How to write a sincere thank you note

 Writing a thank you note from the heart is easy in theory but getting into it can be a totally different story. It can be daunting sometimes to think of the perfect words to say to someone important, especially when thanking them for their kindness. If you’re at a loss for words when it comes to writing a sincere and meaningful thank you note, follow these tips and tricks!

1.)   First and foremost, picking the perfect stationery is more important than you might realize! A solid thank you note is only as meaningful as its presentation, and that's not to say a simple thanks wouldn't do the trick, but for a real eye catch, it's always great to be prepared with a stack of thank you notes for every occasion! 

 

For some beautiful stationery options, click here or go to www.morethanpaper.com!

 

2.)   Next up, when writing the actual letter, start off by keeping it simple, address them how you normally would whether it be “dear,” “to,” or just their name, and begin expressing what you’d like to thank them for. A good way to start this is by saying “Dear [name], I am so appreciative for what you did for me, and wanted to say thank you…”

 

3.)   After writing the base outline, begin expressing what you were able to accomplish because of their kind gesture. For instance, if they babysat for you with short notice, you could explain that because of that, you were able to attend the important event you needed to, or if they gifted you something, you could tell them what you did with the gift! Seeing firsthand what their kindness has done for you is a great way for them to feel appreciated. 

            

4.)   A small gift along with a note to say thank you is always a sure-fire way to get your point across as elegantly as possible!  Save this for big gestures and only when it feels appropriate. 

For gifts like this one and more, click here or go to www.morethanpaper.com.  

 

5.)   If you’re feeling like you want to return the favor, you can always let them know that whenever you need them, your door is always open! Being there in return for someone can be such a solid reminder that they really do mean a lot to you. If they live further away from you, being a phone call away is also totally acceptable and more than appreciated. To ship a thank you gift to them, feel free to check out some shipping labels to help you. 

 

Click here, or go to www.morethanpaper.com for more! 

 

6.)   Lastly, a great thank you note coming from the heart should simply come from your heart! Tell this person what they mean to you in an honest way and tell them how much they enrich your life on a daily basis! Every little word counts in a note, making yours full of love and admiration is guaranteed to be the perfect note. Even if you don’t feel like it's enough to thank them fully, having someone tell them how much they are loved can brighten someone's week in an instant.

 

Writing a sincere thank you note is the perfect way to express your appreciation towards someone who’s done something nice for you, so go forth and feel confident in your writing! It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be perfectly and authentically you. As long as you get your point across clearly and let them know they are appreciated, whatever you end up writing, they will love, because chances are, they love you! 

 

 

2021 "Best of" Awards

Roll out the red carpet and bring on the trophy statues! It’s time for our first annual “best of” awards here at More Than Paper.  We offer tens of thousands of products in stationery and gifts, so combing through what we have to offer and casting a vote was no easy task. We’ve created some likely and also unlikely awards to recognize products that are outstanding in a specific category. Are you ready? Drum roll, please…
 
And the award for……. 
 
1.      “Most Customizable Traditional Photo Mount Card” goes to:  Inline Beaded Border With Foil Holiday Photo Mount Cards.
This is a classy and customizable card -- what more could you ask for?  Gone are the days where you searched for a card to match your photo.  Now you can customize your card around your photo.  This Inline Beaded Border with Foil Holiday Photo Mount Cards is this perfect card to make your own this holiday season. Customize everything from the borders and foil colors to the message you want to be displayed. 

 
2.     “Most Classic Photo Mount Card” goes to the Navy and Gold Border Holiday Photo Mount Cards.
Nothing says class and elegance like the Navy and Gold Border Holiday Photo Mount Card by Crane. With its gold foil, embossed details and rich navy cover, these traditional photo mount cards allow you to choose from placing your picture of choice either vertically or horizontally. You get to customize the message and the ink color for the inside imprint, too. Envelope linings in satin gold offer a nice touch.

 
3.     “Best Scrapbook-Like Photo Card” goes to Chalkboard Taped Snapshots Digital Holiday Photo Cards
For a crafty DIY look for your holiday cards that are a touch whimsical, check out our Chalkboard Taped Snapshots Digital Holiday Photo Cards by Take Note Designs! These scrapbook-esque cards allow you to customize both the inside and the outside of the card. The washi tape motif adds a fun flair to the design and you can have up to 5 photos.  It is perfect for showing off your favorite 2021 photos! 

