Gingerbread has been around for a long time, but the recipes used to make it have changed considerably over the years. Initially gingerbread was made from breadcrumbs, ginger, and a sweetener, like honey. People discovered that ginger has preservative properties and used it accordingly.
The recipe for gingerbread changed, and by the 15th century (the 1400s), the breadcrumbs had been replaced by flour. Honey was replaced with molasses. The biscuit became lighter. Some recipes made sweet, thin crisps of ginger and others were thicker and more biscuit-like.
Pictoral scenes that told stories were carved in wood and the gingerbread was rolled and pressed into them.
It was first made into figures (like people) n the 16th century (the 1500s). Queen Elizabeth I of England is credited with the first gingerbread men.
Queen Elizabeth was queen of England starting in November of 1558. (She was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.) Queen Elizabeth was known for having well dressed courtiers in her court. She has been credited with the first gingerbread men. The story goes that she had gingerbread cookies made and decorated to look like her favorite courtiers, and had the cookies presented to them.
Gingerbread men tend to have vague shapes. For instance, the legs do not have definite feet, and they certainly don’t have any toes. The arms don’t have definite arms, and they definitely don’t have any fingers. Gingerbread women are equally simple in design. Gingerbread expands when it bakes, even recipes without eggs. As a consequence, the cookies work better when they are not overly detailed.
The detail work comes into play when you decorate these cookies.
So, gingerbread men and women needed houses, chairs, tables, beds, wagons, trees, and livestock that is also made out of gingerbread, and bakers created these.
The Brothers Grimm wrote Hansel and Gretel in 1812. The story told of a witch that wanted to eat the children, Hansel and Gretel. She fattened them up with candy and other sweets, and the children munched on a house made of gingerbread. Gingerbread houses became popular at that time, especially in Germany.
Gingerbread houses are popular in the United States and many parts of Europe, but oddly, not England. These houses are most common during the Christmas season, but also work well for every other holiday. Valentine’s Day houses are decorated with pink, red, and white candy. Halloween houses have ghosts popping out of them and are often purposely constructed “wrong.” The only limits with gingerbread houses are your imagination and the size of your cookie sheets. (I like to design one or two each year from index cards. Remember that gingerbread is thicker than paper, but put together the cards into whatever kind of house you can design.)
My favorite recipe for gingerbread houses is called ” the alternate recipe.” I replace the shortening with butter and use corn syrup instead of molasses.
Care packages are practical, thoughtful yet inexpensive gifts. Sending care packages to your loved ones let you show them how much you care, and that they have not been forgotten. Hence, care packages can be great morale and esteem boosters. They are often sent to college students, campers, young adults away from home, soldiers deployed overseas, or anyone you care about. This article provides care package ideas for your different gifting needs.
1. Military Packages:
For soldiers deployed to Iraq or other locations, you can send a gift package filled with American favorite snacks, including pretzels, Planters nuts, M & M’s, jelly beans, chocolate chip cookies, Oreo cookies, candies and Smiley face stress ball to reduce stress. To boost your soldier’s morale when things get tough, you can send a package which has a book with over 100 pages of uplifting stories, quotations and bible verses to accompany these treats. This book will deliver your message of faith, hope and love to the special trooper in your life. To reduce boredom and stress, You can send your special trooper a gift box that contains a word search book, crossword puzzle book, deck of cards, wooden puzzle brain teaser game, Tootsie Rolls, camouflage hacky sack, camouflage bandanna, granola bars, Smiley face stress ball, juicy fruit gum, blank note cards with envelopes, Planters nuts, Chex mix, Oreo cookies, cheese-filled pretzel nuggets. Your trooper will be thrilled to receive these gifts of fun and good taste.
2. College Student Gift:
College students, especially freshmen, often go through a transitional period to adjust to their new environment away from home. To help your college student to adjust, you can send a care package with a mini laundry carrier filled with household items, including laundry bag, Woolite softener, Tide stain sticks, room air freshener, Listerine mini mouth wash, and hand sanitizer. It also comes with delicious treats, including grandmas cookies, NutriGrain bars,granola bars, chocolate chip cookies, crackers, pretzel twists, Cracker Jacks, Rice Krispy treats, This gift will help them with their household chores and lift their spirit with the treats. In addition, College students often study through the night to prepare for final exams. You can get them on the right track with their study by sending them a study snacks package. It is a great esteem booster to receive a heartfelt box of goodies and treats. This gift also contains index cards and highlighters to help them take note of the key points in their study.
