A Santa Letter is a custom letter handwritten in calligraphy from a parent to their child or children, sent under the guise of Santa. That’s who Santa is after all, isn’t it? And no one knows better than you the wishes and triumphs of the little ones you love. You see their struggles, their progress and accomplishments. You laugh with them and know all their favorites. You provide emotional support and encouragement. Everything we tell children about the way Santa watches and cares is true. The toy part, and all the rest, is for fun. We weave the story and every tradition and family is different. A Letter from Santa is a letter from you to your child expressing love, pride, encouragement, and guidance. Because let’s face it, sometimes they hear it best from someone else, even if we’ve told them a million times.
How I Write Custom Santa Letters
It starts with an email or a call. A year is a long time to try to remember everything that happened with your child or children! Generally I ask what they did well with, what they’ve been working on that they’re improving with, how they are with their siblings and around the house, and what they need a little more support with. Sometimes that’s an emotional answer, sometimes it’s just trying to listen to parents better. Some kids are in sports or other activities, which we touch on sometimes. I also ask what their Christmas wish is. Some clients like one letter for each child, some clients address two or more in the same letter. I also love to add small details like the child’s teacher or names of pets.
Some clients compose their own letters or poems too and I write them in calligraphy and send them out!
Writing the Letter
From here, I compose the letter. I use most, if not all, the information given to me. Then I edit it to add little notes about the reindeer, elves, Mrs. Claus, and the North Pole. I write about cookies and presents, snow and the workshop, bells, singing, snowmen . . . and sometimes I even mention Santa’s list.
Penning the Letter
This is the most time consuming part of the process. I write each letter by hand in calligraphy to each individual child or family. I write them in ink on acid-free parchment paper so the letters will stand up to time if families want them as a keepsake. After the ink is dry, I also address the envelopes in calligraphy and add illustrations of trees and stars. I typically write the names in gold and seal each envelope with a glitter sticker in the shape of a gift.