SENDING LOVE. This holiday season, consider making your Christmas cards by hand, with help from local stamping shops like Happy Stampers or Picture This. (Submitted photos)

The holidays may look different this year, but even the pandemic can’t stop the magical gift of giving. This holiday season, consider sending homemade cards to your family, friends, or someone in need.

“People really appreciate getting homemade cards,” said Karen Johnson, who owns Happy Stampers, 307 E. Clairemont Ave. “The recipients save them more than a regular store-bought greeting card. They know that they meant enough to them to take their time to design a card and mail it out instead of just going into a store and saying, ‘Oh, this one will work.’ You can personalize the card and make it special.”

But crafting your own holiday card isn’t always easy. An assortment of colors, stickers, and paper can certainly look intimidating, especially when you want to create the perfect card for someone special.

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People always appreciate getting homemade cards... you can personalize the card and make it special.

Karen Johnson

owner of Happy Stampers in Eau Claire

“Simple always looks better than overdone,” Johnson said.

Happy Stampers, a stationery store with an extensive variety of stamps, inks, and papers, offers Take ‘N Make card kits, featuring a different card each week. Throughout November and December, the cards will be holiday themed. The card kit comes with a pre-stamped design ready for crafters to take home and put together.

“It’s a wonderful hobby,” Johnson said.

But the holiday fun doesn’t stop there! Happy Stampers also hosts card-making classes geared toward a medium-range skill level, though anyone is welcome to join. Classes will be held in person in a spacious classroom, perfect for social distancing. Masks are required, and tables are cleaned between customers. Crafters are now required to bring their own supplies – paper trimmers, scissors, adhesives, tweezers, coloring tools – due to safety regulations.

These social hour classes are open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis with a cap of eight participants. The next classes, titled “Let’s Make Some Christmas Cards,” will be held Dec. 7 from 1-2:30pm and again from 5-6:30pm. To register, visit Happy Stampers, call (715)-835-4006, or go to happystamperswisconsin.com.