courtesy of Branch

My parents taught me very good manners, and it went beyond “please” and “thank you.” As soon as I was able to grip a crayon, my mom would sit me down to write thank you notes to friends and relatives who gave me presents for my birthday. Even in this day of communicating via IM and text messages (and don’t get me started on My Space or Facebook), I find something comforting and charming about a good old-fashioned notecard.

More and more people are sending thanks by way of email these days—and I’m doing it sometimes, too—but a handwritten note can’t be beat for thank you and holiday greetings. I favor making my own with photos affixed to recycled paper or notecards—or pieces of cardboard from discarded cereal or tissue boxes. I am also always on the lookout for fabulous handmade or letterpress cards on recycled stock from others.

Online, Etsy is a fantastic resource for handmade and one-of-a-kind crafts, and Verde Paperie is another good site for recycled paper goods that are printed with vegetable-based inks—if you’re going to use paper, that’s the most eco-friendly way to do it. I also love the vintage magazine notecards offered on the website of SF-based Branch.


courtesy of Green Field Paper

Maybe the most eco-friendly holiday card of all comes from Green Field Paper (see the Joy card above), which is made with Chai Tea paper printed with soy ink and embedded with wildflower seeds so you can plant it. 

For a variety of options, check out stock at Cardology (50 Post St., 415-391-1966), Paper Source (740 Hearst Ave., Berkeley, 510-665-7800), and other shops listed in the Greenopia guide to green businesses in the SF Bay Area.

Tip: When in a card store, get into the habit of flipping the card to see if there’s a note about it being printed on recycled paper and ask a sales person if they can lead you to recycled stock cards (if they hear there’s a demand for recycled cards, they’ll be more likely to purchase them in lieu of cards printed on virgin paper).