How to Make Christmas Cards

The holiday season is a joyful time to celebrate family, friends and faith. Sending Christmas cards is a popular tradition. Many people enjoy the task of making personalized Christmas cards, a process that is fun and easy.

1. Gather Inspiration

Browse store shelves, craft shops and holiday boutiques to get a feel for Christmas card designs and ideas that appeal to you. It can help to look at past Christmas cards that you have received or created yourself.

2. Select a Theme

Choose a theme for your Christmas card. If you have a large percentage of recipients who celebrate a traditional holiday, choose a theme that is conducive to those beliefs. For people with different faith systems, choose either a generic winter-based theme or a theme that can easily be adapted.

3. Sketch Ideas

Sketch the basic layout that you plan to use on your Christmas card.

For variety, you can select several different layouts that will make use of the same basic colors and supplies.

4. Gather Materials

Gather the materials you will need for your Christmas card. If you are building the card from scratch, you will need assorted card stock for the base of your card, as well various embellishments to add focus and interest.

Digital cards can be created entirely on your computer, requiring no physical supplies.

5. Select a Picture and Message

Select the photographs that you would like to include on your Christmas card. Many people choose one family picture that represents the year. You can also create a photo collage or create a card that does not include any photographs. Select a holiday-appropriate message to include with your card. This can be a short poem or a simple Christmas greeting.

6. Assemble the Card

Assemble the Christmas card using your physical supplies or by putting together various digital elements with a basic photo-editing program. Create layers on the card, beginning from the bottom up.

Be cautious that you do not overdo the embellishments and overwhelm your photo or message.

Adjust the design until you have created one card that you find visually appealing.

7. Duplicate or Print Multiple Copies

Duplicate your original Christmas card until you have enough copies for your entire list. If you created a digital Christmas card, save the file in a format compatible with printing. You can print your Christmas card at home if you have a photo-quality printer or take it to a photo shop for duplication.

Get a feel for Christmas card designs and ideas that appeal to you