I love receiving greeting cards, even when there’s no special occasion. There’s something special about a friend or family member taking the time to put together a personal message just for me. However, I sometimes feel stuck when I’m writing my own cards. So I came up with a handy little guide on how to structure a greeting card that you can refer back to whenever you need:

• First line – it seems obvious, but begin with “Dear”, “To”, “Hi”, “Hello” or even “Greetings.” Follow that with the receiver's name. Simple!

• Write down the purpose of the card. Birthday cards, wedding cards, baby shower cards etc are pretty self-explanatory, but if there’s no special occasion, feel free to say what made you think of the person. Try to be specific! For example, “I saw your favourite flower growing in the garden today and it made me think of you”.

• Expand on this. Write a few lines about why you’re writing the card. Add a special thought, detail, compliment or a observation. Try to think about what the person would love/need to hear from you.

• Reiterate the relationship you have with the person. Tell them why they matter to you. It can be as simple as “you always make me laugh” or “you’re such a special niece” or “you brighten my day.” Make sure it sounds like you! It doesn’t need to be long, just sincere.

• Finish by repeating your reason for writing. It bookends the card nicely and gives a sense of completion. You can repeat phrases that you used at the start, for example: “ Congratulations again” and “thank you so much” etc

• Complete the message with a good finisher, then sign your name. Some classics that you can try include: “Love always”, “Lots of love”, “Warmly”, “Your friend”, “Yours truly”, “Cheers”, “Best wishes” and “XOXO”.

Do you like writing greeting cards? Tell me about it in the comments!