3. Kids Packages:
When kids are away from home in camps, you may want to send them a kids activity package to brighten their day. This fun-filled gift box includes snack mix, gummi candies, Suduko puzzle book, riddle and puzzle activity book, Twizzlers red vines licorice, glow sticks, Pringles chips, Ritz bits cheese filled crackers, Cracker Jacks, fruit punch drink mixes, Nestle crunch chocolate bar, Reese’s peanut butter cups, kids card game (like crazy 8’s), Squishy Smiley face stress ball, Squishy putty, and more. This gift box is also a great birthday or get well gift for kids.
4. Birthday Care Package:
For the birthday of your special trooper, college student, or kid. You can deliver a pleasant surprise with a fabulous birthday care package. This gift includes jelly Belly beans, fudge brownies, a teddy bear, crunchy caramel corn, birthday candles, cream center chocolates, and Happy Birthday horn and noise maker. This gift will deliver your sincere birthday wishes even when you cannot be there to celebrate with your loved one.
5. Get Well Care Package:
When your loved one is under the weather, or going through tough time, you can send a get well care package to make them feel better. A popular gift box is packed with green tea, Sunkist fruit gels, get well Gummi aides, fig Newton cookies, granola bars, Ritz peanut butter crackers, and word search puzzle book. The Hang in There plush monkey in the package will sure to bring a smile, and the healthy treats will brighten anyone’s day.
6. Spa Package:
This lovely gift is for the lady in your life, and consists of a mini chenille bear, floral bar soap and other bath accessories, floral potpourri, and a pillar candle in a white gloss gift box with pink and purple tissue paper, all tied up with a pink satin ribbon. This gift is great for female soldiers, mother, daughter, wife, sister or friend.
7. Game Time Care Package:
Filled with great family fun and lots of delicious treats, this gift makes a great get well gift, family fun night, thank you or just because gift for everyone on your list. The red gift box contains Cracker Jacks, buttery microwave popcorn, pretzels, Oreo cookies, mini Chips Ahoy cookies, Reese’s, M & M’s, peanut M & M’s, Planters peanuts, Skittles, Tootsie Rools box, Yahtzee, checkers, hand held travel size activity game, Uno. This unique and fun-filled gift set will make anyone’s day.
8. Snack Care Packages:
Snacks are popular gift packages. A popular snacks package includes fruit flavored candies, Cheez Its crackers, peanut butter cups, pretzel twists, M & Ms, Planters peanuts, Cracker Jacks, Hershey chocolate bar, Crunch & Munch, butter microwave popcorn, Rice Krispies treats, Kit Kat chocolate bar, licorice vines. This American favorite snack package is a great gift for any occasion.
9. Chocolate Care Package:
You can stop the cravings of your chocolate lover with a popular chocolate gift that includes Nutty caramel clusters, coconut cream chocolates, peanut butter cream chocolate, double chocolate truffles, chocolate chewy brownies, almond Rocca, chocolate covered almonds, chocolate cover popcorn with nuts, and Rocky Road popcorn.
10. Thank You Care Package:
You can deliver your message of gratitude clearly to your recipient with a thank you gift package. A “Thanks A Million” message is imprinted on the decorative gift box, ribbon, and caramel corn box. The attractive gift box also contains delicious tasty treats, including cream caramels, chocolate cream filled water cookies, spicy almonds, cheddar cheese pretzel sticks, Ghirardelli chocolate squares, gourmet coffee, shortbread cookies, and vanilla cream filled water cookies. This gift can be sent as a business gift, or a thank you gift to friends and loved ones.
11. Movie Care Package:
You can give your recipient a fun filled evening at home with a movies care package. This gift box contains traditional movie time favorites, classic cokes and comes with or without a Blockbuster gift card.
