Card Showers: A Fun, New Way to Make Someone Feel Special
Sponsored by: Hallmark®
Sometimes, finding the right way to celebrate or support someone on a large scale can be tricky.
Say you have a friend who’s celebrating a milestone birthday. They’re incredibly thoughtful and always doing things for others, but they’re super introverted. Or maybe you have a friend who’s going through treatment for a serious illness. You want them to know that tons of people are rooting for them and are there for anything they need, but they’re not exactly up for a big party.
How do you organize a big surprise that’s also somehow intimate? One that will leave them feeling renewed, with no doubt as to how many people care about them?
The solution? Ever hear of a card shower? A card shower is an abundance of cards that arrive at the doorstep or designated place of the person being celebrated. Sit back and we’ll tell you all about it and exactly how to pull it off. Whether it’s for a birthday, a wedding or just to show someone you care, you’ll see that with just a little planning and coordination, a card shower can make a huge impact.
How to Organize a Card Shower:
1. Decide when you want people to give or send the cards
With a birthday, anniversary or other scheduled celebration, setting a due date is pretty simple. But if you’re giving a card shower to someone who’s having a rough time, that might be a little trickier. Talk to the person you’re celebrating or supporting. What’s a good time of day in their schedule? When could they use a little extra love?
2. Decide how the cards will be delivered
Do you want the cards to pour in all at once, or do you want their arrival to be spaced out over the course of a few weeks?
Do you want the cards sent directly to the recipient, or do you want to collect them?
Let’s say you want to surprise your mom with a big pile of cards from her friends during a family-only dinner to celebrate her 60th birthday. In that case, tell her friends to send her cards to your address “in care of” you. If you want the cards to go directly to your friend or family member as a surprise, that’s totally great, too! Just make sure you give people the honoree’s current address and suggest the time frame.
3. Invite people to participate in the card shower
People have friends all over the place—from childhood, from work, from social groups. Not to mention relatives. How on earth do you reach all those people? This is where social media comes in really handy. Simply send a message to the honoree’s Facebook friends asking them to participate. Make sure to use settings that keep it hidden from the person being showered! You’ll want to include three things:
- Why you’re asking them to shower someone with cards (the occasion)
- Where they should send the cards (To you? To the honoree?)
- When the cards need to arrive (the due date)
Other ways you can invite people to participate:
- Have them over and write the cards together
- Send a group text with instructions
- Write them a letter asking them to participate
4. Pick out a card you want to send!
Maybe the recipient knows you organized the card shower or maybe they don’t. Either way, don’t forget to include your own card to share all your hopes for their happiness, your support in their time of need, or the love you feel for them every day. You can shop for cards here, or see an even bigger selection at your neighborhood store. Once you’ve found just the right card, give yourself the time to sit down and write a message from the heart.
5. Deliver the cards (optional)
As mentioned previously, you don’t have to be the bearer of all the card-shower joy. But if you want to do that, it’s really fun! Imagine seeing the joy of someone receiving a whole stack of cards all at once!
Here are some ideas for how to deliver those cards:
- Tie the stack of cards in a big bow or wrap them in a box
- Make the cards part of a care package—include favorite snack foods or a bunch of products that encourage self-care
- Hide them in places you know they’ll be found. In the book they’re reading, by the coffee machine, in their car…anywhere!
So whether you’re looking to lift a spirit, spread some joy, or celebrate in a completely different way, try a card shower—and see what a card can do. It’s a powerful way to show someone how much they’re loved and supported. And a memory that can be revisited again and again.