Thank you for the Christmas gift
Name the gift, say what you've already done with it, and send it soon.
Who’s in it?
Pay, and it’s ready in about 20 seconds
Four pictures to pick from, no watermark, a link that opens on any phone. We email it to you too.
Sent. Check your inbox.
To thank someone for a Christmas gift, name the gift and tell them what it's been up to since: "Thank you for the red scarf, Aunt Jo. I've worn it every day since Christmas, and I think of you whenever it snows." Two sentences will do. The 60 lines below are sorted by what actually happened, and that includes the awkward ones, like cash, a gift you don't love, the wrong size and a late note. Tap one and it goes on a card starring the kid who got the present, so Grandma gets her thanks with her grandchild buried in lambs. It's $4.99 for four pictures and a short video, ready about 20 seconds after you pay.
How to write the note
Start with the gift by name, because "thanks for the gift" reads like you've forgotten what it was. Then say one true thing about it: what you did with it, where it's living now, or who has already tried to borrow it. End with them, and sign your name.
Here's one we'd send. "Dear Uncle Ray, thank you for the cast-iron pan. I made cornbread in it on Sunday and we ate the whole thing standing up. It was so good to see you at Christmas. Love, Sam." Every line below fits the 200 characters a HiWith card allows.
60 messages to put on the card
Tap one and it goes on your card. You can change every word.
Short enough for a text
For a gift you really love
For money or a gift card
For a gift you don't quite love
For the wrong size
From kids, in their own words
From a teenager, under protest
For hosting Christmas
For a Christmas card
For the Christmas bonus and the office
When your note is late
Christmas cards made from your photos
What to say when the gift is complicated
Most thanks write themselves. These are the ones that don't, and none of them needs a lie.
| What happened | What to say | What to leave out |
|---|---|---|
| It's cash or a gift card | Tell them what it's going toward: "Your gift card is paying for new running shoes." | The amount. They know how much it was. |
| You don't love it | Thank them for thinking of you, then say something true: "You always remember I'm cold." | Promises to wear it. They'll ask to see it. |
| It's the wrong size | Thank them first, and mention the swap only if they'd want to know: "It's one size off, so I'm trading it for one I can wear." | Asking for the receipt in the same message. |
| You're writing late | Apologize once and go straight to the gift: "This is late, and I still love the book." | The long list of reasons. |
Let the kid who got it say thanks
Kids will dictate a thank-you note and lose interest somewhere around "Dear Grandma." What Grandma really wants is to see who opened the present, so we'd send her the kid. Thank Ewe Very Much puts your kid in a spring meadow with lambs crowding in for cuddles, and in the video one licks their cheek. Shrimply The Best dresses them in a plush shrimp costume under gold confetti, which suits kids of about 7 and up and a lot of grown-ups.
Add one clear photo of your kid or of whoever's saying thanks, then tap a line above or write your own, up to 200 characters. The photo stays private: it's used only to make your card, never to train AI, and it's deleted after 30 days unless you keep the card.
How it works
- Pick a cardPilots, mermaids, rock stars, one very surprised cake. Every one shows a real example first.
- Add their photosOne clear face each, up to 5 people. A selfie is fine. No sign-up.
- See it free, then payOne picture of them in the card in about 10 seconds. Like it? Apple Pay or Google Pay, and four pictures arrive about 20 seconds later, the video in about 90.
How do you say thank you for a Christmas gift?
Name the gift and say what you've done with it: "Thanks for the cookbook, Mom. We've made the lentil soup twice already." For family, a text like that is enough. For someone you rarely see, we'd send a note or a card, because it shows you stopped to do it.
Do you have to write a thank-you note for a Christmas gift?
The Emily Post Institute's rule of thumb is a written note any time the giver wasn't there to be thanked in person, and it says a call or an email is fine for a close friend or relative (emilypost.com/advice/thank-you-notes-to-send-or-not-to-send). If they watched you open it and you thanked them on the spot, you're covered. We'd still write to anyone who mailed a package, since they're the one wondering if it arrived.
What do you say when you get a Christmas bonus?
Send a short note to whoever decided it, in the same week: "Thanks for the bonus. It means a lot after the year we've had." An email is fine. Leave out the amount and how it compares with last year.
What should a child write to say thanks?
Whatever they'd say out loud, which is usually better than what you'd write for them. A little kid can tell you one sentence and draw the present while you write it down. A teenager's own text beats a note a parent dictated.
Can I send a thank-you card starring my kid?
Yes. Tap any line on this page, add a clear photo of your kid and pay. It's $4.99 for four pictures and a short video, ready about 20 seconds after you pay, and you send it by text or link, so it opens on Grandma's phone with no app and no sign-up. For the card she sends back, we keep Christmas messages between grandparents and grandkids.
How soon should you send a Christmas thank-you?
Soon is best. A Louisville Courier Journal guide puts the usual window at one day to two weeks after you open the gift (aol.com/send-holiday-thank-card-yes-100327140.html). If you've missed that, send it anyway, because the Emily Post Institute says a late note is always better than no note at all (emilypost.com/advice/being-thankful-thank-you-note-faqs). We've never heard of anyone sending one back.
By HiWith (Winding AI, Inc.) · support@winding.ai · Updated