Unique Types of Greeting Cards

Can't find a good greeting card? Make your own.

Greeting cards don't have to be a static fold-over with a back and cover and some poetic-type words in between. Whether funny, serious, seasonal, celebratory, inspirational, devotional, congratulatory, sentimental, handmade or homemade, cardstock or fabric, many types of greeting cards deviate from the standard. There are electronic cards, super-large "yard" cards, cards that sing or play music, interactive cards, one-page cards and postcards, pop-up cards, personalized cards and even electronic mobile phone greeting card apps.

Theme Cards

Try unique themes for greeting cards, like caricatures of yourself.

Clown cards, candle cards and family photo cards are just a few of the unique greeting cards available on the market. These types of cards can also be made by hand or on your computer. Thanks to software technology, if you can't afford or don't want a personal artist, some family-style unique theme cards make greeting cards of cherished photos turned into caricatures.

Design Your Own

Make a hand made card, or purchase one from a charity.

Handmade cards can be made with your own hands or someone else's. Just like an artist cannot make two paintings exactly the same, a greeting card made by hand will always be unique because once it's done, it can't be repeated exactly the same way. Handmade cards are "fingerprints," always one of a kind.

Electronic Cards

E-mail a card, save a tree.

Electronic greeting cards, though not as unusual as they once were, are still a fast and least-expensive way of remembering an event or celebration without harming trees, using inks or even paying for postage. Many greeting card companies, such as JibJab, Blue Mountain, e-Motion, Hollah, 123greetings and even big retail brands like Hallmark will help you design and send an electronic card by e-mail or a clickable online card. These cards are always animated and very often are interactive.

Recycled Material Cards

Send a specialty card, plant a tree.

Many charitable organizations, such as St Jude's Ranch, Fair Trade and the Arbor Day Foundation, use and re-sell old greeting cards, or make them from natural, recyclable environmentally friendly materials. With the Arbor Day Foundation, every box of cards purchased is reciprocated with a new tree planted.

Digital Cards

A few companies, such as Just Wink and MocoSpace, offer a mobile phone app with downloadable e-cards that can be sent from one mobile phone to another. The apps are usually free to download into your cell phone, and the recipient can pick up the greeting card via mobile phone or online.

Freebie Cards

Organizations like SOS Children's Villages will let you send free greeting cards from the charity's website. These electronic giveaways help to spread the word about their work on behalf of orphaned and abandoned children around the world.

References

• AF Photoshop Tutorial: Create Your Own Card
• SOS Children's VIllages: Free E-Cards

Resources

• Global Goods Partners: Handmade Goods
• Arbor Day: Give-A-Tree
• JNJ Mobile: MocoSpace