Creating Great Christmas Cards

Christmas is only a week away, and if you are behind on getting those Christmas cards sent out, do not worry! Getting Christmas cards sent out can be a stressful and overwhelming task, even stressful to a point where a lot of people have stopped sending them out. But do not think like this, as grandma and those random aunts you never talk to anymore still want to see your face! In this article we walk through some quick and easy tips for how to make sending out Christmas cards an easy and painless process.

Tip 1: Take your picture in July.

This is the best time to take a picture, as by now hopefully you have gotten some time outside and are starting to get that sun-tanned look that makes pictures look extra great. If you take the photo six months out as well, then you have plenty of time to take it and edit it and get it submitted well before December. It is also easier to organized the family and get the kids all bought in when you take the photo on a random summer night in July instead of a cold, stressful day before Christmas.

Tip 2: Write a small jingle.

People love turning that beautiful family photo over and getting to read a witty and funny jingle on the back of the card. Some ideas for how to write could be finding words that rhyme with your last name, or writing the words in a stanza that could be sung to a popular Christmas song. Have fun with this and let your creativity really shine through! We recommend keeping this jingle to about four to five lines and making it about five to ten seconds to read. This is the perfect addition to brighten peoples’ days and to remind them of how witty you are!

Tip 3: Prepare to send out

Dedicating some time to gathering the packaging supplies you want to use is really important. Ask yourself questions like, “what type of envelope do I want to use?” , “What type of stamps do I need to buy?” and, “Do I have everyone’s address?” are all going to be critical for you to think through ahead of time and prepare for. Visit a craft store like Michaels in early December to hunt and gather everything you need. Usually craft stores have great Christmas sales going on and this is a great way to take care of something basic like your packaging supplies. Put everything together and you are ready to go by the middle of December, stress-free!

5 Secret Santa Ideas for Your Holiday Office Party

Whether you’re having some holiday cheer with the coworkers, meeting up for dinner at someone’s place or out on the town, or even doing something small during your lunch break on a cold day in December, kicking back and enjoying the festivities with those you see 40 hours a week can be refreshing from the constant pace of the grind. I’m not sure about your office, but mine is definitely excited about this year’s gift exchange and office party.

If you do happen to be doing a gift exchange at your office, consider replenishing your coworkers’ office and packagingsupplies. These make wonderful gifts to coworkers in your office without you having to think of something truly special and tailored to them.

Computer mouse.

A classic go-to in the office, having a new computer mouse is something welcome. I always suggest going for the wired mice because it eliminates any chance of lag on screen. However, some people might like the freedom a wireless mouse offers, so either would work well enough. You can even get a cheap mouse pad to throw in with it in case your coworkers don’t have their own at the ready.

Desk organizer.

You’ve seen these things before. The plastic (or sometimes wooden) pen holders that also function as an organizer for things like sticky notes, white out, extra staples, paper clips, and whatever other random assortment of things you may use in the office. These things can look quite nice, too, even for cheap. A lot of my coworkers’ desks are quite barren, so I know this would look great on their desk as a little space filler.

Fountain pen.

While the other items on this list aren’t as spendy, you can never go wrong gifting a nice fountain pen, especially if it’s to your boss. Whether you drew their name out of the hat or are just feeling generous, fountain pens are a sign of class and remain as a timeless staple to a refined business person’s desk.

Stapler.

Consider this the step up from the tape dispenser. Heavier duty, classier, and just as (or possibly more) useful, the stapler is a desk essential. You don’t even have to ask around to see who has one and who doesn’t; if one of your coworkers’ desks are bare of a stapler, they couldn’t deny that this was a need for their office if you were to get this for them.

Windowing your Packaging

 When you window a packaging, you’re definitely going to want to look at both the technical and the aesthetic positions of this.  It's important that, if you choose to do this, you think of the best solution.

What is windowing? Well, it’s the process of removing part of the box material, and then replacing that void with some plastic film. This opening can impact the rigidity of the box, which is why you don’t want to make these too big.  You can, however, consider the option of adding a fake window.  This is something that works on both an aesthetic and technical level, and also if you want to make disposal a little bit easier for you as well, if that's the game you want to play. 

There is also simulated windowing, which is a graphic that represents the opening that you might have of the box, in order to show the product. This is a shape that’s achievable for both simulated and real types of windowing. This can be simple, functional, complex, and also represent great chances to communicate to the customers that you have, and everything that you want to do as well.

Real windowing is preferred, as it gives the customers the option to look inside through this window.  They can see what’s really inside, including the amount of the product, and what’s left after you decide to use this.

Besides being functional, carving out these windows also boosts the sensory aspects of this, offering a more tactile form of experience, and guarantees a better involvement that’s there too. Sometimes, someone can even touch these products interacting with them directly, which in turn will improve, and making this purchase windowing is really important, even better for you, and for the products you wish to have as well. 

Windowing is ideal for creating a visual impact that’s strong and is great for providing the marketing chances and opportunities that are there. it can reinforce this image of the brand, promoting sales and the like. The use of simulated and real windowing for this packaging does increase the potential and communicative aspects of this. 

There are so many different ways to use this. For instance, pasta boxes can use a square or rectangular window on the end to showcase the pasta. You can also, alternatively, create a simulated window of the pasta being cooked in order to enhance this experience making this even better for you as well. 

Some companies will create a fun design through the use of box windows. For instance, some pasta boxes will create a fictitious window that works with the different pasta that’s inside. While it isn’t the pasta directly, this fake window creates a simulated, beautiful image of the pasta, whether cooked or otherwise. 

Some of these products, such as clothes, towels, and other fabrics, actually benefit from a window that doesn’t contain a plastic film on this. This, with a cardboard covering, provides customers with a chance to feel this. Some companies might also look at trying to give customers an incentive to touch the products with a “feel me” sort of incentive to this. This gets customers interested in the different aspects of this and makes it exciting for them. 

You’ll definitely want to go and look at windows and the like. Try this out today and see for yourself all of the different benefits that come with this. you’ll be able to, through the use of this packaging, craft the ideal experience for customers, and give them a reason to touch, feel, and experience the products that you have too.