15+ DIY Christmas Card and Christmas Gift Tag Ideas

Do you need last-minute DIY Christmas cards or Christmas gift tags? Or do you simply want to try your hand at personalizing your cards and tags this year? If you love crafting but find it difficult to find time or Christmas card making ideas during the holiday season, we’ve got you covered! 

With a few crafting supplies like stamps, dies, washi tapes, stickers, stencils, etc., you can easily create festive holiday greeting cards and tags. Get your creative juices flowing with these fun, quick, and easy Christmas card making projects!

Layered Laurel Stamp Set

Creative Christmas Card Making Ideas

It’s the season to be jolly! Do you have your cards ready yet? If not, don't worry - we've got some great ideas for you. From classic designs to more creative options, we've got something for everyone. So get your craft on and start crafting those beautiful Christmas gift tags and cards today!

Geo Diamonds 3D Embossing Folder

1. Add texture with washi tapes!

Washi tape is one of the most versatile supplies you can have in your crafting stash. In this Christmas card making idea, Lydia took it to the next level by using an embossing folder to add texture to her colorful washi tapes.

FUN FACT! Lydia took a nail file and rubbed this over the embossed image. This will take the top layer of washi tape and leave a white embossed design!

Geo Diamonds 3D Embossing Folder

2. Show your non-holiday supplies some love. 

Sometimes you either run out of Christmas stamps for card making, or you simply want to stretch the use of your other crafting supplies. Whatever the reason is, this Christmas card idea by Aga will help you breathe a new life into your well-loved non-holiday supplies. She stamped some leaves and berries onto her “Merry Christmas” die-cut, embossed the colored background, and she’s done!

Modern Fox Stamp Set

3. Go black and white!

We know how much of a struggle it is to create masculine or neutral cards. So it’s always good to have a few creative Christmas card making ideas for the men in your life. Jaycee wowed us with not just one but three black and white holiday cards that will jumpstart your creativity!

Basic Plaid 3D Embossing Folder

4. Emboss all you can.

If you’re into embossing but can’t decide whether to dry emboss or heat emboss, then do both! Svitlana added a gorgeous, shiny dimension to her festive DIY Christmas card here by using an embossing folder first, then white heat-embossing the embossed background. How cool is that?!

5. Make it spin!

The next Christmas card making idea will make your head spin with excitement! Amaze your card’s recipient by creating a fun and festive spinner card. Watch the video below to see how Lydia made this super creative holiday card!

 

6. Try a non-traditional design. If you’re running out of creative Christmas card ideas, go for something non-traditional. You can use any stamp, die, washi tape, or stencil in your kit; it doesn’t need to be holiday-related. In her card, Tenia used Christmas colors and a holiday sentiment!

FUN FACT! The first-ever Christmas card was created back in Victorian England. A busy, A-lister named Sir Henry Cole couldn’t keep up with correspondence from his numerous friends. Back then, it was considered impolite not to answer letters. So, struck with an innovative idea, he asked an artist friend to sketch out a design, which he then had printed out, made thousands of copies, added a generic holiday greeting, and sent out to everyone in his huge social circle. 

7. Play with both traditional and non-traditional colors. The best thing about DIY Christmas card making is you can be as creative as you want! Don’t be afraid to mix and match colors, components, or textures. Here, Emily added rich jewel tones to her stunning holiday card!

Leaves & Berries Stencil

8. Simplicity is beauty. Sometimes all you need is a simple holiday greeting, and you’re good to go. When it comes to CAS designs, Aga is our go-to crafter! While she didn’t use Christmas stamps for card making, her card simply featured a die-cut Christmas sentiment on white cardstock, but she made it pop by using non-traditional color combinations.

Bold Alphabet Die Set

9. Hang up those Christmas stockings! Therese shared not just one or two but three DIY Christmas card making ideas using our fan-favorite Christmas Stockings Stamp Set. The possibilities are endless with this must-have set. Check out her project ideas here. 

Christmas Stockings Stamp Set

10. Do some multi-color stamping. Who said you couldn’t color your Christmas tree with anything other than green?! We adore Virginia’s multi-colored Christmas tree, popped up against a textured, stenciled background. Get inspired with her project here.

Halftone Stencil

11. Go monochrome! Another creative Christmas card making idea from the fantastic Aga is to use a monochromatic green color theme with white accents. Simple, yet stunning! Want to recreate it? Check out her card idea here.

Majestic Mistletoe Stamp Set

12. Make the most out of one stamp! If you’ve only got one Christmas stamp for card making, don’t you worry! Svitlana shared three creative ways to use one stamp set in this blog post.

Night Before Christmas Stamp & Die Bundle

The fun doesn’t stop there! Watch the video below for more winter holiday card ideas from our amazing design team.

 

What should I say in my Christmas card?

Are you bored of saying “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays” in your holiday cards? We recommend stocking up on holiday-themed sentiment stamps here, if you haven’t already. Here are a few Christmas card greetings that you can use on your next card.

1. Merry everything
2. Peace, love, and joy
3. Feliz navidad!
4. Warm wishes
5. May your days be merry and bright!
6. May your heart be filled with all the joys of this season! 
7. Hope you have a fun, festive holiday season!
8. Celebrate the joys of Christmas
9. Wishing you joy this holiday season!
10. Have a holly jolly Christmas!

Read: 25 Days of Christmas Tags 2018 + Giveaway!

DIY Christmas Tag Ideas

While you're shopping for gifts, don't forget about the gift tags! Here are some fun and easy Christmas gift tag ideas that will add a personal touch to your holiday presents. 

1. Our Altenew Educator Sande’s no-sew fabric Christmas gift tags are to die for! Even if you don’t know how to sew, you can easily recreate these tags with a few supplies and leftover fabric.

Terrific Tags Die Set

2. Use colorful, patterned paper to create your tag, stamp a holiday sentiment, add a ribbon or twine, and you’re good to go!

3. Add a wintery feel with some layered snowflakes!

Read: 25 Days of Christmas Tags 2020 + Giveaway!

4. Gold heat-embossing the sentiment can add that much-needed shine and wow factor.

5. Go for a non-traditional size!

6. Mix and match your alphabet stamps and sentiments to add interest!

 Pocket Banner Die Set

7. Use Christmas symbols either with stamps, dies, or colors. You can even add the number 25 on it to signify December 25th!

8. Try adding a geometric background! This will make your Christmas gift tags look more attractive.

If you need more DIY Christmas tag ideas, we compiled them here. 

Holiday Seals Stamp Set by The Stamping Village

We hope you picked up an idea or two for your next DIY Christmas card making project! Don’t let the abundance or lack of holiday-themed crafting supplies stop you from unleashing your creativity. Play around with what you have, use leftover scraps, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Drop by our All About Crafting page for more project ideas!