Simple Christmas Cards to Make at Home with Printables

There’s just something magical about the Christmas season that sparks creativity. Maybe it’s the cozy atmosphere, the twinkling lights, or the simple joy of hoping for good things ahead—but this time of year always makes me want to craft a little more than usual.

One of my favorite traditions is making handmade Christmas cards for my family and friends. There’s nothing sweeter than opening the mailbox and finding a thoughtful card instead of bills or ads, right?

If you’re new to card making, somewhere in the beginner-plus zone, or simply someone who can never have too many craft supplies (same!), you’ll love these ideas. I’m sharing a few quick and simple Christmas cards I made using my printable Christmas card making kits. These printables make the whole process fun, easy, and perfect for anyone who wants to create beautiful handmade cards with very little fuss.

Christmas Card Making Printables

Before getting into the creative process, here are the printables I used to make these Christmas cards and some tips regarding printing and designing.

For the best results, I recommend printing these sheets on cardstock. But don’t worry if your home printer can’t handle thicker paper (mine can’t either!). In that case, just print the designs on regular copy paper and glue them onto cardstock or any sturdier paper you have. It works beautifully.

For these cards, I printed the background sheets at my local print shop and the clipart images at home. You’ll probably notice a slight difference in color between the two—and that’s totally normal. Print shops usually have higher-quality printers with better calibration, and they often offer different paper finishes too. For example, the shop had glossy paper available for my backgrounds, while at home I usually prefer a matte finish. But I was eager to start my Christmas crafting, so glossy it was!

These little variations actually create a nice contrast, which makes the elements stand out more. If you prefer a more uniform look, you can always print everything using the same printer and paper type.

For these particular cards, I used green as my main color theme. The printable kits include both green and red versions, so you can recreate the same layout in a completely different color scheme just by switching the background. It’s a fun way to make each card feel a bit more unique.

You can find these printable card-making kits in my store, so feel free to take a look around. And while you’re there, don’t miss the freebies waiting for you too!

What You need to make a card

If you’re using printable card making kit, you’ll be happy to know that you don’t need a big collection of tools. The basics are simple: a pair of sharp scissors (a craft knife is optional), good paper glue, and a bit of double-sided foam tape. That’s it! Everything else is completely optional and depends on your style and what you already have at home. If you want to see the simple list of tools I use every day for quick and easy cards, you can check out my previous blog post.

For the third card in this project, I used a little bow-shaped paper punch, but you could easily replace that with regular twine or ribbon and tie a bow instead. I also used my Sizzix Big Shot to cut a few basic shapes and to emboss the background, but that’s definitely not a must-have. You can always cut shapes with regular scissors or even decorative scissors with a fun edge.

When I make greeting cards, I like to mix and match tools and elements, but I always try to keep alternatives in mind. That way, every idea stays doable for both beginners and more experienced card makers.

Simple Layered Christmas Card Idea with a White Star

The backgrounds in this kit are designed at 5 x 7 inches, so they fit a standard greeting card as soon as you cut them out. But for this particular project, I wanted a small gift-tag style card, so I made it in a 4 x 4" (10 x 10 cm) size.

To add a little extra texture, I used my Sizzix to cut a “ripped”-edge piece that sits between the green card base and the colorful background. I chose a color that matches the star to keep everything coordinated. All three are glued together with regular paper glue.

For the focal point, I added the white star and the sentiment using double-sided foam tape. This gives the card that fun, dimensional look that stands out beautifully on a smaller card format.

Elegant Christmas Card Idea Using Festive Green Branches

The main focus of this card is the greenery paired with a bold “Merry Christmas” sentiment. I wanted to keep the design simple but still give it a fun, textured feel, so I embossed the white background using my Sizzix. If you don’t have a Sizzix, no worries—try creating a soft dotted background with glitter pens for an elegant, handmade look.

To make the card feel more lively and dimensional, avoid gluing down every leaf. Since the images in the kit come as branches, just glue the bottom part of each branch and let the leaves stay loose. This little trick keeps the card from looking flat and adds movement.

And for an extra bit of dimension, instead of attaching the white background with regular glue, I used foam tape to lift it off the green card base. It’s a small change that makes a big difference in the overall look.

👉 Try these and other card making printables - visit Card Making section in my shop.

Creative Christmas Card Idea: Turning Backgrounds Into Gifts

This card takes a little more cutting and creative thinking, but it’s such a fun one to make. I wanted to show how you can think beyond the obvious when using printables. Instead of using a printed background as a background, try turning it into focal elements. That’s exactly what I did here—I transformed a checkered background into a set of tiny Christmas gifts.

I cut out individual squares to create the gift bases and then added little bows on top of each one. At first, I thought the card was finished, but something felt a bit flat. It needed a touch of sparkle. Once I added a rhinestone to each bow in a contrasting color, the whole design finally came together.

To complete the theme, I paired the “Ho Ho Ho” sentiment with “Santa’s Coming,” which ties in perfectly with the playful gift elements on the card.

Looking for Printable Card Making Kits?

You can find a variety of card-making printables in my shop — from sentiments for every occasion to other cute designs that make creating handmade cards super easy and fun.

I hope these Christmas card ideas inspire you to get creative this holiday season! With just a few simple tools and my printable kits, you can make beautiful handmade cards that your friends and family will truly love.

If you’d like to try these designs yourself, you can find these printable card-making kits in my store. There are lots of fun options, plus some free goodies waiting for you too—perfect for adding a personal touch to your Christmas crafting!