Page 6 | If someone sent you a (nicely) handmade Christmas card, would you think…

FestiveFruitloop · 2025-12-20T14:27:55+00:00

YABU: that they couldn’t afford to buy ‘real’ cards? YANBU: that they just liked making Christmas cards? Assuming the card has clearly been made by an adult and not a child. Context to follow, just curious. (Regular member, not a journo. 😄)

pilates · 20/12/2025 16:40

I always feel quite honoured to receive handmade cards.

HideousKinky · 20/12/2025 16:37

I enjoy making cards.

This year it featured photos of my cat at Christmas time in the past because he died this year - it was my final tribute to him.

Lots of friends/family who have received them have already made really appreciative comments

BringBackCatsEyes · 20/12/2025 16:34

XenoBitch · 20/12/2025 16:20

Because "they have too much free time on their hands" and along those lines is often used as a negative thing. I just don't understand why.

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But she didn't say they had too much time on their hands, she said "a lot" of free time.

ForEdgyHare · 20/12/2025 16:33

My mil makes us handmade cards for birthdays and Christmas etc. I love it. I love that she found a hobby that she enjoys, I love that she shares her crafty side with my girls (who make lots of handmade cards now) and I love that when Im in a pickle and need a card she usually has one available 😂 Ive never heard someone say “too tight to buy cards” but id be giving anyone that did a bit of side eye. Not everyone appreciates how long things take to make by hand or the cost involved.

Londonmummy66 · 20/12/2025 16:30

This made me laugh @FestiveFruitloop as I brought a small bag full of pulled crackers home after a dinner this week. They were black card with a gold geometric design and I have fed them though my gift tag puncher this afternoon. All my presents are now neatly tagged in black and gold with the names on the back in gold pen.

Macaroni46 · 20/12/2025 16:24

I’d think they had too much time on their hands. Bah humbug!

KittyWilkinson · 20/12/2025 16:22

A neighbour a few doors down, gives me a beautifully crafted card every year. She enjoys making them. They are a delight to receive, and I've told her how special they are.

Original poster

FestiveFruitloop · 20/12/2025 16:21

Oh wow, I'm trending. I don't think that's ever happened before. 😆

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AmyDudley · 20/12/2025 16:21

I love getting home made cards. My DSIL makes her own cards for birthday and Christmas, they are lovely. I make all my own cards and tags, it's a hobby I enjoy along with other paper crafts, I have a very different style to my SIL so we appreciate each others work as I couldn't do what she does.

And yes I do have time on my hands, I'm retired, so I do whatever the hell I like these days, having spent a lot of my life not having time to do the stuff I enjoy (and being told how silly my little hobbies are by my XH).

XenoBitch · 20/12/2025 16:20

BringBackCatsEyes · 20/12/2025 16:18

Purlant didn't say it was an issue or a bad thing, just saying what she thinks.
Why did you get so defensive about her comment?

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Because "they have too much free time on their hands" and along those lines is often used as a negative thing. I just don't understand why.

RedFrogs · 20/12/2025 16:19

The only cards I keep are handmade or nice message ones. The effort/expense of a homemade card is normally more than store bought so I don’t think anyone would think it’s because you can’t afford store bought.

BringBackCatsEyes · 20/12/2025 16:18

XenoBitch · 20/12/2025 16:04

Some people do. Why is that an issue? Why do people mention free time like it is a bad thing. Free time is a good thing!

Show quote history

Purlant didn't say it was an issue or a bad thing, just saying what she thinks.
Why did you get so defensive about her comment?

Purplebunnie · 20/12/2025 16:18

I've had two lovely hand made cards so far, waiting for the one from my SIL they are usually gorgeous Sadly I am not very good at it, I have all the stuff and yes it is expensive to buy all the bits

RubyMentor · 20/12/2025 16:14

I love a home made card

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FestiveFruitloop · 20/12/2025 16:14

Advocodo · 20/12/2025 16:10

Much much more expensive to make your own! What planet are you living on!!

This one 🙂 It's definitely more expensive! I'm just not sure if people in general realise that. 😄

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PGmicstand · 20/12/2025 16:13

I receive a couple of handmade cards annually from friends. They are beautiful and show that the person has taken a lot of time and trouble to produce something.

