Who to Send Christmas Cards To

We draw and print our own Christmas cards in the UK and post them ourselves, so the timings and sizes below are the ones we work to every December.

The list is the hard part. Once you know who, everything else is an evening with a pen.

Here's how we'd build it from scratch.

Definitely on the list

• Anyone you'd ring if something went wrong.
• Grandparents, parents and anyone living alone - the card does more work there than anywhere else.
• People who sent you one last year and mean it.
• Anyone who's had a hard year. This is the cheapest kindness available.
• Neighbours you actually speak to.

Worth adding

• The friend abroad you only message on birthdays.
• Your kid's teacher or childminder - one card from the family is plenty.
• The person at work who quietly makes your job easier.
• Anyone who's moved away this year. A card to a new address is a small anchor.
• Someone you fell out of touch with and miss.

Fine to drop

• Companies and clients you have no real relationship with.
• Anyone who's not sent one back in three years and you don't otherwise speak to.
• The 'we've always sent to them' names nobody can place.
• Whole streets. One card per household you actually know.

Keeping the list

• Write it in a notes app, not on the back of an envelope you'll bin.
• Record addresses as you write, not as you post.
• Tick who sent one back in January - that's next year's list made.
• Buy five spares for the ones you forgot. You always forget some.

Shop Christmas cards

Prints that post flat

A5, A4 and A3 art prints, drawn in house and printed in the UK.

Pin badges for stockings

Enamel pin badges that post as a large letter.

How to write it so it lands

• One card per household you actually know.
• Keep the list in a notes app and reuse it.
• Dropping names is normal - nobody is counting.

Where to shop next

• Christmas card etiquette
• How many Christmas cards do I need?
• Charity Christmas cards explained
• First Christmas cards: baby, home and marriage
• Christmas hub
• Christmas card messages
• Buy Christmas cards
• Card hub
• All guides
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Birthday cards for kids

Frequently asked questions

Do you send a Christmas card to each person or each household?

One per household is standard in the UK. Send individual cards only where people live separately.

Is it rude to stop sending someone a Christmas card?

No. Lists shrink every year and almost nobody keeps count. Drop the names you can't picture and keep the ones that matter.

Should I send Christmas cards to colleagues?

Send to the handful you'd have a coffee with rather than the whole office. A card for everyone reads like admin, not warmth.