Make your own holiday cards

Designing and printing custom holiday cards can be fun. And it doesn't have to be hard if you work with software you already know and you start with a template. You can add a personalized message, include family pictures, and you might even save a little money. That's fun.

The first thing you'll want to do is head out to your local office supply store for some blank cards. I suggest something like the Avery 3265, 3266, etc. There are different card sizes, but you want the special card stock material that fits into a printer like a normal sheet of paper. It's high-quality, matte-coated stock so you get vivid color and great looking photos. It's also scored so it's easy to fold and the fold looks good (that is, it's not all "crinkly").

On your way home from the office supply store, be sure to pick up an eggnog latte.

Back at the computer, I suggest you start your design by downloading a free holiday card template from Office.com. There are several designs and holiday traditions to choose from. Just sip your latte and browse around until you find your favorite. Download it and personalize it. Tweak it till it's perfect and then you're ready to print. Below are a few samples to get you started.

• Holiday card with space for photo (works with Avery 3268)
• Kwanzaa card (with kinara; works with Avery 3265, 3269, or 8316)
• Hanukah invitation (quarter-fold, works with Avery 3266)

If you've added a second page to the card -- a message or pictures for the inside -- you may want see this article for help on duplex printing in Word 2010. This article provides help with printing in Publisher 2010.

If you want to create a design from scratch, Publisher may be a better tool to work in than Word. In Publisher, the emphasis is placed on page layout and design rather than text composition and proofing. To start a blank card in Publisher, click the File tab, click New, and then click Greeting Cards. Scroll down, and you'll see a variety of Blank Sizes. Of course, you'll also see several pre-designed templates. If you choose to start with a template, check out this video for help with creating a Publisher 2010 file from a template.

After you print, just fold the card along the pre-scored crease (you may also need to do some cutting if you went with a card smaller than a half-fold, 5.5" x 8.5"). You end up with a personalized card with a professional look and feel.

Packages of blank cards typically come with matching envelopes. If you have just a few people on your list, you may just want to address the envelopes by hand. But if you have a ton of people on your list, you may want to print out mailing labels or do a mail merge. See these links for help with that in Word. If you're working in Publisher, try this article for creating a mail or e-mail merge in Publisher. For step-by-step guidance on doing a Mail Merge in either Word or Publisher download this clever PowerPoint deck: Mail merge made easy.

-- Ron Owens