5 Quick ChatGPT Prompts for Holiday Card Giving

Created by Laura Medley with Imagine by Meta AI

What if you could capture that special holiday magic without the usual holiday stress? Imagine a holiday season enriched, not overwhelmed, by technology. That’s where AI steps in as your ultimate holiday helper.

This is one of a series of four holiday articles complete with prompts, real-life examples, and exact AI responses from ChatGPT4 (my favorite AI assistant) so you will know what to expect. With these simple AI prompts, you can get ideas on everything from gift-giving and sending out holiday cards to cooking for the holidays and holiday decorating. As always, feel free to modify the prompts to suit your unique holiday vision and needs. With AI, the possibilities are endless!

At the end of the article, I include a few insights on creating custom instructions to make your ChatGPT assistant even more helpful, so make sure to jump to the end before you go.

Quick Prompt List (for those in a hurry)

I have included real-life examples and the actual ChatGPT4 responses along with the prompts in this article. This article also includes follow-up prompts where I felt they would be useful. For those who don’t want to go through all of the prompt details, here is a quick list of the five prompts with links to that prompt’s complete section.

1. Personalized Messages Prompt: “I need to write a personalized holiday card for my [relationship or group, e.g., family, coworkers]. [Include information about the person including interests, qualities you appreciate, or any specific memories you’d like to add] Please create a [tone, e.g., heartfelt, funny] message for the card.”
2. AI-Designed Holiday Cards Prompt: “I’m looking for unique holiday card layouts. The theme I’m going for is [theme or style], and I need designs for [number of cards] cards. What creative designs do you suggest?”
3. Handcrafted Card Prompt: “I want to combine handcrafting techniques with creating holiday cards. I can do [skill, technique, or craft], and I’m looking for innovative ideas. Give me [number] of ideas to consider.”
4. Selecting Card Materials Prompt: “I’m looking for suggestions on [type of materials] materials for some homemade holiday cards. I prefer [specific preferences or themes]. What can you recommend for card materials and how could they be incorporated into the card?”
5. Mailing List Management Prompt: “Verify the following mailing addresses to ensure accuracy, flag any duplicates or errors, rewrite for consistent wording structure such as Suite, Road, and Avenue spelled out, and format them for postal requirements”

Holiday Card Giving

What better way to show your loved ones how you feel than by embracing an old-school tradition — giving them a holiday card with a heartfelt message? There really is nothing better to touch the heartstrings and bring tears to mom’s eyes, than opening a card and reading your personal message inside.

So, even if you’re not usually the card-giving type, you might want to rethink that choice this year. Using AI prompts can help you add a little extra joy to the holiday — the easy way. Here are 5 easy AI prompts to help you craft the perfect card — inside and out — to show the people you care about exactly how you feel this holiday season.

Created by Laura Medley with ChatGPT4 and Dalle3

1. Personalized Messages Prompt

Kickstart your holiday card writing with a touch of personalization. This prompt will help you get a jump start on writing words to touch the hearts of your loved ones. Use the results as a first draft and add your own personal touches and thoughts to that to create something truly personal.

“I need to write a personalized holiday card for my [relationship or group, e.g., family, coworkers]. [Include information about the person including interests, qualities you appreciate, or any specific memories you’d like to add] Please create a [tone, e.g., heartfelt, funny] message for the card.”

a1. Example Prompt:

“I need to write a personalized holiday card for my mother. She fondly remembers her days in the Army and loves it when we go on walks in the park in the sun. Please create a heartfelt message for a personalized holiday card.”

a2. Example ChatGPT Response:

Dear Mom, Wishing you a holiday season filled with the warmth of cherished memories. Your Army days shine bright, and our walks in the sun bring joy to both of us. Each step holds a story, and I’m grateful for every moment. Love you dearly, now and always.

b1. Example Prompt with alternate ‘tone’:

“I need to write a personalized holiday card for my mother. She fondly remembers her days in the Army and loves when we go on walks in the park in the sun. Please create a funny message for a personalized holiday card.”

b2. Example ChatGPT Response:

Dear Mom, Holiday mission: To spread cheer and laughter! Recruit Santa, round up some reindeer, and let’s ride into the festive sunset. Our walks in the park might not be as wild as the Old West, but they’re full of joy. Saluting your incredible spirit, and wishing you a holiday adventure that even John Wayne would envy! Love and laughter always.

