We've Moved Christmas Cards: New Address, Mailed for You
Yes, send your Christmas card as your moving announcement. It reaches everyone on your list in one mailing, people tend to open it, and it can carry your new address on the back of every card. On ShipNote you paste your list and we print, address, stamp and mail each one. Order by December 14, 2026 for arrival by December 24.
TL;DR
- Your Christmas list is your moving list. The same people who get a holiday card are the people who should update their address book.
- The new address prints on the back of every card. ShipNote prints the sender's return address on each card, so enter the new one and it is on all of them.
- Two ways to do it. A Holiday card with a "we've moved" line in the message, or a Moving Announcement card with a holiday greeting typed as the headline.
- USPS forwarding is not enough. As of October 2026 it lasts 12 months, and it does nothing for the address in everyone's book.
- Order by December 14, 2026 for arrival by December 24. Start your cards with $1.99 a card on 10 or more, stamp and mailing included.
Why is the Christmas card the best moving announcement you will send?
Because people open holiday cards, and your list for it already exists. A stand-alone moving announcement means building a list, buying cards, and finding a second week to mail them. The holiday card is going out anyway.
It also solves the real problem. Telling people you moved is not the goal. The goal is that next year's cards, invitations and birthday notes go to the right house. A card on the fridge with the new address in plain sight gets that done better than a text that scrolls away.
If you moved in the spring and never sent an announcement, this is your second chance. Nobody will mind that the news arrives with a Christmas greeting.
Why isn't USPS mail forwarding enough?
Forwarding catches mail, but it does not tell anyone your address. The sender still has the old one, and forwarding does not last.
Here is what USPS says on its mail forwarding page, as of October 2026:
| Question | What USPS says |
|---|---|
| How long does standard forwarding last? | "Standard mail forwarding lasts 12 months." |
| Is First-Class Mail forwarded? | "First-Class Mail is forwarded for free." |
| What happens after the period ends? | USPS returns mail sent to your old address to the sender for 6 months, with a label that has your new address |
| Can you extend it? | You can pay to extend by 6, 12 or 18 months, with 18 months the maximum |
So a card sent to your old address this December probably finds you. The card your aunt mails next December, from an address book that still says the old street, may not. Cards from people who never learn your address are the ones that come back.
The fix is cheap: put the new address in front of everyone once, in a form they keep.
What goes on the front of a we've-moved Christmas card?
A photo, and a short headline. The two photos that work best are the family on the porch or in front of the new place, and the first holiday photo taken inside it. A photo of the house itself is fine, but a card with the family on it is the more personal one.
ShipNote's photo designs (Classic, Polaroid, Magazine, Split and Framed) take a headline you type, up to 24 characters. A few that fit:
- WE'VE MOVED
- MERRY CHRISTMAS
- HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
- HAPPY HOLIDAYS
Each of those is under the limit. A second line under the headline can carry your family name.
Where does the new address go?
On the back, as the return address, and in the message. The back of every ShipNote card carries the message, the recipient's address, a real stamp, and your return address printed. Enter your new address as the return address and it appears on every card you send. Nobody has to hunt for it.
Then say so in the message. A return address in the corner reads as routine. "We've moved, and our new address is on the back" is what makes someone open their address book.
Two ways to do it on ShipNote
Option A: a Holiday card with a "we've moved" line. Use the Holiday occasion. The headline chips include HAPPY HOLIDAYS, MERRY CHRISTMAS, SEASON'S GREETINGS, HAPPY NEW YEAR, MERRY & BRIGHT and PEACE & JOY, and you can type your own. Your return address is the new one, and the message carries the news. This is the better choice when the card is mostly a Christmas card and the move is a second note.
Option B: a Moving Announcement card with a holiday greeting. Use the Moving Announcement occasion. Its default headline is WE'VE MOVED, with chips for NEW ADDRESS, WE MOVED and OUR NEW HOME, and the form asks for your new address. Pick one of the photo designs and type MERRY CHRISTMAS or HAPPY HOLIDAYS as the headline. This is the better choice when the move is the news and the greeting is the bow. More on that occasion is on the moving announcements page.
| Option A: Holiday card | Option B: Moving Announcement card | |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | Pick a holiday chip or type your own | Default WE'VE MOVED, or type a holiday greeting on a photo design |
| New address | Your return address, plus a line in the message | Your return address (the form asks for the new one) |
| Best when | Christmas is the point, the move is a P.S. | The move is the point, Christmas is the greeting |
Both print the same way, cost the same and mail on the same schedule. Pick the one that matches what you want people to read first.
What should a we've-moved Christmas card say?
Short, warm, and clear about the address. Four messages you can paste in and change. ShipNote fills [RECIPIENT] with each person's name.
The simple one
Dear [RECIPIENT],
Merry Christmas from our new home! We moved this year, and our new address is on the back of this card. Please update your address book. We would love to see you.
Love, The Reyes Family
The Moving Announcement default, with a holiday close
Dear [RECIPIENT],
We've moved! Our new address is printed on this card, so please update your address book. The door is open whenever you're nearby. Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Warmly, The Reyes Family
For the neighbors we left behind
Dear [RECIPIENT],
We miss you already. Our new address is on the back, and the guest room is ready any time you want to visit. Merry Christmas from all of us.
