Have you had that moment getting ready for a birthday party or a wedding and realized you do not have a card? That’s why I like to have an organized greeting card box with a select amount of cards for each important occasion. It is pretty easy to create on your own and I am going to tell you how in this blog.
Step One: Gather Your Cards
Maybe you collect good greeting cards when you see them. Or, you may need to purchase a few to have on hand. Figure out what occasions you need cards for the most (i.e. baby showers, wedding cards and birthdays.) Go to your favorite card store and get a variety of cards that you actually think you will use. This part is key. I have organized for many clients that have collected so many cards that it is unlikely they will ever send them all out unless they are prolific card writers.
I also like to have a collection of blank notecards with generic images that can be converted to get well cards, congratulations, thank you or thinking of you. Sometimes these are the best because you get more bank for your buck and are not stuck to one genre of greeting.
Step Two: Get a Box
Find a lidded box that is tall enough and wide enough to hold most greeting cards. You can find these at craft stores and office supply stores. It could just be a simple cardboard box that you decorate. The important thing is that it will fit your cards comfortably to file them. If you have an exceptionally large collection, you can also use hanging file folders in a portable file to get more capacity.
Step Three: Create File Cards
Consider this box like a file cabinet for your greeting cards. No file cabinet is complete without file tabs. I recommend using cardstock to create dividers for each category. Here are some suggested categories. You can customize it to your particular cards.
- Birthdays
- Thank You
- New Baby
- Wedding
- Engagement
- Congratulations
- Graduation
- Anniversaries
You can make the categories as specific or general as you need. If you want a system that is already created for you try the Printable Greeting Card Filing System I created to use with my clients. It comes with preprinted labels for cardstock and hanging file tabs to quickly create a system. As a bonus it also comes with an Anniversary and Birthday tracker to ensure you do not forget an important date.
Step Four: Sort Your Cards
Sort the cards into your files and refill as needed. You should send yourself a congratulations card for being so organized.
Happy Organizing!
Kristin Vander Wiede is a Professional Organizer and owner of Livable Solutions Professional Organizing and Life’s Lists printable organizing labels, systems and activities.