Created by Laura medley with Imagine by Meta AI and Photoshop Gen Fill

2. AI-Designed Holiday Cards Prompt

Dive into the world of creative design with AI. This prompt is your gateway to exploring unique and imaginative holiday card layouts that you will never find in any shop and will stand out from all the rest.

“I’m looking for unique holiday card layouts. The theme I’m going for is [theme or style], and I need designs for [number of cards] cards. What creative designs do you suggest?”

a. Example Prompt:

“I’m looking for unique holiday card layouts. The theme I’m going for is Harry Potter, and I need designs for 5 cards. What creative designs do you suggest?”

b. Example ChatGPT Response:

Creating unique holiday card layouts with a Harry Potter theme sounds like a magical idea! Here are five creative design suggestions, each focusing on different elements from the Harry Potter universe:

• Hogwarts in the Snow: Illustrate the iconic Hogwarts castle blanketed in snow, with holiday lights twinkling along the castle towers. The front of the card could have a snowy, starry night sky, and inside, a warm, festive scene from the Great Hall with the four house tables celebrating the holidays.
• The Hogwarts Express Journey: Design the card to resemble a ticket for the Hogwarts Express. The front could mimic the appearance of a train ticket, and inside, show a festive scene of the Hogwarts Express traveling through a snowy landscape, perhaps with characters waving from the windows.
• Magical Wreath and House Colors: Create a card featuring a wreath made of items from the wizarding world, like wands, potion bottles, and golden snitches, intertwined with ribbons in the colors of the four Hogwarts houses. The card could open to reveal holiday greetings in a magical font.
• Quidditch in the Snow: For a more action-oriented card, depict a friendly Quidditch match in the snow. The front of the card could show players flying on broomsticks against a snowy backdrop, and the inside could feature a warm and cozy Quidditch locker room, adorned with holiday decorations.
• Diagon Alley Holiday Shopping Scene: Illustrate a bustling Diagon Alley with shop windows decked out in holiday decorations. Characters could be shown buying gifts, and the warmth of the shops could contrast with the snowy street scene. Inside, a cozy scene of a wizarding family opening gifts could complete the design.

Each of these designs captures a different aspect of the Harry Potter world, blending it with the warmth and joy of the holiday season. You could also incorporate elements like interactive parts (e.g., doors that open to reveal something inside) or use special printing techniques for a magical touch (like metallic inks or embossing).

c. Follow-up prompt to use after ChatGPT responds:
“Create the visual elements needed to create the following holiday card with both the front of the card and inside images. Create these in an accurate card layout shape so it can be used to create a card by a print-on-demand company.

[Copy and paste card design idea from the response]”

c1. Example Follow-up Prompt:

“Create the visual elements needed to create the following holiday card both the front of the card and inside images. Create these in an accurate card layout shape so it can be used to create a card by a print-on-demand company.

Hogwarts in the Snow: Illustrate the iconic Hogwarts castle blanketed in snow, with holiday lights twinkling along the castle towers. The front of the card could have a snowy, starry night sky, and inside, a warm, festive scene from the Great Hall with the four house tables celebrating the holidays.”

c2. Example Follow-up Response:

Created by ChatGPT4 and Dalle3

Created by ChatGPT4 and Dalle3

Here are the visual elements for your “Hogwarts in the Snow” holiday card:

• Front of the Card: This image features the iconic Hogwarts castle blanketed in snow with holiday lights on the towers, set against a starry night sky. It captures the magical and festive spirit of the holiday season in the Hogwarts setting.
• Inside of the Card: This image presents a warm, festive scene from the Great Hall of Hogwarts, with the four house tables celebrating the holidays. The scene is cozy and joyous, with students and faculty in holiday attire, decorations representing each Hogwarts house, and the enchanted ceiling resembling a starry night sky.

