words Alexa Wang
For most people, Christmas is one of the happiest and most important occasions of the year to celebrate with loved ones. Sending seasonal greetings to family, friends and acquaintances, in the form of Christmas cards, is a traditional custom that was once merely a new trend. In 1843, the civil servant Sir Henry Cole invented the Christmas card in order to encourage more people to use the postal service.
Over the years, technology has influenced the way in which some people keep up the seasonal custom, with e-cards and printable greeting cards offering a popular alternative to the hand-written Christmas card that is delivered by the postman. If you prefer to stick to tradition, there are a wide variety of Christmas cards to choose from.
It can however be a little overwhelming trying to decide which style and design to send to your loved ones this year. To help you choose the perfect Christmas cards to send in 2019, here are the Top 5 trends…
1. Make It Personal
Christmas cards provide you with the perfect opportunity to impress everyone on your Christmas card list. Personalised Christmas greeting cards that are personally designed by you will show your love to family, friends and the special people in your life.
Customisable Christmas cards can feature your favourite photographs, elegant monogramming and personalised text. The recipient of your personalised Christmas card will instantly perceive the card to have more value than a seasonal greetings card that is chosen from a bumper selection box.
Give your personalised Christmas cards the personal touch by customising with seasonal embellishments and on-trend sustainable alternatives. Christmas greeting cards can incorporate traditional design with contemporary details to create Christmas cards that flaunt the wow factor. Choose from landscape, square and portrait formats in a flat or folded card design. Show off black and white photographs with colour tint highlights, or embellish your custom design with eye-catching graphic patterns and illustrations.
2. Show That You Care
People of all ages are becoming more socially responsible and environmentally aware. If this is important to you, it’s essential to maintain your sustainable values, even when choosing Christmas cards. Seasonal Christmas cards made from recycled paper offer a viable alternative that may be considered more acceptable to you.
Showing your support for others, by choosing Christmas cards that donate 10 per cent of the selling price to one or more charities, is a great way to show that you care. The most popular charity Christmas card designs are traditional Virgin Mother and Child scenes, and the five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree that are associated with the festive 12 Days of Christmas song.
3. Celebrate Blue Christmas
Colour plays an important part in traditional Christmas customs. Although green, red and gold are the seasonal favourites that never go out of favour, you always have the option to follow the latest trend. The most fashionable colour for Christmas 2019 is blue.
Celebrate a blue Christmas by creating personalised Christmas cards that feature beautiful shades of deep midnight blues, classy cobalt, aquamarine hues and striking ceruleans. You can keep it traditional with a design that includes a Christmas tree, baubles, bells, Santa Claus and reindeers, along with other Christmas theme ornaments, or opt for the elegant simplicity of a contemporary graphic print. Use blue as a background colour, to highlight text, or as a gorgeous tint for a photograph.
4. Add Luxury Embellishments
One festive trend that isn’t going anywhere any time soon is luxury. Stunning metallic foiling is the ideal decorative embellishment for any design or style of Christmas cards in 2019. Foiling elevates a humble greetings card into something rather special.
If you want to impress your family, friends and acquaintances, choose Christmas cards that are made from good quality paper, and pair with envelopes that are elegantly lined. Select a seasonal design that appears to you and make sure that it features ornate embossing and foiling detail that look luxurious and expensive. After all, Christmas cards with luxury embellishments are designed for the premier spot on the mantelpiece.
Professionally personalised Christmas cards offer an excellent alternative to a handmade greetings card. If you don’t have the time to handcraft festive Christmas cards, you can create your own unique design that incorporates a variety of design elements. Add one or more of your favourite photographs, or pick out a style that is traditional, contemporary or vintage, and enhance it with decorative finishes.
5. Cute & Funny
Christmas cards that are cute and funny are far more than a throwaway decorative item that includes your warmest wishes. The quirky design can lift the recipient’s spirits and put a smile on their face. Break away from customary festive traditions by picking an adorable, amusing or sarcastic Christmas card design to send to family and friends in 2019.
Make them laugh with a personalised Christmas card that features a humorous family photo, or a funky illustration with a cheeky message inside. Cute and funny Christmas cards are a jolly way to brighten up the day of even the most bah-humbug anti-festive person that you know. Choose from designs that reference Christmas in a traditional manner alongside puns and jokes, or deliver seasonal cheer with a cute image and family friendly text that tickles the funny bone.
