How to Create a Holiday Newsletter on Your Computer

Holiday newsletters are fun to write and fun to read ' provided, of course, that you don't go overboard telling everyone about your Nobel Prize.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Printers
• Newsletter-size Holiday Stationery
• Computers
• Greeting Card Software
• Word-processing Software

Buying the Paper and Setting Print Margins

1. Purchase preprinted holiday stationery at any office supply, stationery or discount store. (You can also use plain paper.)

2. Check your greeting card or publishing program for newsletter templates. Many come with backgrounds ready to be printed and clip art supplied ' all you do is enter the text.

3. Measure the area allowed for text on your newsletter paper. Increase the document margins as necessary, being sure to measure completely around all sides.

4. Make several black-and-white photocopies of the stationery to print test sheets. You can also print test sheets on regular paper and hold them up to the light against the stationery to be sure the text is properly aligned.

Writing the Newsletter Content

5. Be brief, to the point and upbeat, in keeping with the holiday season. Don't write about Scruffy's outbreak of fleas or Janie's broken arm. Instead, write about how wonderful Scruffy looked after his bath or describe Janie's home run record in Little League.

6. Keep your holiday newsletter to one page, if possible. Fast and easy to read, a one-page newsletter keeps readers interested.

7. Add a small photograph of your family in the body of the newsletter. Most people don't know what to do with the tiny photographs enclosed in holiday cards; by putting it in the newsletter, you give them both a photo and a family update.

8. Have each member of the family contribute a small paragraph about the holidays or their favorite part of the past year. Don't edit the children's contributions too much; the words are more meaningful when spoken in the child's "voice."

9. Sign each newsletter and add a personal note if possible. You can also delegate this responsibility to other members of the family: Mom and Dad can sign the cards for their business associates, and the kids for immediate family.

10. Use preprinted return address labels for the envelopes, but write out the recipients' names and addresses. This adds a personal touch that's just right for the holiday season.