Cards and wrapping paper

[onedayatatime73]

Am determined to stock up this year so that I don't spend the best part of £5 on a card in WH Smith every time a birthday comes around (hate that shop anyway as so overpriced but we have one on our doorstep). Can anyone recommend some nice cards and paper I can order in bulk on line? I want them to be decent looking. Just better value for money. Seem to go through so many with the dcs going to so many birthday parties.

I buy cards from places like card factory when they do 10 for £1

The book people sometimes have nice card sets in - a box with about 20 cards for £10 usually - you just have to look at the contents as sometimes out of the 20 there might be 6-7 you wouldn't consider sending.

Brown parcel paper and bulk buy pretty ribbon for wrapping paper.

I tend to buy cards from charity shops -'most have a range of new greeting cards. They cost about a pound and at least you feel the money is going to a good cause.

For kid's birthdays (or close family members) you could buy a pack of blank cards (from places like the works) and get your children to make to cards themselves.

I buy from Card Factory. I avoid the 7 for £1 type ones as they tend to be flimsy and thin with obviously cheap envelopes. The normal ones off the shelves that are priced 99p - £1.29 ish are nice. Generally not quite as nice as what you could buy from Hallmark etc, but great for the price. Card Factory wrapping paper is good quality, again avoid the very cheapest though.

I use Whistlefish online - lovely cards, marvellous value. I find M&S & Waitrise v good too.

Also Clintons are 4 for 3. You can get very nice ones.

I don't send cards for kids parties. Plain paper and kids draw pictures on the parcel

Look out for local fetes and boot sales, stock up there. They go for about 40p in my area and are much better than the shop ones. And no plastic wrap.

I always buy the £1 cards from Next or M&S. The Next ones are really nice imo.

Or I get the 29p ones from Home Bargains if it's somebody unimportant

Plus Next do 4 for 3 so 4 cards for £3.

If you've got a Barnados shop near you they do really nice cards for I think 79p each

Thanks to whoever mentioned Whistlefish on this thread - I had my first order delivered yesterday and am very pleased - really lovely high quality cards, and free postage too. Brilliant!

M&S do some nice, non flimsy, cards for £1. They used to have a stamp scheme where if you buy 6 you get the 7th free but I'm not sure if they still do. Wrapping paper I buy from Poundland usually a roll of plain silver or something, 3 rolls of 'boy' & 3 rolls of 'girl', this year there a 3m on each roll. With 4 dc, 3 nursery/school age it's not as much as it sounds & they like having a variety to choose from.