12. Dog Care Package:that
A fantastic way to spoil the dog in your life or their owner is to send a fun and imaginative dog gift box that comes with toys and treats. It contains doggie shampoo, ball, chew toy, washing mitt or brush, and plaster dog print kit.
In summary, a practical and thoughtful way to show you care is to send a care package. There are care packages designed specifically for soldiers, college students, kids, and dogs. There are also special care packages for just about any occasion, including birthday, get well, game time, thank you. Send a care package to your loved ones and make their day, and without causing a hole in your budget.
Quilling is deeply rooted in world history, popularly believed to have come into being in China, after the discovery of papermaking. Members of spiritual communities were the first inventors and users of the quilling process. Gradually, this enjoyable art form spread to other countries and eventually became an important part of the common persons’ life.
Quillings’ main concept involves the use of a hatpin, rolling fingers, or quilling tools to roll paper into desired shapes. Multiple shapes are rolled individually and then connected to one another to construct a final shape or design. Finishing touches are then made to add to the beauty of the piece and to secure it in place. These finishing touches might include using acid free matte board or shadow box framing.
Now that you’re aware of the origin and some aspects of quilling, let’s explore some details of quilling history.
Research has established that a form of quilling metals was performed as early as the mid-4th and 5th centuries. Gold and silver wires were applied to pillars, vases and other objects and jewelry was also fashioned using this technique. By the 13th century this form of metal quilling had become well-known and was practiced world wide.
The conversion from metal to paper use probably occurred as materials became scarce, or were unavailable to the lay person wanting to create pieces. Metal quilling was commonly referred to as metal filigree, and as the technique incorporated the use of paper, was commonly referred to as paper filigree. Early use of paper filigree was primarily confined to religious groups promoting their beliefs and embellishing sacred messages. The shift to the common folk practicing this art brought the term ‘quilling’ into regular use. Paper quilling implemented many techniques similar to jewelry styles, utilizing strips of paper, free rolls and edging. In the 17th and 18th centuries, quilling art expanded to tea caddies, coat of arms designs and photo frames.
There are few facts, but many stories, attributed to the origins of quilling. Some say it was developed in ancient times, not long after making paper was discovered. Others claim paper quilling was born in the 13th century when nuns were unable to purchase metal filigree due to its’ high cost. Still others believe that quilling began in the Americas. And yet, further evidence points to quilling being used in the Mediterranean region. With so many conflicting claims, no one can say for certain where quilling originated, but clearly it carries a truly international history.
Books of the Victorian Age and quilled pieces of that time indicate that proper young women practiced quilling to decorate furniture or purses and to create jewelry. Similar to the artwork of handicrafts, it has found difficultly surviving in present day times and its’ popularity has decreased. However, perhaps one day, it will regain its’ lost glory as an ancient art, practiced for centuries, since the technique can be used throughout the world for nearly limitless purposes.
Learn How To Play Bakugan Now! Its Easy! Here you will find the basic information you need so that you and your kids can enjoy Bakugan.
Before you Battle:
Two to four players can play at one time. Before you begin each player must select a deck of a minimum of three Bakugan Brawlers and three cards to use in the game. You are not limited to using three but each play must have the same number of cards and brawlers.
Bakugan Battle Brawlers:
Each players brawlers should closed up into a ball this is called Sphere Mode. When it is rolled onto the metal card if it hits the card at the right spot it will pop open into Battle Mode. When the Battle Brawler is in battle mode you will see it’s G-Power. If an opponents battle brawler lands on the card that your brawler is sitting on they go into battle and the battle brawler with the higher G-Power rating wins the battle. The G-power boost on the card that your brawler lands on will determine if you your brawler G-power will decrease or increase in that battle.
Bakugan Cards
Each card should be facing down so that no player knows the ability of the card they are using. There are four types of cards and they are Normal Cards, Character Cards, Command Cards and Ability Cards. All the cards are metal accept for the ability cards. The metal cards are the ones that are placed in the battle field and are the only cards that can make a Bakugan Battle Brawler pop open for battle.
