11 Tricks for Creating Innovative and Memorable Holiday Thank-You Notes

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Your holiday thank-you notes should be more than just a show of good etiquette. With a little creativity and some work, these messages of appreciation can be fun for both you and the recipient.

1. Make a Thank-You Flipbook

A note is just a snapshot, why not take a series of pictures (or pare down a video into frames), print them, and turn it all into a flipbook for a moving message? A sequence of shots opening or using the gift is a great way to share the memory. Convert digital video into a flipbook with FlipClips.com, and they’ll send you a high-quality book for $3.

2. Send a Memory Stick

Load a thank-you video or some pictures onto a USB memory stick for an interactive and fun way to get your message across. Once the recipient is done they can either keep it as is or use it for their own files—making this thank-you note a present in itself. Customize the drives with a service like CustomUSB for maximum personalization.

3. Share an Online Album of the Gift in Use

Take some time to pose with your gift and upload the shots online with a site like Flickr. The giver won’t have to wonder if the gift was enjoyed—they’ll have photographic proof.

4. Deliver it Publicly via Social Media

Ever get a gift so amazing you want to share it with the world? Give the thoughtful person the credit they deserve by shouting your thanks from the (digital) rooftops.

5. 3D Print a Thank-You Sculpture

“Thank you” shouldn’t be limited to just two dimensions. Use 3D printing technology to design and manufacture a truly unique symbol of gratitude. Invest in a machine like the XYZprinting Da Vinci 1.0 ($499.99) and get printing.

6. Animate Your Appreciation With GIFs

Make your own GIFs with a photo editor and spice up that static thank-you email. Add a dog or cat and it may even go viral. Gif Creator for Android is a good app to start with.

7. Record an Audio Thanks

Actually say “thanks” by recording a message and posting it online. Bonus points if you send a written letter with nothing but the URL for the recipient to follow.

8. Make a Piece of Thank-You Art

Fire up that photo editor and create a unique collage that you can’t buy in any drugstore. Even if you aren’t a pro, people will appreciate your hard work. Plus, you can count it as photo editing practice—we’ve all been meaning to get around to that.

9. Frame Your Thanks

Don’t just use any frame—find a digital one that can be programmed to display images. Write a thank-you note, take a photo of it, and upload it to the frame. The NIX X08D 8 inch Hi-Res Digital Photo Frame makes as good a gift as any thank-you note.

10. Make Your Thanks a Game

Remember connect-the-dots games where you’d draw lines from one point to the next based on a series of numbers to reveal an image? Create your own by using a website like Picture Dots and send a message of gratitude that has to be discovered.

11. Crack the Gratitude Code

For the cryptography fans in your life, feed their problem-solving hunger with a coded message of thanks. Online code-making guides like Cryptography World are a great place to start, and you’ll have a mysterious letter ready to send in no time.

Check out how Intel will be able to help you 3D print a thank-you gift or send your thanks via an engaging videoconference, with Intel® RealSense™ technology. Learn more here: intel.com.