Why should you send a Thank You card?

It's Thank You week here at Katemade Designs. This week I will lay out the whys and wherefores of writing thank you notes and showing you some of the cards I have made to say thank you for the holiday season's blessings.

Thank you card for my friend who is a Mary Kay rep.
I used MFT Stamps "Fly By Friends," Copic Markers,
and a bit of Opalite ink in Cypress Frost on the wings.

 The obvious reason to send a thank you card is when you receive a gift for the holidays or a big occasion like a wedding, graduation, bar/bat mitzvah, or birthday. Etiquette experts advise sending a card within 30 days and definitely before you use the gift. Non-experts suggest you include a photo of the gift in use in your note,  "the children are so cute in their matching ponchos," "thanks so much for the cookware, here's a picture of me making dinner."

Another reason to send thank you notes are when you've been a guest in someone's home either for an overnight stay, a dinner party or a big bash. A thank you note for an intimate overnight stay may be weird, I'm sure the experts were talking about staying with family friends.

If there has been a death in your family and people have sent flowers, gone out of their way to attend the funeral or visitation, or they have made a donation in your loved one's name: they should receive a thank you card. At a time like this, it's acceptable to have someone else do the heavy lifting of writing them for you, but the kindness of the recipient should be acknowledged.

Thank you card from Lydia Fiedler. 

When I got home from work today there was a cute little thank you card from Lydia Fiedler, of the Understanding Blue blog, thanking me for supporting her SU business last year.  The card was small, in the smallest size envelope you can send through the US mail (3.5" x 5"), but it made a huge impact.  I only bought a couple of things from Lydia, and she lives over 1,100 miles away but when I asked a question about a Stampin' Up! product of several demonstrators I follow online, she was the only one that responded. And now I get a thank you card. That's class and excellent customer service. Thanks, Lydia.

Even though the etiquette experts tell you to get those thank you cards out within a month there really is no time limit on gratitude. So you sent the thank you card after you got a great gift. If, say a year or two later, you are using said gift and you think of the gift giver there should be nothing stopping you from sending another thank you card. "I was getting ready for a party and decided to wear the earrings you gave me last year for my birthday. It made me think of you and how grateful I am to have you in my life." Even unexpected thank you cards are appreciated.

When I was trying to get my first job out of college, you know a job that required a resume not a form application, all the professors and recruiters advised us to follow up after interviews with a hand written thank you note. This was in the days before email, but I would still do this if I had an interview today.

A hand-written note tells the recipient "I thought about you. I put time, talent and treasure toward showing my gratitude. You really matter to me."

Can you think of any other times when a thank you note is appropriate? See you in the comment section.

Happy Crafting,