TheHillIsMine · 20/12/2025 16:12

Buying all the stuff to make cards probably costs more than shop ones.

Original poster

FestiveFruitloop · 20/12/2025 16:12

AppleDumplingWithCustard · 20/12/2025 16:10

I quite like homemade Christmas cards but one I received this year was a bit pathetic. Just a folded sheet of paper torn off from a pad of vaguely festive writing paper, with a teeny tiny cardboard Christmas decoration stuck on the front. Just for info, they are very wealthy. It won’t stand up on my mantelpiece, it just droops and slides off. 😂

Edited

Sounds like they were running out of materials 😄 You'd think they'd have been more organised right before Christmas if so, though!

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Boutonnière · 20/12/2025 16:11

I make mine with linocut - it’s a nice project for me and I only send them to those who I feel will enjoy them. It’s a very limited run. I do it over quite a long period of picking it up then leaving it for a while when life gets busy. It starts with thinking of a design, rejecting ideas, landing on one that will work, making working drawings, trialling it in gouache, working out the different colour blocks then carving the plates, sometimes doing a recut, then printing up colour by colour - usually 3 block ( or using one block by the reduction method ) I find it meditative and relaxing, doing it to the accompaniment of a good audiobook.

The ink is expensive, the paper is expensive, my beautiful Swiss cutting tools were an (expensive ) present , my hand press was an investment. In terms of a hobby overall - not expensive.

I’m delighted when I get handmade cards, including when friends have turned a painting or a photograph into a run of cards or if they have done something like pierced cards, which was a new one on me. I’m looking at 5 beauties on my bookshelf atm

Duty cards that I send or give get a nice charity card.

HelloDenise · 20/12/2025 16:11

Rubbish about not being able to afford "real' Christmas cards. They're cheap as chips.

Original poster

FestiveFruitloop · 20/12/2025 16:10

rainbowunicorn22 · 20/12/2025 15:57

I love making cards to try to cover costs. I do try to sell some, but there are so many doing the same, so it's hard to get sales. However, it really helps my MH from which I have a lot of issues, including depression, PTSD, anxiety, etc, and my partner knows it really helps me. I can lose myself in making cards, all mine are one of a kind, never repeated, so I like to think carefully about what to make when I am sending them. I know, for instance, my sister and my niece love dogs, so I made them dog cards; my cousin is a churchgoer, so I designed her a lovely card with a vintage-style church image.

I find crafting helps my MH too, there's just something so calming about it.

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AppleDumplingWithCustard · 20/12/2025 16:10

I quite like homemade Christmas cards but one I received this year was a bit pathetic. Just a folded sheet of paper torn off from a pad of vaguely festive writing paper, with a teeny tiny cardboard Christmas decoration stuck on the front. Just for info, they are very wealthy. It won’t stand up on my mantelpiece, it just droops and slides off. 😂

Advocodo · 20/12/2025 16:10

Much much more expensive to make your own! What planet are you living on!!

Original poster

FestiveFruitloop · 20/12/2025 16:09

NextDG · 20/12/2025 15:28

Did your friend say something or just seem puzzled? If the latter I’d guess he was puzzled about something else. I can’t imagine anyone would think it was to save money.

It was a thoughtful look and a sort of 'Oh, right...' followed by something like 'Well, waste not, want not...' It's come up twice as DH was joking about the cracker paper on another occasion and friend seemed to look a bit thoughtful again and didn't seem to have a ready reply to trot out, which is very unlike him. I have a feeling it was about the cracker paper in some way, as in 'blimey, times must be hard' maybe, but I could be wrong. Not trying to overthink things here (although I will say, the friend in question has a tendency to), it just made me mildly curious if he thought I was down on my uppers or something. Not that it's going to stop me making cards and using whatever works well to make them. I might stop talking about the provenance of the materials, though. 😄

I once read an agony column letter in which, if it was real, someone who took a great deal of pleasure and care in making cards, was sent a cheque from a friend, with their Christmas card, for a small amount of money 'so you can buy some cards to send next year'. 😧I've always hoped someone had made that up as it's so depressing!

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BettyTurnerthewindskeptlaughingatme · 20/12/2025 16:06

That it was nice of them to take the time and effort.