Thank You Cards – The Art of Appreciation

Everybody loves to receive a thank you card as a show of appreciation.  Nevertheless, the vast majority of people overlook this touching and important gesture.

If you want to express your genuine gratitude for the Christmas gifts you receive, simple thank you cards are a great way of going about it. If you’re not sure how to get started, the following tips could help:

1. Keep a List

First of all, it’s a good idea to make a clear list of the gifts you receive, along with the corresponding sender. This way, you will find it so much easier to write all the thank you notes you need, a little further down the line.

2. Don’t Delay

That said, you might also want to think about making sure you get the job done as early as possible. Of course, there’s no such thing as too late to receive a heartfelt letter of appreciation. Nevertheless, it is somewhat inevitable that the longer you leave it, the higher the likelihood that you will forget to send one or more cards altogether.

3. DIY

Make no mistake about it – homemade thank you cards often say so much more than even the most beautiful purchased card ever could. Even if you do not have an artistic bone in your body, it can still be great to put a set of cards together yourself, in order to provide the recipient with something personalised and unique.

4. Plan Ahead

Given the fact that you know you will be receiving presents in one form or another, you also know that you are going to need gift cards. As such, you may as well begin making them (or purchasing them if you prefer) ahead of time.  This way, you don’t have to delay the process of writing the cards, or sending them out to the recipients.

5. Be Yourself

Don’t for one minute think that you have to be poetic or philosophical, when it comes to the content of the card. It’s one thing to write some kind of meaningful verse inside, but if it is completely contradictory to your usual personality, voice and tone, chances are it will come across as fabricated. It’s better to simply be yourself, writing whatever it is you truly feel in a conversational and honest manner.

6. Include a Picture

If possible, include a printed photograph of you yourself or the recipient of the gift, holding, using or perhaps even opening the gift on Christmas morning.  After all, a picture says 1000 words – you might want to think about including one.

7. Make the Effort

Last but not least, it’s also a good idea when writing thank you cards to make every effort to show the recipient that you have put plenty of time and attention into the process. Or in other words, don’t just simply write “Dear XXX, thank you for the gift, all the best from XXX”. Instead, take the time to write something a little longer – more of a letter than a simple greetings card. Tell them about your Christmas experience, ask about theirs and so on. Make it a genuinely personal and meaningful sentiment, rather than a simple token gesture.

If you are lucky enough to receive a letter or video from Santa Claus this Christmas, why not send him back a thank you card for all the wonderful gifts he brought you?