 
4.     “Best Unique Shaped Digital Photo Card” goes to Arch Shape Holiday Digital Photo Cards.
What’s one way to make your holiday photo cards stand out from the rest? The answer is simple; get creative with the shape of the card! These holiday photo cards stand out from the crowd with their beautiful arched shape. To finish the perfect holiday card, all that’s left to customize (after picking the perfect photo for us to print!) is your message and choice of ink color and typestyles!

 
5.     “Best Full Bleed Holiday Digital Photo Card"  goes to Aaron Happy Holiday Foil Digital Holiday Photo Cards
When you have that one perfect photo, this card is all that you need.  A “full bleed” photo simply means the printing of the photo goes all the way to the edges and really maximizes the space for the photo.  Bonus! These cards were made for customizing! Customization options include your foil for the imprint, an optional back pattern, optional colored envelopes, and optional envelope linings. We also love the beautiful rounded edges. 

 
6.     Most Popular Charitable Card goes to Celebration Tree Holiday Cards
It’s no secret that the holidays are a time for giving and receiving. So, what if we told you that you could give back with the purchase of a beautiful holiday card? Good Cause Greetings donates 10% of each sale to the organization of your choice to help eliminate hunger, provide education, housing, medical care, and environmental assistance to people and animals around the world. We love this one! 

 
7.     Most Popular Interfaith Card goes to Pandemic Parody Interfaith Holiday Cards
The holidays should be celebrated regardless of whatever faith you practice. That’s why the Pandemic Paraody Interfaith Holiday Card is the perfect way to wish everyone a happy holiday season this year! Depicting Santa and a Rabbi having a glass of wine together while wearing masks just adds a funny twist on our current reality. 

 
8.     Most Popular Stick Figure Card goes to Mixed 9 Interfaith Holiday Cards

Didn’t have time to take a family photo for the holiday cards this year? Don’t worry; Pen at Hand has got you covered! This card allows you total customization of the stick figures’ features depicted on the card! This card is available either as a flat card or a folded note upon specification. This is a great way to get personal without having to organize your photo for your cards. 

 
9.     Prettiest Digital Photo Card with Foil goes to Joyful Leaf Digital Holiday Photo Cards

What’s the only thing better than a holiday photo card? The answer; a holiday photo card with foil! The best part, you get to choose the foil color from our wide assortment of color options. Don’t forget; you can customize your text to fit your holiday aesthetic! Foil has never been more popular than it is this season. 

 
10.   Best Recipe Card goes to Icing on the Cookie Holiday Greeting Cards
This card really stands out from the crowd as something different. We love the Icing on the Cookie Holiday Greeting Cards from Another Creation by Michele Pulver! These cards feature an adorable illustration of a sugar cookie recipe on the outside of the card and a step-by-step guide to making these cookies on the inside. Talk about unique! 

 
11.   Most Art Deco Hannukah Card goes to The Papercut Menorah Chanukah Cards

Want to wish your loved ones a Happy Chanukah in the most stylish way possible? If so, there’s no better way to do it than with the chic Papercut Menorah Chanukah Card!  The folded ivory color card features a colorful menorah and the greeting, Happy Chanukah! 

 
12.   Best Watercolor Holiday Greeting Card
We just love this Watercolor Pinecone Bouquet Holiday Greeting Card. Perfect for family & friends or corporate clients. Simple and elegant – and you get to select from the greetings shown or create your own.

 
There you have it! The awards have been handed out!  Did we miss any of your favorites? Be sure to let us know in the comments and check out our Facebook / Instagram for more featured cards. 

Teacher's Gift Ideas

We’ve never appreciated how valuable teachers are more than we do today.  The pandemic threw many of us into a home-schooling reality that we never thought we’d face.  We were stretched thin, our patience was tested, and the pressure was on.  Fortunately, for a majority of American students and their families, children are back in the classroom inperson.  As parents, we couldn’t be more relived and also grateful.  It’s clear that the debt of gratitude we owe these special people – our teachers – is a large one!  

