Though it's a wonderful time of year, the holiday season is always stressful. In addition to shopping, entertaining, baking, and cleaning there is the annual family Christmas letter to write. Using free Christmas letter templates online streamlines the whole process.
Where to Find Free Christmas Letter Templates
It's easy to find Christmas letter templates online, but locating ones that don't require membership or per-download fees is another story. Here are three resources for free Christmas letter paper and holiday letter samples:
- Holiday Newsletter Templates — dozens of free downloadable Xmas templates are available from Microsoft Word. The newsletter formats are professional and space-efficient, leaving space for inserting a picture directly into the letter. There is also Christmas stationery for a more traditional Christmas letter format. A version of MS Word is required to download these templates.
- Make-Your-Own Christmas Stationery — these online instructions from the State Library of Iowa show users how to make a variety of Christmas letter stationery in minutes using the free tools in any Microsoft Word program. Most people aren't even aware that they already have the capability to do this right at their fingertips.
- Eco-Friendly Christmas Letter Templates — why not save paper and ink this year by sending the family's holiday greetings by e-mail this year? Using the free Christmas email templates at IncrediMail saves time and money. Users must install the free IncrediMail program to download the patterns and themes, but once sent they can be read by any recipient. Some email downloads are free and some are paid.
Letting templates do the work of designing the layout is a smart holiday move for busy families writing a Christmas update letter.
Other Tips for Writing a Christmas Letter
Though a holiday template provides the format, it's up to each person to fill in the content. The five basic parts of a Christmas letter are:
- Date. The month and year should be written somewhere on the Christmas letter.
- Greeting. "Happy Holidays," "Merry Christmas," "Season's Greetings," or a simple "Dear Friends and Family" are popular openings.
- Family update. Give a concise summary of the most important family news of the past year, including significant trips, milestones, and so on. Ask prompt questions for brainstorming an effective list.
- Conclusion. It's appropriate to wish the recipients happy holidays, urge people to keep in touch, or invite them to come and visit during the year.
- Signature. Typical Christmas letter closings are "Best Wishes," "Sincerely," or "Love."
Some people format their holiday letter like a newspaper with columns; others prefer a traditional story-style letter with a paragraph per family member. Get help designing and writing a Christmas letter with 4 Steps to Writing Holiday Updates.
By simply plugging text into a premade holiday letter template, it's possible to create a quick and easy Christmas letter that look like it took hours to design.
Jenny Evans - Jenny Evans is a freelance writer and editor specializing in parenting and the family. She is also the Mormonism Topic Editor for ...
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