You finally captured the perfect photo of you and your squirmy baby in matching holiday pajamas for your annual Christmas card, but it’s going to cost more than $100 to print enough for your friends and family. You could just close your eyes, hit purchase, and be done with it—or you could make the cards yourself.
DIY Christmas cards aren’t as hard—or time-consuming—as they sound. With a little guidance, even the most elegant ideas are pretty easy to make at home. You can choose from free printable photo templates and card ideas that only require a printer loaded with ink and paper (use cardstock paper for the best results!). Or you can opt for a more unique method—like using a Cricut machine or a baby handprint “tree” that’s complete with button ornaments.
Whichever route you go, one thing is for sure: Your beautiful DIY Christmas card is sure to do just what it’s meant to, and that’s bring a smile to your loved one’s face.
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Paint Chip Christmas Card
Paint chips are a unique and simple way to design gradient Christmas trees for homemade cards. Just cut them into triangles of varying sizes and decorate with sequins or glitter.
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Paper Cut Card
For a cool paper cut design, you’ll need a cutting machine—but the result is well worth the investment, especially if you are someone who likes to craft all year round. Plus, it couldn’t be easier: You simply download the free file and print.
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Watercolor Cards
Believe it or not, you don’t need any artistic skills to DIY these elegant Christmas cards. Simply paint around letter stickers, then peel them up to reveal a nice, crisp message.
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Modern Handlettered Card
Don’t have the best handwriting? Don’t worry! Simply download a free PDF to trace or decoupage onto seasonal paper for a festive, professional-looking Christmas card.
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Santa Claus Card
A cutting machine, like the Cricut, makes it even easier to assemble this cheerful Santa. However, with a steady hand, you could achieve a very similar result.
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Gift Card Holder
For an A+ in presentation, download this printable gift card template. After that, the only thing you need to do is use a craft knife to cut a spot for the card.
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Doily Card
Even if you don’t have the energy to go all-out on handmade cards, you can still easily make the envelopes feel a little more special with the addition of festive green doilies and red and white baker’s twine.
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Fabric Card
Though making dozens of these fabric cards would get tiresome—and expensive—it is a very unique option for a handful of really special loved ones. Plus, it can double as a tree ornament.
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Snow Globe Card
You only need a few simple craft supplies—namely, sequins and transparent plastic sheets, to mimic the look of a working snow globe starring any photo you choose.
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Punny Reindeers
You don’t need any special stamps to create these funny reindeer—just a potato, believe it or not. Embellish the design with whatever you have on hand (buttons, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, etc.).
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Retro Car
Recreate one of the more iconic holiday illustrations—a woody with a Christmas tree tied to the roof—using Christmas scrapbook paper and a cutting machine.
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Tissue Paper Shapes
Though kid-friendly, this handmade holiday card manages to look rather elegant. For best results, use a stencil to cut out the shapes, then let kids apply the tissue paper.
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Handwritten Photo Card
Follow this simple, easy tutorial to personalize photo cards with your own handwriting. Or, for a sentimental touch, you can ask your kids to pen the message.
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Watercolor Wreath
This design proves you don’t have to get too intricate with watercolors to create an impressive Christmas card. (Though you will get bonus points for crafting matching envelope liners.)
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Nativity Card
If you’re teaching kids about the “reason for the season,” this is a fun and easy DIY project—especially if you cut out all of the shapes ahead of time.
