The $6 Gift I’m Sending Literally Everyone for Everything

Let’s start this off by saying I don’t usually send cards to people. I like to think I’m a gracious, considerate person—but I’ll be the first to admit I’ve forgotten to send my own thank you notes on more than one occasion (more like every single freaking time!). Hey, when you don’t have your mom nagging you every day for the month after your First Communion, it’s easy to forget that displaying gratitude is something you should prioritize. Even though I know how truly touched I feel when my old boss sends me a card just to say hello or when I receive a thank you note from my oh-so-thoughtful friend from high school, a box of personalized stationery and letters sits unopened underneath my bed—a literal manifestation of how my best intentions usually gather dust.

One of my greatest aspirations in life is to be a card-sending person, but 1) I’m very, very forgetful, 2) I have free time on the weekend, I don’t want spend it writing cards, 3) non-cheesy cards are very, very expensive! It is somewhat soul-killing to spend $4 to $6 at the drugstore or even Paper Source knowing there is a very good chance the person on the receiving end isn’t as much of a sentimental hoarder as I am and will toss it into the recycling bin when things get too cluttered. (I, of course, have every card I’ve received in the past 10 years under my bed—I know… I need help).

But—hence the post—I finally am becoming a card person because my friend introduced me to this delightful service called Punkpost. The start-up’s whole deal is making the process of sending handlettered cards super easy. I have the fine motor skills of a toddler, so I will never be able to calligraph like an Instagram god, but with Punkpost, I can pretend I am! Here’s the gist: You pick out a card from Punkpost’s collection (there are ones for just about everything), pick a handwriting style, type the message you want to send to your pal (up to 280 characters), and then give the mailing address of where you want it to go (or let them know that you want to send it yourself). It sounds all very “Her” (2013), but here’s where it’s different:

Then, a real-life handwriting artist will do their magic on the card, send to you for approval, and even put it in the mail for you. That’s right—you don’t even need a stamp! The person on the receiving end will get it five to seven days later. The best part? They’re only $5 to $6! You can include cards, confetti, and even gift certificates—but I think the card itself is a great small gift itself.

I recently sent one after staying with my friend’s parents’ place on vacation and the artist doing my card was able to include so many little doodles on the card (of their dog, Big Ben, etc) that it felt like a totally personalized work of art that was well worth the $6 bucks. I was shocked at how well it came out! My next card? A belated happy birthday card to my sister (to make up for the fact I still haven’t put her gift in the mail yet!)