Custom Letters from Santa Claus

We adults (most of us, anyway) know that Christmas time is supposed to be about family, generosity, and caring for our fellow man. We do our best to teach those values to our children, but - let's be honest - for the kids, it's mostly about the presents.

And presents mean Santa.

There's an easy way to make Christmas time just a little bit extra-special for that sweet little critter that can't keep its paws off the candy canes (besides your spouse). Kids have been writing letters to Santa for ages. Wouldn't it be amazing for your kid if, this year, Santa actually wrote one back?

I've been getting a lot of spam lately trying to get me to buy custom letters from Santa for my kids. These things come in the mail, personalized for your child, and, apparently, are selling like hotcakes, because they're everywhere.

But you don't need to pay a load of dough just to make your kid smile. Here's how to make it yourself.

First, you need a letter. Here's a template:

Dear [name]:

It's getting very close to Christmas and my elves are very busy getting presents ready for all the good girls and boys in [city].

Soon, we'll be loading the sleigh for a very special trip to visit you and your family in [city].

Mrs. Claus and I wanted to let you know that we are very proud of you, [name], and we are very happy that you have been so well behaved all year long.

I have many more letters to write tonight, so I have to wrap this up (Ho, Ho, Ho)! Keep up the good behavior and I will see you soon!

Love,

[Santa]

This letter is really easy to customize. If you have a word processor, just use the find and replace command (CTR + F for most programs). Or, you can just fill in the information between the [] symbols manually. You can also change the wording, including brothers and sisters if you like, or maybe add in a sentence about a favorite pet. The template is just to get you started.

You'll also need Santa's signature for the bottom; you can find a decent image with a quick google image search. Most word processors let you put images right in the document. If yours doesn't, you can always sign it by hand (you already do on the presents from Santa - he told me so).

Of course, details are everything. To make this as authentic as possible, you should try to use a font that looks like handwriting. Printing on holiday-themed paper wouldn't hurt either. Then, it's time to mail it.

You'll want to address the letter directly to your child (or children, if you're doing one letter for all of them). You'll definitely want to put Santa's info for the return address - trust me, the post office won't mind.

Finish the whole thing off with a special holiday stamp, drop it in a postal box, and you're done. Quick, easy, and, best of all, inexpensive.

There's a zillion ways to add a little something extra too. An envelope that matches the letter is one example. If you don't mind hand-writing the whole thing, maybe a singing holiday card might tickle your fancy. Be creative! Your kids will love it!