We will always advocate for a heartfelt, thoughtful note to your child’s teacher. As a parent, take a moment to reflect on the year’s ups and downs.  Be specific about the growth that you have seen in your child, what he/she enjoyed, or how he/she overcame a challenge and has flourished. Teachers appreciate knowing what specifically they did to contribute to the growth of their students.  Sometimes a tangible example of how they affected change can be really powerful.  Take a few minutes to really think about the impact this teacher has had on your child’s life and be sure to write it down thoughtfully.   Of course, More Than Paper has plenty of stationery options from which to choose when you are ready to write your note! 

 

We also suggest that your children take a moment to write thank you notes to their teachers. (We have personalized stationery options for kids, too, of course!) This handwritten note from your child can mean the world to the teacher! The same advice applies --- have your child be specific about the school year and what he/she enjoyed in the class.  

 

Beyond a thank you note for teachers, consider small tokens of your appreciation. More Than Paper has a few gift ideas that teachers will find delightful and useful.  All of them are affordably priced, and we love that they are personalized.  Of course, many teachers love the slew of Starbucks cards they receive but these heartfelt, personalized gifts for teacher will really speak volumes.  Here’s a round-up of some of our favorite teacher gifts.  

 

1.     Make a statement with these teacher appreciation banners.  These indoor/outdoor vinyl banners are available in three sizes and are customizable with the teacher’s name and students’ names as well!  The banner is waterproof and comes with adhesive, removable tape for easy hanging.  We also have upgrades available with stakes and grommets for other ways to hang!  Imagine your teacher walking into school with this large, customized vinyl banner displayed for all to see.

 

2.     Teachers are constantly needing to jot down reminders, write notes home to parents, and take notes.  This notepad is an adorable way for your teacher to do all of that.  “From the desk of” personalized notepads make a great teacher’s gift. 

 

3.     If you are a teacher and you don’t have a mug with your name on it with an apple, are you even a teacher? Kidding, of course! If your teacher hasn’t been gifted a fabulous, personalized teacher mug yet – consider these ones by Pen and Hand.  They’ve been a top seller of ours for years! And in addition to personalizing the mug with the teacher’s name, you get to choose the hairstyle, hair color and skin tone to make the stick figure character in the teacher’s likeness. What fun! For added sweetness, fill the mug with candy, wrap in cellophane and tie with a ribbon. 

4.     Consider a stylish and handy personalized clipboard when choosing a year-end teacher gift. We love all of our clipboard options but especially this design.  This is a fun and functional gift that we love. 

 

5.     Another great idea is a personalized bookmark for your teacher! From your English teacher to your librarian, these personalized bookmarks for teacher are a great gift for the end of the year. 

 

 

 

Hard to believe how fast this year is flying by.  We hope you’ll consider these unique ways to honor teachers. Teachers spend many waking hours with our children and have the power to shape their minds, their personalities, and the course of their life.  We appreciate and thank all the teachers! 

 

 

Bridesmaids Gifts

When you are getting married and you’ve asked your closest friends to stand by your side as your bridesmaids, it means something special! Friends help get you through tough times and are people with whom you make lasting memories.  On your big day, will you give them a gift to celebrate your friendship and thank them for all that they have done for you?   

Whether it’s a destination wedding or a local wedding, it’s likely that your bridesmaids have incurred some expenses throughout your engagement and wedding so we love the idea of a small thank you.  Thank your bridesmaids for their long-standing friendship with these bridesmaids’ gift ideas.  Your bridal party will appreciate any of these personalized gifts!  

1)   Your girls will always travel in style with these garment bags!  Available in several colors, these personalized garment bags are made of heavy-duty canvas and will protect your suits, dresses, or clothes you don’t want to fold!  There are two roomy inside zip pockets for smaller 
accessories. 

 

2)     We just love these clutches that we have recently added by Quilted Koala! Choose from over 50 icons and text phrases.  These are truly custom in that you can select from many color bag options and choose the color, location, and sizing of your imprint (including glitters, foils, and solids!)   At More Than Paper, we are happy to guide you through the process or design it for you! 

