Crafting and do-it-yourself artistic pursuits are hotter than ever. It’s hard to pinpoint what’s behind the movement. Technology certainly has something to do with the trend, but so does people’s growing desire to surround themselves with things that were thoughtfully made.

Even if you don’t have your own dedicated craft room or spend all your free time knitting stuffed animals, it’s easier than ever to create personalized, hand-made cards, invitations and correspondence. It’s a great solution for new parents to give friends and family a glimpse of their bundle of joy, or for anyone who wants to put their own spin on cards and stationery. All you need to do is gather up your favorite photo files to get started.

Here are some ideas you can use to create your own customized correspondence:

* Whether it’s a first birthday or a bash for a 50th, making customized birthday invitations is a fun spin on telling people about your party. You can find plenty of professionally designed options for boys, girls and grownups that only require you to add a photo and the when and where details. If it’s baby’s first, you can add multiple pictures from the past year, letting guests see how the little one has grown since arriving in the world. Or, if it’s a “big” birthday for an adult, find an old photo of them from childhood or high school days and create a party theme around that era.

* Get in the seasonal spirit. If pictures speak a thousand words, you might want to skip the tired Christmas letter and let your photos from the past year do the talking. Christmas photo cards on Shutterfly allow you to use one, two, three and more photos, depending on the design. Add pictures from vacations, birthdays and other big events, or simply use your most up-to-date family portrait. If you still want to write a little bit about the big happenings of 2010, there are even card options that let you include a short letter or a top 10 list in addition to the holiday greeting.

* Say “I do.” Once you’ve got your wedding date and location set, it’s time to spread the word. To make sure that your loved ones will be able to plan ahead and attend, you don’t want to waste any time sending out save the date cards. Sites like Shutterfly.com give you dozens of stylish design options that are up to date with wedding stationery trends. Just add a photo of you and your honey and, of course, the date and location of the wedding. Since you can customize the text, you might also want to include the URL of your wedding website so your guests can access all the details online. After the big day has passed, everyone wants to see your wedding photos. Send out thank you cards with pictures from the wedding – your guests will love it.

A personalized card, whether it’s thanking someone for time spent with you or spreading some holiday cheer, will be something that people will hang on to. It not only gets the message across, but it does so in a way that’s straight from the heart, rather than off the rack.