Before another major holiday arrives, guess who spends $8 billion a year on a product that will end up in the trash in a few days? We do. Is there a bigger waste of money than store-bought greeting cards?

So many are thrown out so fast, I believe that’s where the term dis”carded” comes from. Cards do make the world a better place, but how sincere is a stranger’s sappy poem?

Answering the doorbell, I found neighbors Sadie and Shae on the step with their dad Josh. My wife helps them pick flowers from our gardens to bring home to their mom Kara. And my wife, being a beautiful crocheter, made each a hat for cold weather.

The kids were dropping off thank-you cards they had made themselves, beautiful and thoughtful. Other young neighbors have done the same and these wonderful gestures illustrate what greeting cards should be. Handmade cards generate emotion, a connection missing in store bought cards.

I picture Sadie and Shae taking their time, thinking about what they wanted to say and draw, crayons and markers scattered about. They thought about my wife, her flowers and hats. They wrote, drew pictures and added decorative stickers. They made us smile.

Like Sadie and Shae, I sometimes make my own cards for my wife. No matter how bad, they’re always a hit. Unlike generic store cards, I can say exactly what I want to say and make it relevant.

For Valentine’s Day this year, I used a recent Caribbean cruise for the theme. I used Word on my computer, simply opening a document and turning it to landscape format. Then I created two columns. There’s the blank card.

But you don’t need a computer. Cards made by hand with actual photos glued on and handwritten words work just as well. Just fold a letter size piece of paper in half. You can use colored or legal size paper if you want to get crazy.

If you’re at a loss for words, poems or quotes can be found online or in a library book. Poems.com and quotationspage.com are good starting points. “The Big Book of How to Say It” by Rosalie Maggio or “When Words Matter Most” by Robyn Freedman Spizman can also help for specific occasions. Change a few words to make it personal.

Use pictures from anywhere: computer files, a box in the attic, newspapers or magazines. I searched our computer for recent pictures that fit my theme. I copied, pasted and shrunk them to fit between the verses. Photographs can be cut to any shape. You’d be surprised at the power of personal photos in a card.

Our cruise ship cabin steward left towel sculptures on our bed every night. One night it was a big heart which I took a close-up picture of, for no reason. I printed it, cut around the heart shape and glued it on my cover. Such personal touches are not available in stores.

Once your pictures and text are in place, print the card and fold it in half with the text and pictures on the inside. Local craft stores offer lots of cheap stick-on embellishments.

Create the cover, apply decorations and voila, you have a meaningful card with personality and far more impact than one written by a stranger, guaranteed to make someone smile.

Of all the $8 billion worth of cards sent every year, it’s the funky handmade cards that are kept and treasured for years.

Sadie and Shae are onto something that’s not just for kids. A greeting card off the shelf lacks real emotion. Make the occasion meaningful and fun.

You can reach John Steward at Tossinglines@gmail.com