Cheap Christmas cards

Remember…if you buy a picture frame from Costco, they always have a “100 free 4×6 prints” coupon inside the frames. That’s a + value. Remember last year for Christmas how I made a “100 things I love about you” gifts for my brothers? It was so meaningful, so easy, and so cheap! I made it using Word, printed it out on my computer, put it in Costco frames (2 frames for 4), and saved the free prints coupon to use for this year.

Another option is to sign up for email accounts for companies like, , etc. You get free prints often times for just signing up for their emails!

4. Make your own custom card

So I used my 100 free prints from Costco and printed 50 of each photo. I went to my stash of scrapbook paper that I buy with coupons from Joann Fabrics (I tend to like the fat stacks of scrapbook paper rather than buying individual sheets; I feel like it’s a much better deal).

My hubby and I put on a movie and I got to work making our own cards!

I trimmed the side of the photos slightly, then laid them side by side on the 12×12 scrapbook paper, so I could fit exactly 6 photos to one sheet of paper. I used my paper cutter to cut them nice and straight.

I REEEEEEEALLY love when people include little letters summarizing their year and telling what’s new with their families. I make it a point to do this every year. (A photo just isn’t enough for me to know what you’re family is up to, people!)

I made it in word and printed it out on my computer, 3 to a sheet.

I inserted our little letter, then simply folded the paper in half. So how we have a little book! When you open the card you see one photo on the left, one on the right, and have our letter in the middle.

Clever, eh?

I didn’t have any envelopes that fit the 4×6 size well enough so I simply punched a hole through everything and tied it with a bow so our little letter insert wouldn’t fall out.

Since I don’t have envelopes I will tape the card shut well, stick a stamp on it, write the address on the outside, and mail it as-is like a postcard for those who live out of town.

So there you go! I got the prints for free, used scrapbook paper and ribbon we already had on-hand, and printed our letter from home.