These designs fit a typical card layout and are ready for print-on-demand services. You can use them to create a unique and magical holiday card.

Created by Laura Medley with ChatGPT4 and Dalle3

3. Handcrafted Card Prompt

It’s a card and a gift! Merge traditional crafting with modern ideas or whatever direction of creativity your heart decides to take you in. This prompt guides you in blending your handcrafting skills with innovative card-making techniques that will make what you send unlike anything else your loved one gets this year.

“I want to combine handcrafting techniques with creating holiday cards. I can do [skill, technique, or craft], and I’m looking for innovative ideas. Give me [number] of ideas to consider.”

Example Prompt:

“I want to combine handcrafting techniques with creating holiday cards. I can do woodworking, and I’m looking for innovative ideas. Please give me 3 ideas to consider.”

Example ChatGPT Response:

Wood Veneer Cards:

• Concept: Create holiday cards using thin wood veneers. These can be either the base of the card or decorative elements attached to a traditional paper card.
• Techniques: Use marquetry or inlay techniques to create detailed designs like snowflakes, Christmas trees, or winter landscapes. You could also use pyrography to burn festive messages or designs into the wood.

3D Wooden Ornaments:

• Concept: Design cards that include a detachable wooden ornament. The ornament can be part of the card design and then removed for hanging on a Christmas tree.
• Techniques: Use scroll sawing or laser cutting to create intricate designs such as stars, angels, or reindeer. These ornaments can be flat or assembled into 3D shapes. Add a personal touch by carving or engraving a holiday message or the year.

Kinetic Wood Art Cards:

• Concept: Create cards with simple kinetic wood elements that move when the card is opened or a small lever is manipulated.
• Techniques: Craft small, moving wooden scenes or decorations, such as snowflakes that spin or Santa’s sleigh that moves across the card. These can be created with small joints and gears. The movement adds an interactive and playful element to your holiday cards.

Each of these ideas allows you to leverage your woodworking skills to create something both beautiful and memorable. The cards themselves can become keepsakes, reflecting a blend of traditional craft and festive cheer.

Created by Laura Medley with ChatGPT4 and Dalle3

4. Selecting Card Materials Prompt

Choosing the right materials can really set your cards apart. This prompt offers suggestions for selecting unique materials for your homemade holiday cards. Want to go all sustainable for that friend who loves nature and the environment? How about something fun with some kind of feather or fluffy animal design giving it an extra puff when they pull the card from the box? Make your card a little something special with an addition of texture and uniqueness in what it’s made with and it will be a forever keepsake, instead of just another card tucked at the bottom of a box.

“I’m looking for suggestions on [type of materials] materials for some homemade holiday cards. I prefer [specific preferences or themes]. What can you recommend for card materials and how could they be incorporated into the card?”

Example Prompt:

“I’m looking for suggestions on sustainable and unique materials for some homemade holiday cards. I prefer something that has an interesting feel to the touch. What can you recommend for card materials and how could they be incorporated into the card?”

Example ChatGPT Response:

Seed Paper:

• Material: Biodegradable paper embedded with seeds.
• Incorporation: Use as the main card material. Recipients can plant the entire card after reading, growing flowers or herbs.
• Tactile Feel: Textured with visible seed particles.

Recycled Textiles (Cotton or Linen):

• Material: Paper made from recycled fabrics.
• Incorporation: Ideal for the card base or for layered elements for added texture.
• Tactile Feel: Soft, cloth-like, with a fibrous texture.

Bamboo Paper:

• Material: Sustainable paper made from bamboo.
• Incorporation: Use for the card body. It’s durable and has a unique grain.
• Tactile Feel: Smooth and somewhat silky, yet sturdy.

Created by Laura Medley with ChatGPT4 and Dalle3

5. Mailing List Management Prompt

Efficiency meets accuracy in managing your holiday mailing list. It’s not the “fun” part of card giving, but it’s an important part of making sure the card gets where it needs to go. Use this prompt to ensure your cards reach the right addresses without a hitch.

