Easy Tip for Hand Addressing your Holiday Cards

It seems like every time I sit down to handwrite addresses onto envelopes, I end up with a huge stack of "rejects". Either I started writing the address too far to one side, too close to the top, or I spell the person's name or street address completely wrong. This year, when it was time to address my Christmas Cards, I started thinking, "There has got to be a simpler way to do this"!

While I don't have a solution for my spelling mishaps, I did come up with a way to simplify the placement of each address! I thought about drilling guides that you can make or buy to ensure that all of your cabinetry hardware is drilled at the same location. Using this same principle, I took a piece of computer paper, cut it to the size of my envelope (in this case, 5" x 7"). Then, I folded it in half twice, cutting out a small rectangle from the folded corner to make my "address window". I made dashes with my pen on either side to indicate the line spacing for each address and I was good to go! 

My homemade addressing guide

It definitely made it easier to get each address relatively straight and centered. For longer last names or street addresses, I would just move the template 1/2" or 1" towards the left before starting to write. Do you hand address your holiday cards? Share your tips in the comments below!