        

3)     Sip in-style with any of our custom tumblers.These personalized acrylic beverage tumblers with straw are perfect for on-the-go hydration!  Available in a bunch of patterns and designs, this is a small token of your appreciation and make a great bridal party gift. 

        

 

4)     Insulated personalized tumblers are all the rage right now! These premium-quality double-wall vacuum insulated stainless steel travel tumblers will keep your cold drinks ice cold for up to 24 hours and your hot drinks hot for up to 6 hours!!  For a small fee, you can upgrade your lid to a sliding lid.  Choose from many tumbler colors and imprint colors, too.  You can customize these for your bridesmaids and bridal party with their name or even your wedding date and location.

         

 

5)     These super-cute, personalized straw tote bags are ideal for beach weddings or destination wedding bridal parties!!  They are handmade and hand painted with stripes and initials. Create your own color combinations and make it yours!  One of the best things? This is a Fair Trade Business and income generated helps women sustain their families. 

        

Whichever way you to choose to honor your bridesmaids, we also recommend that in addition to a small gift, you take the time to write a letter or note to your friends.  This will be perhaps the most meaningful of all the actions or gestures you take.  Here are some tips to help you write the best note to your bridesmaids:

1)     Recall when you met or how you became friends

2)     Recount a favorite memory or funny story 

3)     Be honest about how this person has helped shap your life and lead you to where you are today

4)     Be sure to thank them for their friendship and support during the wedding 

With those tips, you are sure to write something that they will treasure and will certainly feel appreciated.  Check out all of our bridesmaids gift options at More Than Paper by visiting here. 

Teaching Children to Write Thank You Notes

Even with text messages, email, social media and near-instantaneous communication in the 21^st century, the art and etiquette of writing a thank you note is not lost. 

At More Than Paper, writing a handwritten note and sending it in the good old fashioned mail is important to us and, therefore, we’ve been teaching our kids how to write thank you notes since they were young.  Is it something that you value?  Here are some tips to teach your children how to write thank you notes.  

Around age 2-4

It’s never too early to start – and yes, children this young can help in creating a thank you note!  Most children this age love using stickers or rubber stamps.  How about the grown-up writes the words “THANK YOU” and the child’s name on a piece of paper or cardstock – and have the child decorate with stickers, stampers or crayons! Explain the activity and why your child should write a thank you note (“Remember the teddy bear that Aunt Diane got you? Let’s write her a thank you note!”).  The child will begin to learn about the concept of why one writes a thank you note and will also have fun doing the task.

  

Around age 4-6 

By age 4, children can get more involved in the “writing” part of thank you notes. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children are in the beginning stages of learning to form letters and words, and many children at this age have the dexterity and attention span to copy letters.   When our children were young, we wrote the words “thank you” and their names using dots and simply asked them to connect the dots.  This was a delight to grandparents, aunts and uncles, and family friends who had been kind and generous enough to give our children a gift or gesture.  They absolutely loved seeing our little ones write their names and the words thank you.  That is all it took. 

Around ages 5-8

As children being reading and writing, this is a good age to have them start writing their own “Dear ___, Thank you for my gift.”  We typically wrote this message out on a piece of paper and let them copy it while studying the paper.   This helps speed up the process.  Another idea is to let them phonetically spell and compose the message all on their own.  Likely you’ll get a ton of misspellings, but you are not striving for perfection here! Plus, the free-form phonetic spelling can be quite funny and will make a great keepsake for the future! Plus you’re allowing the child a lot of independence and creativity.  Just be sure to give them enough direction or assistance so they don’t feel overwhelmed by the blank card. 

Ages 8-11 

Here’s where children can begin composing their own letters.  Teach them the salutation, punctuation, and value of good penmanship.  It is also a good time to remind them to be specific about the gift they’ve received and why they like it or how they will use it.  Rather than “Thank you for the gift,” your child might write “Thank you for the doll that I wanted. I am so excited to play with her.” 