“Verify the following mailing addresses to ensure accuracy, flag any duplicates or errors, rewrite for consistent wording structure such as Suite, Road and Avenue spelled out, and format them for postal requirements”

Example Prompt:

“Verify the following mailing addresses to ensure accuracy, flag any duplicates or errors, rewrite for consistent wording structure such as Suite, Road and Avenue spelled out, and format them for postal requirements:

Acme Corp, 123 Main St, Suite 200, Anytown, NY, 10001
Beacon Industries, 456 Oak Ave, Floor 3, Smallville, KS, 67226
Crescent Solutions, 789 Pine Rd, Unit 5, Largetown, CA, 90210
Delta Technologies, 101 River Way, Largetown, CA, 90210
Echo Electronics, 202 Lakeview Dr, New City, Florida, 33101
Romeo Retail, 1616 Oak St, Suite 2, Anytown, NY 10001
Foxtrot Medio, 303 Park Lane, Capital City, Texas, 73301
…”

Note: There were a total of 20 addresses. These are not real addresses but were created by ChatGPT4 to use as an example for this article.

Example ChatGPT Response:

I’ll verify the addresses you’ve provided, flag duplicates or errors, and rewrite them for consistent wording structure, ensuring that “Suite,” “Road,” “Avenue,” etc., are spelled out and formatted correctly for postal requirements:

• Acme Corp, 123 Main Street, Suite 200, Anytown, New York, 10001
• Beacon Industries, 456 Oak Avenue, Floor 3, Smallville, Kansas, 67226
• Crescent Solutions, 789 Pine Road, Unit 5, Largetown, California, 90210
• Delta Technologies, 101 River Way, Largetown, California, 90210
• Echo Electronics, 202 Lakeview Drive, New City, Florida, 33101
• Romeo Retail, 1616 Oak Street, Suite 2, Anytown, New York, 10001 (Duplicate Address)
• Foxtrot Media, 303 Park Lane, Capital City, Texas, 73301 (Corrected spelling from ‘Foxtrot Medio’) …

About These Prompts

I hope these prompts helped you with your holiday card giving. Just remember, to get the most use out of these prompts, you need to include detailed information. The more detailed, the more tailored and useful the suggestions will be.

I have personally tested each of these prompts as of this article’s launch date in November 2023 and included follow-up prompts that will assist you in creating your holiday masterpieces. Since ChatGPT and other generative AI models are continually evolving and learning, you may need to tweak these prompts, depending on when you use them, as the model may have changed.

At the time of writing this article, ChatGPT4 is currently limited to existing users, but Microsoft’s Bing, which uses the GPT4 model from OpenAI, is available for free use. You can also try some of the other generative AI assistants like Bard from Google Labs and Claude from Anthropic if you would like to see what they can do, but my favorite currently is ChatGPT4.

Create Your Own ChatGPT Custom Instructions

ChatGPT also allows you to create personalized “Custom Instructions” that tell it a bit about you and how you would like it to communicate with you. This is an addition to the standard ChatGPT model, offering a more specialized version that makes interacting with ChatGPT even easier and more productive.

To access Custom Instructions, click on your name at the bottom left corner of the ChatGPT interface. There, you will see an icon and a link that opens a window where you can answer two questions:

1. What would you like ChatGPT to know about you to provide better responses?
2. How would you like ChatGPT to respond?

You can use up to 1500 characters for your responses to these questions.

Some comments I included in the second question of my version of ChatGPT were designed to create a more dialogic and collaborative feel, which works best for how I interact with the model. Here are a few examples to give you an idea:

• “If you don’t have an exact answer or are unsure of an answer’s viability, please ask me for more information or clarification.”
• “Please respond with more questions if my request is not clear enough or if it seems ambiguous.”
• “If something more can be added to the response that is outside of what I specifically asked for, please suggest it.”

Learn more about Custom Instructions for ChatGPT.