The nostalgia of the holiday season helps keep alive a tradition that is all but lost throughout the rest of the year: the sending of greeting cards. The holidays inspire us to express our love and well wishes beyond the limitations of social media, but with correspondence more unique and playful than the cards of holidays past. These modern holiday cards are artful, thoughtful, and loveable—and include a twist on the traditional.

1. Buying from individual artists not only supports the arts but also ensures that you are sending unique cards. With this card, designer Sydney's Studio255 gets right to the heart of a holiday favorite: the food! Fun, graphic cards like this can also be turned into artwork with nothing more than a simple frame.

2. Paper Culture embodies the holiday spirit year-round by printing on 100% recycled paper and by planting one tree for every order placed. This playful card can be personalized with a family photo of your choice, and your order can help them reach their goal of planting one million trees.

3. This colorful card set from Botanical Paperworks is plantable! (That's right—you put them in the dirt.) Printed on eco-friendly paper and embedded with Cinnamon Basil seeds, these cards reduce waste and ensure that your holiday greetings will be remembered even after the new year.

4. Paper Source's flat holiday cards offer a more contemporary feel than a folded card and can still be customized with an image of your choice. And what's not to love about an octopus bearing gifts?

5. This simple yet elegant card from the husband and wife team at Ink Meets Paper is the perfect marriage of vintage and modern. It includes a QR code on the back that, when scanned, leads readers to a video of the card being hand printed on an antique letterpress. It also includes confetti for an especially festive card opening experience.

MORE HOLIDAY CARDS ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Top 10 Traditional Holiday Cards
• Holiday Letterpress Card Companies

(Images: As linked above)