Love, The Reyes Family
For work friends and acquaintances
Dear [RECIPIENT],
Season's greetings from our new address, printed on the back of this card. We hope your holidays are warm and your new year is a good one.
Best, The Reyes Family
Keep it to a few sentences. One line with the news and one with the greeting is plenty.
The 15-minute version
Here is the whole job, start to finish. The list is the only part you gather first: last year's Christmas card list, a spreadsheet, or your phone contacts export.
| Step | Time | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Before you start | 3 min | Find last year's list or export your contacts. Add anyone new this year, such as the neighbors you just met |
| 1 | 2 min | Open ShipNote and pick your occasion: Holiday, or Moving Announcement |
| 2 | 3 min | Choose a design, add your photo, and type the headline (24 characters or fewer) |
| 3 | 3 min | Write the message once. Enter your new address as the return address |
| 4 | 2 min | Paste your list or upload a CSV, XLSX or image. AI pulls out the names and addresses, and each address is checked against USPS data before you pay |
| 5 | 2 min | Review every card, fix any address ShipNote flags, and pay. We mail the next business day |
Paste your list, write one note, and we print, stamp and mail every card. $1.99 a card on 10 or more.
Pasting works with anything: a spreadsheet, a group text, a notes file, or a photo of last year's address list. You can upload up to 5,000 rows, 10 MB per file. If you are rebuilding the list from scratch, how to get addresses for Christmas cards covers where to find them.
No account is needed and there is no minimum order.
When do I need to order?
By December 14, 2026 for arrival by December 24. We mail the next business day after you order, and cards arrive in 4-7 business days. USPS does not deliver on Christmas Day.
| You order | We mail | Cards arrive |
|---|---|---|
| December 1 | December 2 | December 8-11 |
| December 7 | December 8 | December 14-17 |
| December 14, 2026 | December 15 | December 21-24 |
| December 15-17 | Next business day | Possible by Christmas, not promised |
| After December 17 | Send it as a New Year's card |
The December 14 date is the last one where even the slowest delivery in the window still lands by December 24. For orders after it, some cards still make it, but we do not promise it.
USPS publishes its own recommended send-by dates. As of October 2026 its holiday shipping deadlines page gives Thursday, December 17 as the recommended send-by date for First-Class Mail for delivery before December 25 in the contiguous U.S., and says actual delivery dates can vary. After that, the honest answer is to send a New Year's card. New Year's cards are a real tradition, and nobody is counting the days on one.
You do not have to mail on the day you order. At checkout, under Delivery, choose "Choose a later mail date" and then "On a date I choose" to pick any weekday up to 90 days out. If you order in November while the list is fresh, you can schedule the mailing for the first week of December.
What does it cost?
$1.99 a card on 10 or more, and it includes printing, the stamp and mailing. One card is $2.49. There are no envelopes to buy and no stamps to stick.
Printed we've-moved cards from a stationery site arrive at your door as cards. Stamping and mailing them is your job, or a separate add-on, usually from a house with boxes still in the hall. With ShipNote the mailing is the product.
If you already have a box of 40 holiday cards at home, you can still use them for the closest friends. The question is whether you want to hand-address the other 60 this month.
What if I only have some of the addresses?
Send to the ones you have, and ask for the rest. Moving is the one time people are happy to be asked for an address. For gaps, check last year's cards, your phone contacts, and your wedding or baby list. ShipNote flags any address it cannot confirm by name, so you can fix it before paying.
A card that says "our new address is on the back" also gets answers: people reply with theirs.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Christmas card as my moving announcement?
Yes. Your Christmas list is already the list of people who should have your new address, and a holiday card is a piece of mail people tend to open. Put the new address on the card and say you've moved in the message.
Where does the new address go on a Christmas card?
On a ShipNote postcard the sender's return address prints on the back of every card, so the new address is on every card without extra work. A short line in the message, like "We've moved! Our new address is on the back," makes sure nobody misses it.
How long does USPS forward mail after I move?
As of October 2026, USPS says standard mail forwarding lasts 12 months, and First-Class Mail is forwarded for free. After that USPS returns mail sent to the old address to the sender for 6 months with a label showing your new address.
When do I need to order for the cards to arrive by Christmas?
On ShipNote, order by December 14, 2026 to have cards arrive by December 24. We mail the next business day and cards arrive in 4-7 business days. Orders after that may still arrive in time, but it is not promised.
Can I put a Merry Christmas headline on a moving announcement card?
Yes. The photo designs on the Moving Announcement card take any headline up to 24 characters you type, so MERRY CHRISTMAS or HAPPY HOLIDAYS fits. Or use a Holiday card and say you moved in the message.
Do I have to address and stamp each card myself?
No. Paste your list and ShipNote prints each card, addresses it, puts on a real stamp and mails it. It is $1.99 a card on 10 or more, with no account and no minimum order.
Related reading
- How to get addresses for Christmas cards: where to find the ones you are missing.
- How to send Christmas cards: the full timeline and the order-by date.
- New Year's cards: the graceful fallback if December gets away from you.
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