Each metal card has a G-power boost rating on it. When a card is in battle there may be a command on the bottom of the card that effects the battle. This G-power boost is on the left side of the card. The boost will be determined by the color of your brawler that lands on the card.
Each card has a HSO on the lower right of the card. This is the Holo Sector Point which represents the number of points you win if you capture this card.
Bakugan Battle Area
If you do not have a battle arena its ok. The game begins with each player placing a card face down on the battle field on the side closest to their opponent. If there are only two players in the game then each player needs to put a second card down to form the battle field. So basically if there are two players before you can roll a Bakugan Brawler onto the field you will have four cards on the field forming a rectangle.
Shot Spot
Before you can begin battle each player must take the remaining cards they have in hand and measure the distance from their opponents card that they placed nearest you. This becomes your shooting spot for the the rest of the game.
Bakugan Battle Brawling Time!
Each player takes turns from their shooting spot and no player can skip a turn shooting if they have any Bakugan Brawlers in their hand. Youngest player shoots their ball first.
Winning The Game
The battle is over once there are no more Bakugan left over to play or all the cards have been won from the battle field. The winner is determined by the adding up the HSP points of each card that the player has won.
Players that have won Bakugan from their opponent get an extra 100 HSP points to add to their score along with 100 HSP points from the Bakugan they still have left standing.
Life is unpredictable. One moment you are a new mom holding the most precious treasure in your arms and the next you know they are standing on their feet showing off their toothless smile. Then you wonder where has the one year passed. Your baby’s first birthday is a remarkable event since it represents the importance of celebrating their first milestone in their lives. Preparations for this big event must be made with great care in order to make this event a huge success amongst your guests.
Planning and organizing of the party needs to be done well in advance. A guest list has to be prepared and the 1st birthday photo invitations must be sent well in advance. If you plan on creating a first birthday photo invitations that you have to select a favorite photo of your baby clicked during the past year and place it at the center of the invitation cards.
You can even make use of a background theme and create unique and funny 1st birthday photo invitations. A lot of themes can be selected from a number of online websites. You can make used of different patterns and designs or use the pictures of stuffed animals for the first birthday photo invitation. The wordings can be in the form of popular phrases ad sayings or simple words inviting the guests to the party.
Thinking of whether to go in for themed parties? Well themed parties prove to make the tasks of the parents much easier and simpler. Since your baby does not have a favorite cartoon character, movie or personality, you can easily go in for Sesame Street, stuffed penguins or teddy bear themes that will nicely coordinate with your baby’s first birthday. You can even take the help of your friends and family to help you organize according to the theme selected by you.
Coming to the decorations, streamers and posters seem to be a more ideal choice for the occasion. You can even make use of balloons of different colors and have them place way out of the reach of both younger and older children. In addition to this, you can make use of cut outs of famous cartoon characters like Mickey, Minnie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and many more and use them to decorate the floors and entrances of the venue.
The birthday cake can be in the shape of famous cartoon characters or you can bake a simple cake in the shape of the number 1. Foods and beverages for the adults can consist of home cooked meals or pizzas. Wines and fruit juices can be lined up on the food table so that the adults can help themselves whenever they want.
Older kids love to play interesting and exciting games at parties. This can easily be arranged for by having light music and nursery rhymes played in the background so that the kids can sing and dance. Make sure your one year old is present at these games so that they too can clap or jump around on their high chairs. Other fun games that can be included could be Passing the parcel, musical chairs, Simon says and many more.
Finally party favors. The baby’s first birthday party favors can consist of all types if goodies for the kids such as candies, cookies, toys, dolls etc. you can also gift away cute photos of your baby so that the guests can remember this special event in the coming years. At the end attach a thank you note to the party favors.
If you are looking for fun 50th birthday party ideas, throwing a Mardi Gras party can be a great time. If the 50 year old you are having the party for is fun-loving, one of the best 50th birthday party ideas is to have a Mardi Gras themed event. Here are ideas and details on how to throw a Mardi Gras Birthday Party.
