it specific to her needs. She loved it! It gave her the chance to "finish" the card and personalize it for the person and occasion. I made a little card folder with extra pockets to hold cards, envelopes, and add-ons. She has asked me to make her more for this school year, so I need to get busy!
I agree with most of the other posters - make generic birthday cards and let your mother decide who to give them to.
My mother is in her 80s so lots of her friends are facing ill health. "Get well soon" isn't always applicable at that age, so what my mother likes best is a set of cards that say "Thinking of You". She goes through them pretty quickly!
__________________ Susan
My SCS gallery is here should you care to look! Or please visit my blog, Cardmaker's Garret.
I had several customers who made these stationery boxes to give as Christmas gifts. Here's the link to the tutorial in resources Splitcoaststampers - Tutorials
I made a set of generic cards for my daughter as she headed off to college. I made a dozen cards without any specific images or sayings...just the backgrounds and some ribbons. Then I stamped a variety of card add-ons for them, with sayings and images that could be mixed and matched, and bows. I put foam dots on all of the add-ons so they could be ready for her to add to the card and make it specific to her needs. She loved it! It gave her the chance to "finish" the card and personalize it for the person and occasion. I made a little card folder with extra pockets to hold cards, envelopes, and add-ons. She has asked me to make her more for this school year, so I need to get busy!
I love the idea of making the greetings/sayings as add-ons... how clever!
As thank you gifts, I often make monogrammed cards for the recipient, leaving the inside blank for her to write her own message.
Every year I give cards to a co-worker that treats senior POW survivors. It's very difficult to find appropriate men's cards! (The postal gal, Avon lady & 3 other friends get one each of this same assortment) She gets 2 femining bday cards, 4 mens cards with no sentiment, and 4 notecards. Last year I put the initial of their first names on dressy notecards (4 each) and they loved it! I add two Halloween cards for the one gal's young granddaughters because they are so much fun to make! I was thinking of not doing this but you all have inspired me!
I just finished with a set of cards. My friend wanted a bundle *unfinished* for a secret pal gift. I done all the cutting and stamping and I finished one card so that she would know how to put them together and then I put each card in a clear envie and then stamped the white envies to match the cards . . . then tied a bow around all of them and made a matching tag for the gift bag. Throw a bottle of glue in the gift bag and you have a great gift for that special someone that they will enjoy and giving.
This is my go-to gift for everyone! If it's a last minute gift, then it's just an assortment of what I have on hand. When it's for a specific person, then it's a bit more thought out.
I get requests for more thinking of you/you are on my mind/sympathy cards than birthday.
It would be great to get the directions for the card folder that you used. Thanks for the idea
Quote:
Originally Posted by kmberger
I made a set of generic cards for my daughter as she headed off to college. I made a dozen cards without any specific images or sayings...just the backgrounds and some ribbons. Then I stamped a variety of card add-ons for them, with sayings and images that could be mixed and matched, and bows. I put foam dots on all of the add-ons so they could be ready for her to add to the card and make it specific to her needs. She loved it! It gave her the chance to "finish" the card and personalize it for the person and occasion. I made a little card folder with extra pockets to hold cards, envelopes, and add-ons. She has asked me to make her more for this school year, so I need to get busy!
My friends and I have found we need many many get well cards and are having a terrible time come up with sayings or quotes, whether whimsical or comforting. We like to use a stamp but have mass-printed paper when necessary (my handwriting is atrocious!) Any really good source(s)?
Last Christmas I found rectangle Chrismas/ winter Tins at the dollar store.They were the perfect size, already seasonally decorated and sturdy for storage. some were flat and some had a domed cover to look like a trunk. I finnished them with a bow. I went month by month and made a card for every holiday and included extra Birthday...etc...easy to do and wonderful to give.
I use the Papertrey clear A2 boxes or I do the SU Large Cello bags with a decorated folded paper bag pouch inside. ( saw a lady on Etsy do these with fat quarters of fabric inside) Between 6 to 10 cards per set, all using the same papers embellies etc.
For example, a set of 8 cards, I use 4 different colors of cardstock that coordinate with one piece of patterned paper. I choose one stamp set.
Each CS make two cards. I do those two cards identical but each pair of cards are different from the others. I do a decorative band around the outside of the box with a To and From tag etc.
I give the sets to my friends, family and co-workers around the end of November.
My sister has an annual Christmas bingo where we have to bring two wrapped $10 gifts.
One of my gifts this year will be a 10 card set in a box with a book of 10 stamps and a nice pen.
I had several customers who made these stationery boxes to give as Christmas gifts. Here's the link to the tutorial in resources Splitcoaststampers - Tutorials
I made one of these for my niece before she left for college. They are also great teacher gifts.
For my mil, I gave her generic cards, then she can write happy bday or some other note on the inside. She likes cards that she can use for anything.
__________________ Pia 2024 Scrapbook goals April 16/10 layouts YTD 91/120 Check out my gallery
Hi Lori,
I didn't read through everyones suggestions, but here's what I did a few years back and probably should do it again this year. I made a card keeper. You could use those tin lunch boxes and have dividers for the 12 months and on the front of each divider put the birthdays & anniversarys. Then fill it with cards to coordinate for each event! She loved it and saved her time having to go and look for cards in the store.
Card set as a Christmas present
