Practical Tips for Creating a Card Caddy (So You Actually Send Cards When God Nudges You To Do So)

Hey, my friends. Welcome back to Let’s Encourage One Another.

Imagine this scenario with me… someone from church is going through a difficult time. Maybe they have a surgery coming up this week, and you want to send them a card to let them know you are thinking about them and praying for them as their big day comes up.

So you go to your desk to grab some cards, but they’re not where you thought you had them. You dig around in your drawers and files, but still can’t find them. That’s okay, you’ll just use computer paper instead. So you open your printer to find some, but discover the cartridge empty. Well, you guess you’ll just grab some notebook paper, then. But you scour the house and can’t find a single notebook page without some sort of writing or scribble on it. Your intention to send a note was sincere, but without anything to send, it quickly leaves your mind and you’re on to other things.

And honestly, most of us probably wouldn’t even make it past the notecards. We wouldn’t be able to find one and so we’d give it up all too quickly.

We have good intentions, but things get in the way. We don’t have the paper and envelopes, or if we do, we can’t find them. We have to stop at the post office to get stamps and that just feels like too much work.

But I’ve found that if God put an inkling on your heart to reach out to someone, you should probably follow through.

So what we’re setting out to do today is to make it as easy as possible to send out cards, to remove the obstacles that get in our way.

And, you guys, my daughter loves to write notecards, too, and so we are working on providing her with her own little card caddy, and that way, she can just write when she wants to and not have to ask me for all the things she needs.

This is going to be an incredibly practical episode where I am going to tell you how you can put together a card caddy where all of your supplies are together and ready to go when God prompts you to send a note. The great thing is, you can make it as simple or advanced as you want.

So for your card caddy itself, this can be an old shoebox, a basket or bin from Dollar Tree or Walmart, or even a custom-made card box complete with dividers for different occasion cards. It’s completely up to you what you want to use. Don’t get caught up in the details. Try something and if it doesn’t work, try something else.

Mine is a somewhat decorative metal basket that has burlap covering the inside. I like how it looks and so I leave it out where I can see it as a reminder to send cards to other people. You could leave yours out, too, or you can put it in a desk drawer or under an end table so it’s easy to pull out when you need it.

Now, these are the four things you need to have in your card caddy:

First, you need something to write on.

As we saw in the scenario above, it doesn’t have to be incredibly fancy… but it can be notecards you buy from the store. Having a stash of cards for different occasions can be helpful when you send cards for a variety of reasons: get well soon, thinking of you, praying for you, or celebrating a birthday.

If you’re not sure how exactly you’re going to use the cards, or if you don’t want to get stuck having to use them for only one occasion, then just get blank ones. That way, you can write what you want on the inside and use them anytime.

I actually have a ton of birthday cards, but I’m really not that great at sending them out. Not that I don’t care; it’s just that I’m more apt to send a handwritten note when someone is sick or having a hard time, or just for general encouragement, than I am for a birthday. It’s important to know what inspires you to write, or how you want to use cards to reach out to others.

You can stock up on cards from Dollar Tree, where you can buy a box for $1. Or you can find boxes of cards through Christian Book or Walmart or something like that. Or you can even find more personalized ones made on sites like Etsy. I actually use to make and post cards in my shop, but now I just post mini-cards that people can add to an order. I’ve found it’s an extra special touch, to have a handmade card in addition to a gift from a loved one.

But you know what? It doesn’t even have to be a notecard. It can be notebook paper or computer paper. Or even a coloring sheet. You guys, it doesn’t matter. What matters is what you write to them.

Second, you need something to write with.

Don’t make the mistake of not including a pen or marker or something to write with. Because if you don’t, you’ll then have to journey around the house looking for a pen that works well with cards, that doesn’t bleed or smear or have a long dry time. Or that isn’t already dry and needs to be thrown away.

Just do yourself a favor and include a few pens or writing utensils that work well for writing on your card or paper. I really like the Zebra F-301 pens with a fine point. They are comfortable to hold and write without smearing on my cards. (Ask me how I learned that.)

I highly encourage you to test your pen before you write on a bunch of cards. Make sure it doesn’t bleed through, especially if you’re writing on the front and back of the same sheet of paper.

Third, you need an envelope to put your note in.

Now, if you bought of box of notecards, you’re all set here. Just include the envelopes that came with them. And make sure you keep them with the cards themselves, so you know which envelopes go with each set of cards.

But if you’re using notebook paper or computer paper or something different, make sure you have some envelopes on hand. You can grab these from the office supply section at the store. They can be an A4 invitation size, which might fit a small notecard. Or you can get regular business-size envelopes that require you to tri-fold a piece of paper to fit it inside. You can also get an A9 invitation size envelope that just lets you just fold a piece of paper in half.

I know this seems silly to think about, but really… do you like trying to fold a piece of paper into thirds or would you rather just fold it in half and call it a day?

Also consider if you want ones that are peel and seal or if you get the lovely opportunity to lick them all shut. The peel and seal are a bit more expensive, but might be worth it if you’re sending a lot of cards.

Now, if you’re more artistic or are making some of your own cards, you can also make your own envelopes. There are some templates you can find online for how to cut them out of paper and glue them together, but this would be a special touch to add to someone who needs a bit more TLC than a regular card might offer.

Fourth, you need a stamp.

I’ve found it quite helpful to buy a sheet or roll of stamps to have on hand so I don’t always have to go into the post office to mail something, I can just drop it off in the box as I’m passing through, or even just toss it in the mailbox and push the flag up for the postman to grab.

There are different designs you can get to support causes you care about, or you can stick with the regular Forever stamps with the flag on it. It is completely up to you. Sometimes it’s fun to put a pretty one on there just because it stands out more, but it really doesn’t matter. As long as it gets to where you are mailing it, right?

So those are the four things you need to have in your card caddy: something to write on, something to write with, an envelope to put it in, and some stamps.

But, if you’re looking for a way to go the extra mile, you can also consider doing these things.

You can include a small gift, like a gift card, Scripture card, or stickers. Make sure it’s flat so it fits in the envelope and doesn’t require additional postage in order to be hand-stamped. (Unless you’re okay stopping by the post office to pay for that.)

You can also consider using calligraphy to write their name on the envelope, as well as decorating the envelope itself. I have been so inspired by looking at what they call “mail art.” They either draw a picture on it or add cute stickers or decals or something like that. I want to do it so often, but I don’t always take the time to do so. If you want to, just make sure you leave space for the post office to put on it what they need to, like when they scan it in.

I know that there are so many times we want to send a card to someone, but we just get stuck because we don’t have the supplies there at hand to make it happen. I hope this episode has helped you think through what is stopping you. If you create a card caddy, I’d love to see it. You can email me your picture at kari@lovedoesthat.org. Remember, my name is spelled K-A-R-I.

Now, don’t forget that we are in the middle of our Thanksgiving Fundraiser here at Love Does That. From November 15 to 30, we will donate 15% of all sales to local non-profit, Love INC. When you place an order, you’ll be entered to win a digital prize pack from us that includes our devotional, retreat guide, and premium-level masterclass. Also, you can get a free copy of our new Advent resource, When Your Silent Night Feels Empty, just by sharing about the fundraiser with your friends. You can learn more about it on the bonus episode that released last week. Start your shopping at lovedoesthat.org.

Okay, that’s all for today, my friends. Until next time…