Invitations
Nothing is more exciting than getting a package of sweets through the mail. Make a large batch of pecan pralines, print out a recipe card and add the invitation information on the back of it. Send the tasty treats to your guests and you are sure to get a good turnout.
Buy or make your own Mardi Gras masks with colored card stock, sequins, feathers and elastic string. Attach the party information on the back of the mask with instructions to show up in costume!
Buy Mardi Gras beads in bulk and send two or three strands to each guest with an index card attached with the party information written on it. This will be a setup for a party game later!
Print out pictures of Bourbon Street or a Mardi Gras parade on card stock. Include party information on the back.
Decorations
Mardi gras beads are extremely versatile. Not only can they be worn as part of a festive costume, but you can use them to decorate. Hang the beads from anywhere possible, from ceiling fans, tables, and your guest’s necks!
Don’t forget, the official Mardi Gras colors are purple, green and gold. Purple represents justice, green represents faith, and gold represents power. Incorporate these colors anywhere possible from plates, napkins, tablecloth, and silverware. Buy inexpensive feather boas and string them on the wall. Find realistic or chocolate doubloons and sprinkle them throughout the party area.
Try to find New Orleans street signs. You can make them by finding images online, and printing them out. If you want larger decorations, take the images to a printer and make poster sized images of jazz musicians, the infamous balconies of New Orleans, or a large Mardi Gras parade scene.
A striking welcome to your guests will be recreating your own version of a Mardi Gras parade float at the entrance of the party. Be sure to check the weather if you plan to put the float outside.
Food
If you’ve ever been to New Orleans during Mardi Gras you know the ultimate fare for the local is the crawfish. Get a large pot and have your own crawfish or shrimp boil. Add potatoes, corn, and andouille sausage. Go traditional New Orleans by dumping out your boil on a large picnic table, seat your guests around the table and get to eating.
You can’t go wrong with a large family style bowls of spicy Cajun style red beans and rice, Jambalaya, and Gumbo.
Serve up Hurricanes in at least 24oz glasses or traditional “yard” glasses, typically 17 inches tall and 25oz. Add festivity by using light up straw, ice cubes, and glasses.
Games
No Mardi Gras party is complete without festive games. Organize a southern cook-off. The best tasting meal will win a prize and it helps to feed your guests.
With all of the crawfish from the boil, sit your guests down for a timed eating contest. Shucking off bodies and sucking heads included.
Mardi Gras instills a desire to dress in flamboyant costume. Organize a pageant when your guests arrive. And later in the night crown the king and queen.
Have your guests don five strands of beads each. The object of the game is to end up with all of the beads by whatever means. Make deals with each other, con people out of theirs, however you can get the most beads at the end of the night, award the winner the prize.
Enjoy your night with some Dixieland Jazz playing in the background.
Cake
A Mardi Gras party is not complete with the traditional King Cake. Originally, wealthy plantation owners would hide precious jewels inside the cake. In the mid-1900’s, tradition became to hide a small plastic baby as a symbol of the Holy Day, inside the cake. Each guest will take a piece of the cake and whoever finds the baby becomes the king or queen for the night and is commandeered to host next year’s party.
Make strings of colorful beads by baking small cupcakes 24 at a time, decorating them with colorful icing and placing them on the platter in formation of a string of beads.
Try carving the shape of a mask out of a rectangular cake and use edible decorations to create a festive masterpiece.
Gift cards are given to people as a gift or used as a promotional material by a company to promote its brand by offering discounts to people that use the card. It is loaded with money, which is the face value of what it says. It can be described as a prepaid card and most are issued by one of the major credit card companies.
These instruments when issued by a credit card company normally would contain the logo of the company on top of it and this serves as a mark of authenticity for the card. It also suggests that the card can be used anywhere that particular brand as described by the logo is accepted. For example if it’s issued by visa and has a visa logo, then it can used anywhere visa is accepted.
Individuals that receive cards in place of a present, and do not care for the brand that offered the instrument could decide to spend it elsewhere. For example getting a sears card, but you do your shopping at JC Penny, and therefore will use it there. Some people feel guilty that the presenter of the present might be offended if the card is used elsewhere and most times will ignore the card until it expires wasting whatever amount of money that was loaded on it.
