The holiday season is in full swing, and hopefully, if you're buying people gifts, you've at least started your shopping. So far my only progress is lists: one for gifts I need to buy and one for all the cards I need to make.

Since high school, I've always made holiday cards for my friends and family. For one, I save some money, but more importantly, a homemade card can be much more personal than a store bought one. As a bonus, if I put extra effort into my cards, they can also double as gifts for the people I'm on the fence about buying a gift for.

If you're stuck for ideas, the homemade photo card is always a good place to start, but if you want to get a little more crafty check out some of these holiday card ideas by Martha Stewart and Good Housekeeping. I like these ones because the focus is more on shapes and design than it is on free style drawing.

If you do have an artistic streak in you, or you at least don't mind painting or drawing, why not consider creating your own holiday or winter scene. For the first set of cards I passed out in high school, I drew a pen and ink winter scene on a sheet of computer paper and made photo copies of it on nicer paper. This was a quick way for me to make a lot of cards without going through the hassle of making each one individually.

This year, I plan on making small water color paintings that will double as cards. This is a great example of when the card can actually double as a gift. Each card takes some time to make, and everyone will be receiving something unique.

When it comes down to it, people love the thought that goes into making a homemade card, so whatever type of card you choose to make, your efforts will surely be met with much success.

If you still find yourself searching for inspiration check out these images; they might be just what you need to get your creative juices flowing.

Have you made your own holiday cards before? Do you have any fun ideas you'd like to share?

Image thanks to Lauren Manning.