Sending out Christmas cards is an annual ritual that most people participate in. It's a chance to share good wishes with family and friends and to remind the folks you didn't see much during the year that you're still thinking of them. So you don't want to just buy an ordinary boxed card and sign your name. Add some flair!

These days, you can create cool Christmas cards online that include your own digital photos and your choice of text or even your entire Christmas letter.

They're easy and fun to create and your card recipients will surely enjoy them more than a regular folded card with just a signature inside.

All-in-One Christmas Card/Letter
If you're one of those folks who writes an annual Christmas letter to stuff into your cards, you might enjoy some of the new cards that actually incorporate your Christmas letter into the card. No more extra sheets of paper to fold and insert! There are several designs available, including tri-fold designs that allow you to write a short letter on one of the three panels, cards that open up to display your letter on both panels of the card's interior, or flat cards with a photo on one side and your letter on the back. Which one works best for you will depend on how long your Christmas letters usually are.

Round Christmas Cards
Or rather, don't be a rectangle. One way to break out of the mold of the common Christmas card is to choose an unusual shape. How about a circle? Yes, a circle. You can now create round Christmas cards online at places such as PhotoWorks. They have some clever round cards that provide a place for a photo and your personal message, and there's a grommet in the top of these circular cards, so your card recipients will be able to hang your masterpiece on their tree. They've also got some cards with punch-out pieces that can be used as ornaments.

Tri-Fold Christmas Cards
When it comes to photos cards, more is often better; more space for photos means more images for your card recipients to enjoy. Perhaps that's why there are now a number of tri-fold holiday card options available. Tri-fold Christmas cards give you more space to share your holiday message or images. Some offer lots of places for little photos, while others allow you to upload a photo that spreads across two of the panels. Still others include a place for you to write a Christmas letter or message. You'll find a lot of options with tri-fold cards.

Gatefold Christmas Cards
Like tri-fold cards, gatefold cards have three panels when you open them up, but they don't fold in an accordion fashion. Instead, the two outer panels close like doors over the front of the card. When you open the doors, the card folds out into three sections. You can find these kind of cards in several designs, usually with a place for a photo in the middle section and text on either side.

All the card designs shown on this page can be found online at PhotoWorks or Personalization Mall.

Other good places to look online for cool designs on traditional folded cards are Zazzle, Cafepress and eBay. All of these sites sell products created by users, so you're sure to find plenty of unique and interesting designs that you won't see in traditional card stores.

Happy shopping!