Are gift cards traceable? Short answer, yes, any prepaid money instrument is traceable because it has numbers and identifying features that makes it possible for you to use it for a transaction. However, that does not mean the purchaser can determine who is using it. If the gift was purchased with cash, the issuing company will have the information that card number, for example 54 was used to make purchases at this particular store, but it would not know who used it.
Furthermore, if the card was purchased with a credit card, the card company will have the info that the gift card purchased with Mr. Joe’s credit card was used to buy stuff at some store.
In a nutshell, gift cards are traceable by the issuing company as to the fact that it was used; however, determining who used it exactly would require a lot of tracing and research that is not worth the trouble for an individual.
Christmas classroom games are a great way to bring the festive season into the classroom so that the students and the teacher can have some fun. Sometimes Christmas classroom games can be created simply by adapting traditional games. Here are a few favorites that you might like to try this festive season.
Santa’s Hat
This game is a Christmas version of the game The Minister’s Cat. Both games are great for reinforcing the concept of adjectives and also challenge the children to be creative and think quickly.
The players sit in a circle and slowly clap a four beat pattern. Try – Clap hands, Clap hands on knees, Clap hands, Clap hands on knees (repeat). The first player says, ‘Santa’s Hat is an (adjective starting with A) Hat.’ The adjective could be awesome. This is said to the four beat pattern.
The four beats are then clapped again then the next player gives an adjective starting with B, e.g. beautiful Hat. Play continues with each person having a turn and keeping to the pattern – clap four beats, say the sentence (while the clapping continues), clap four beats, next person says the sentence. See how far through the alphabet the group can go without breaking the pattern.
Perfect Present
This game is a version of Celebrity Heads. Three children are selected to wear a Santa’s hat. The names of three presents – are written on cards and taped to their hats so everyone can see them except themselves. CD, train set, book, teddy, toy car or doll could be used. Each player then asks questions that can only be answered with yes or no, about their present. For example, Am I made of metal? Do you use me in the garden? When they receive a No answer, the next player starts their turn. The winner is the first player to guess the present.
Christmas Categories
The game of Scattegories can easily be adapted to a Christmas classroom game as described below.
Each player is given the list of 5 categories:
1. Christmas Presents 2. Christmas Food 3. Christmas Decorations 4. Santa’s Clothes 5. Christmas Songs
Players are told a letter of the alphabet. Within the specified time – 3 minutes is ideal – the players write down as many things as they can for each category. Each thing must start with the given letter of the alphabet, e.g. B – Presents – Bike, Blocks, Book.
When time is up, players count up the number of items that they have, scoring 1 point for each. An additional 5 points is given if they have at least one answer for each category. The player with the highest score tells the others their answers so they can be checked. This player is the winner of the round. Players can also team up and play in pairs or teams.
If you are looking for Christmas classroom games, those above are ideal but it might be even more fun to have the children pick their favorite games and then see if they can adapt them to give them a Christmas theme. Here are a few other ideas for Christmas classroom games. Why not try Christmas bingo with Christmas words, Christmas dominoes making the tiles with Christmas pictures or even Christmas Tic Tac Toe? Happy Christmas!
Great! You have managed to secure a meeting with that big potential client you have wanted to meet. You set the time and have your presentation down just right. Finally the big day comes and everything goes well at your meeting. What now? Just sit back and wait for that potential client to call?
Someone that could have made lots of money once said, “The fortune is in the follow up.” So get out there and follow up!!!
The very first thing that you should do will be to send them a thank you letter. Go the extra step and make it more personal by sending the prospective client a greeting card with the thank you letter hand written inside. Here is a sample thank you letter you could send after meeting a prospective client.
************
John,
It was wonderful having the opportunity to meet you and get to know you a little better. I loved getting the chance to hear about your trip to Europe. As I said, it is a place I’d like to go in the near future. It sounds like I could really get some tips from you on where to go while I’m there.
John, I can see how much value you bring to your company and how much you would like to see it succeed. I’d like to thank you for the chance to show you and your company what we can do for you to help you in your goals.
