2012 Mailbox Now Open!

EDIT: Less than a week left to send in those letters!  Get them in soon for your chance at free art!  And be careful to follow ALL instructions.  Also, don't forget to note us (with a separate note from your original request) if you change your username between now and the holidays!  Otherwise, we may be unable to deliver your gift!


That's right!  As some of you may have noticed... the Mailbox is NOW OPEN!  That means you can begin sending in your letters to Santa.  The mailbox will be continue to be open until Sunday, December 2nd at 8 p.m. EST (GMT/UTC -5).  Check the countdown clock on our homepage for how much time you have left!

As always, we may not get to all requests, but following these directions carefully will ensure your request is not automatically rejected!  Make sure your read through ALL of these guildelines as there are some differences from previous years.  Because of the volume of requests, you will not get an individual reply confirming acceptance of your letter.  You will just have to wait and see!

How to write your letter to Santa

Go to the Group's homepage and click "send a note" to the group.  Your letter will be this note, with the subject DEAR SANTA.  Here's a template that shows you an ideal letter:

Dear Santa,

I would like to have [a drawing of my character / a fanart of]  _________ [from the show __________].

Here are a few references to this character: [link][link][link] (insert two or three pictures that give us a reference of that character, i.e. a picture of what the character looks like).

(Optional choices:
P.S: I would like you to deliver this gift to my friend SomebodyElse for Christmas.
P.P.S.: I previously sent letters to Santa in 2008/2010/2011 and have not received a present yet.  These were my requests: [link][link][link].)

I understand you may not have time to grant my wish, but I want to thank you for reading my letter and thank the elves for their hard work!  

Love,
somebody




Please keep the following points as guidelines:

1. Your gift can be given to someone else. For example, I can use my slot in Santa's Workshop to surprise my best friend with a picture from an elf.

2. Every 'child' who writes a letter to Santa can only write ONE letter, including those who are requesting gifts for friends. This is unfortunate, but we must enforce this so everyone has a greater chance of having their wish granted.  If we find you trying to send multiple letters, Santa will be very disappointed.

3. When writing a letter to Santa, you MUST provide at least one picture OR a very detailed description for reference if you are requesting a picture of your original character.

If you are requesting a well known character such as Naruto, no reference is needed.
If you are asking for fanart, please tell us what show/game/book/comic this character is from, as it makes it much easier for the elves to find references in case they do not know which character you mean. For example: There are many Sakuras. Which Sakura do you want? Naruto? Cardcaptor Sakura? Please be specific!

4. Elves are limited, so depending on the volume of letters to Santa, not everyone will have their wish granted this year. But don't fear! Next year is another chance to get a gift from his hardworking little elves.

If you have sent letters in past years but have never received a gift, please include a link to your previous note(s) when you write to Santa.  You can find previous notes you have sent the group by going to the Send a Note page.  Click on your previous note, copy the html link, and paste that link in your letter.
Example: P.S. I previously sent a letter to Santa's Workshop in 2011 and did not receive a present.  This was my request: [link].
Please note this is ONLY if you've NEVER received anything.  If you have at least once received a gift, please sent your letter normally without the links.  We also can't promise you will get something this year, but we'll keep you in mind.

5. Any requests violating the deviantART Terms of Service will automatically be rejected. We cannot create art that cannot be posted. Therefore, you are not allowed to request any art that is pornographic, includes self mutilation, child abuse or any other images of that nature. If you are not sure which images break the rules of this site, feel free to check the Policies section of the FAQ under the "Unacceptable Content" header.

6. If you change your username after sending in a letter, we request that you note us with your old and new usernames.  This will make it easier for us to keep track of letters to Santa.  Otherwise, your present may be lost in delivery!

NOTE: We will accept requests for characters of ALL types, but please keep in mind there are fewer elves who are talented in areas such as animals, anthros, and fantasy creatures.  However, that does not mean it is impossible.  Single character requests are more likely to be fulfilled, so more people can get gifts.  Additionally, because this is an international group, please do not ask for traditional art to be mailed to you.  All art will be sent digitally.