According to a new study, traditional Christmas cards may soon go the way of VCRS and record players.
Unity Marketing reports the percentage of people buying greeting cards for Christmas fell from 77 percent in 2005 to 73 percent in 2007 and to 62 percent in 2009, and with the growth of social media networking, that number is predicted to dip even lower in 2011.
Experts in the greeting card industry blame social media platforms, such as Facebook, which allows people to stay up-to-date on an immediate basis. These days there is no longer the need to tuck an annual holiday newsletter in a pretty Christmas card.
Fortunately, my family and friends have not jumped on the don’t-send-out-Christmas-cards bandwagon. We’ve already received a healthy dose of gorgeous holiday greetings.
Thank goodness, because I use those cards to save on scrapbooking.
Each year I go through my stack of holiday greeting cards sent from loved ones, choose the most beautiful ones and place them in a scrapbook. Creating a greeting card scrapbook is very simple. However, it’s important to remember that most Christmas cards are not acid-free. Translation: Invest in some archival mist and treat the cards before putting them in your album. Another option is to leave them as is and simply place them in a part of the scrapbook that doesn’t come in to contact with your regular photographs.
While there are several ways you can preserve holiday cards in a scrapbook, I find that pocket pages work best for me. You can make your own by using a piece of cardstock and a sheet of paper that coordinates best with the color or pattern featured on the cardstock. Next, cut the paper in half to create a sheet that measures roughly six inches by 12 inches. Then, use glue to adhere the edges of the paper to the bottom of the cardstock, leaving the top open to form a small pocket. Once the glue dries you can embellish the pocket in the same manner you would an ordinary layout. If you don’t like the pocket page idea, then consider using the cards to create a mini album, or decorate a keepsake storage box with your favorite greeting cards.