Ages 12+ 

If you have been encouraging your children to write thank you notes since they were little, hopefully you don’t get a lot of pushback from your preteen or teen on writing their notes.  After every birthday or holiday, have them sit down with their personalized stationery and list of people to thank and write several a day.  If they have received a lot of presents, encourage them to break the task of writing notes into chunks – just a few at a time. Then it is not so overwhelming.   At this point, they should be writing several sentences being specific about what they are thanking the person for, how they intend to use the gift, and what they like about it.  We also encourage something personal to the recipient.  This can be done with ideas like, “I hope your holidays were fun, and we missed celebrating with you this year. Can’t wait until we can get together in the summer!” or “Hope you are feeling better after your knee surgery! I was thinking of you.”  A little personal touch or extra sentence or two can make the letter feel more personal and less curt. 

Quite honestly, there is no wrong way to write a thank you note, especially thank you notes written by children. They are so unexpected these days and a treat for people to receive that your recipient will just be glad that they have written one. 

Here are two other unique thank you note ideas that we have seen from children. 

1)     Draw a picture instead of writing a note. Especially good for really little ones, a picture (of rainbows, the dog, anything!) can be a nice thank you! 

2)     Use your Instapix camera! Take a picture of the child holding the gift and smiling. Sign the bottom, “Thank you!! Love, ____”.  Send the picture in an envelope! 

What ideas do you have? 

Shop our personalized stationery for children and adults at More Than Paper and find your perfect correspondence for thank you notes, everyday letters & anything else you need!  

Ways to connect during a crisis

The Pandemic Disconnect

The Pandemic has certainly changed how we live and interact.  For some people, the effects have been profound. At More Than Paper, we have co-workers who haven’t seen their families in 4 months – which is much longer than they’ve ever gone before! It’s hard.  It’s sad. It’s unfamiliar. But right now, staying away and keeping distance will help protect family members in the long run.  So we do the hard, sad, and unfamiliar things anyway. 

But what happens when your family has a milestone or deserves a celebration, and you can’t do things like you always have? We have a few ideas to help continue to celebrate and connect during the crisis. Sure, it’s not the same as it was before – but with these tips and tricks, you CAN find ways to connect and celebrate with the ones you love.

Driveaway Drive-bys

It’s your grandfather’s birthday but you can’t continue your tradition of Olive Garden followed by Baskin Robbins? Consider a driveway drive-by.  You’ve likely seen this on the news, or in your social media feed, but it’s a great way to plan a party – safely.  Grandpa sits outside on the driveway and then all the family members and friends drive by in their cars.  Consider ordering a Happy Birthday, Grandpa banner to make it extra special. More Than Paper has plenty of options from which to choose! 

Send A Care Package

Create a care package to send to loved ones, letting them know that you’re thinking of them. A handwritten note, their favorite chocolate, a box of their favorite tea or bag of their favorite coffee, a good book and/or some magazines are just a few ideas to include.  A thoughtful, handwritten note is something that they’ll cherish and really brighten their day.  When was the last time you got an actual letter in the mail?  We have plenty of stationery designs-check out your options! 

Maximize Digital Options

If there was ever a “good” time to have a pandemic, this arguably might be better than previous years. Definitely better than the Spanish Flu era! With the internet, there are dozens of ways to connect and stay in touch.  We have seemingly tried them all with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Blue Jean, Google Hangouts, and more.  Try them all on and see which you like best!  FaceTime helps, too.

Keep Some Normalcy

Were you planning on attending a wedding that got postponed this summer? You are not alone. Try to keep some normalcy and help the bride and groom celebrate.  Though their wedding might not have happened as they wish, they still deserve to be celebrated.  Send them a card with a thoughtful note, or send them a gift.  Be sure to check out our gift options on the site! And it’s not just weddings. Baby showers, births, bachelorette parties, bachelor parties, engagement parties, graduation parties – all of the big life events have been affected. Whenever possible, try to keep normalcy by finding ways to celebrate those people. Even if it is a quick note or small gift.   We think these cute pads are great to give to let your loved ones know you are thinking of them. 

Surely this has been a challenge like we have never faced before, but if we are creative, we will come up with new and exciting ways to connect with those that we love, while keeping everyone safe.  What ideas have we missed?  Comment or share on Facebook what you are doing to stay connected right now!