How to Make Cards for Troops and Veterans

Use your crafty skills for good and get all the information, tips & tricks you need to make cards for troops and veterans this year!

Beautiful Christmas decorations with empty card and envelope on white background

My kids really love to make holiday cards and Christmas cards. And recently I was working on a post that’s coming in a couple of weeks about crafty things to do during the holiday season & winter and it got me thinking.

One of the crafty activity ideas that I came up with was making holiday/Chistmas cards for troops. I love this idea, it would be so hard to be away from family any time of year, I can imagine receiving a cute handmade card would really brighten your spirits. Plus it’s a really easy way to get kids involved in helping your community.

But, when I added this idea to the list, I realized that, much like those of you who knit for charity, you’ve got to think about what to make, what it should say, and where to send it, right? And I totally recognize that having to do a bunch of homework before starting a craft project can derail the entire thing for a lot of us. That happens to me a lot.

So, the good news is that I did all the preliminary work for you! Today I’m going to talk about how to make cards for troops, what they should say and where and when to send them! All you have to do is the fun crafty part and make those DIY holiday cards!

(Why are we talking about this way before Thanksgiving? Many charities have early December deadlines to receive cards for the holiday season!)

Basic Guidelines to Follow When You Make Cards for Troops

Decide which charity you’re going to send them to first and READ all of their specifications to make sure your DIY greeting cards will be accepted.
Some charities accept cards and letters for troops year round so consider sending your DIY cards at other times of year!
Address your cards generically, for example, “Dear Hero” or “Dear Troops” rather than to any specific individual.
Do not include personal information including your last name, address email, or location.
Do not seal the card in an envelope. Some charities even ask for no envelope at all so check each charity’s guidelines.
Do not include glitter, confetti, or any embellishments that are not securely attached to the card.
Do not include food, candy, or other care package items with your cards. (Care package drives are usually completely separate from Christmas card drives)
Include kind but generic messages of peace and good wishes in your card, for example “Thank you for your service”, “Warmest wishes” or “Happy New Year”, as not all troops celebrate all holidays.
DO add cute drawings!
If the organization you have chosen accepts them, consider additional monetary donations to cover postage costs.

How to Make Cards for Troops

Start with blank paper or a greeting card that’s blank inside without a pre-printed message
Decorate, or have your kids decorate the cards with happy colorful drawings.
Add stickers or stamps or any other decoration that can be securely attached (no glitter, sequins, etc.).
Add a kind/inspirational message to the troops to your card

Where to Send Cards for Troops

I said it once and I’ll say it again, choose a charity to send your DIY cards for troops to BEFORE you start making them and make sure you read their specific guidelines (including any due dates) before you start!

Here’s to raising spirits this year with your crafty cards for troops!

If you liked this, you may also like some of my other posts…

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Cassie May

Craft and Knitwear Designer at Little Red Window Design

Welcome to Little Red Window! I’m Cassie, a professional craft and knitwear designer working in the field for more than 10 years. I have a degree in Art History from Northwestern University and a Master's Degree in Architecture and Design from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I've designed more than 300 separate knitting patterns, hundreds of craft projects, and I love to bring joy to your crafts and knitting with well-designed, easy to understand tutorials and patterns.

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