If there are any additional questions I can answer for you, don’t hesitate to call.
I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with you on this project.
Jane Doe
************
As you can see, a thank you letter after a meeting with a prospective client does not need to be fancy but it should be personal where appropriate. Make an effort to build that relationship past just business so that the prospective client can see you really care about their interests.
Sometimes however, a more formal relationship is required. Here is a sample thank you letter after meeting with a prospective client that may be a bit more formal.
************
Mr. Doe,
It was wonderful meeting you today and learning more about ACME, Inc. I would like to thank you for giving WIDGETS Corp the opportunity to earn your business. I can see that this project is important to your company and I want to assure you that WIDGETS Corp will do everything that we can to provide you with the best possible service.
If you have any remaining questions that we can answer, please feel free to contact me.
Jane Doe
************
Whether your communication is formal or informal, a thank you letter receives more response when sent in the form of a greeting card. It has more impact and is more memorable, both keys to a good presentation.
After sending the thank you letter, don’t forget to follow up in a few days to a week with a phone call. Often times, prospective clients get busy and need that nudge to get going on a project. If your competitor calls before you do, who is more likely to get the business?
The option to print free business cards is available these days. You can find free templates online, have them edited a little bit, and print them out to have copies of your business card almost instantaneously. But there is a price to pay. The disadvantages will be discussed in this article.
Design and layout
One of the most obvious disadvantages is evident on the design and layout. Cards that are free often have limited options available and you can only choose among templates that are already pre-designed. No matter how many templates are offered on the site, there is still a tendency that someone has already downloaded the same design you did. Worst, you may even share the same template with your competition. Thus, it is still better to create a unique and all-original one even if you have to pay for it.
Paper and material used
Aside from the design and layout, paper and material used also matter when it comes to the effectiveness. Free cards are often printed on a low quality type of paper or material. These are easily soiled and crumpled. In some instances, high quality material may be used but you won’t expect exceptional finishing. Only professional printing services can items with matte, glossy, and smooth finish. You can also apply foil, spot, raised print embossing, and UV coating.
Text and content
As much as the design and layout are limited, the same applies to text and content. Predesigned layout only allows you to edit the text and content which are already pre-defined in the order and arrangement as they appear on the card. You can’t create your own set of textual content according to what your profession or brand needs. You can’t rearrange the layout as well.
Professional and paid cards at least allow you the liberty to choose where specific text will be placed. These include your personal or company information, products or services offered, contact details, and more.
Cost effectiveness
Most users have the impression that using free materials is more cost effective since most printing services only charge you for shipping and handling. In some cases, it can even be offered completely free. But since the material used are of lesser quality, they may not even last long enough for you to distribute them. You may have to spend money again, whether it is for shipping and handling only, in order to have a new set at your disposal.
In terms of distribution, there’s still no denying of the fact that free products are of lesser quality. As mentioned earlier, they get soiled or crumpled easily. This leaves an unfavorable impression on you or your company. You or your brand will soon be forgotten the moment that the cards are disposed of.
Thus, it is still more cost effective to shell out money for original, professionally designed business cards made of high quality material. You’ll discover that the long term result will be worth your money.
Impression and attention
When it comes to first impressions, free items are not competitive enough when compared with high quality prints. Obviously, any potential customer will be impressed and will become more attentive towards cards printed with the best quality over those which are cheaply printed out.
Most are not actually completely free. There is a corresponding cost which is often an advertisement at the back of the card. Your possible clients will be distracted by the printing company’s logo or slogan. Their attention will be diverted from the card’s actual content or the message you want to convey.
Brand and profession
In relation to impression, free business cards do not offer a professional look for a personal card. Neither do they promote brand awareness for a company card since they are co-branded. High quality cards on the other hand can provide a professionally looking card with your personal brand or company’s logo, slogan, mission, and other details prominently displayed.
Business cards represent who you are as a professional or what your company is all about as a brand. Thus, it is important to make an impression by presenting only professional looking business cards made of high quality material, with original and attractive design, and enticing content which promotes your personal or company brand. All these advantages will prove that spending money over highly effective business cards will be worth it.