DIY Christmas Cardmaking Ideas with 36 Projects

Happy World Kindness Day! Today we are celebrating the 7th annual Caring Hearts Card Drive with a fun blog hop! If you came from the fabulous Julie Ebersole’s blog, you are right on track!

Today I decided to share some of my favorite holiday cards that I have created for the last few years. I hope you find some inspiration to create your own Christmas cards.

Holiday Card Idea 1: Creating a Winter Scene with Ink Blended Night Sky

It’s always so fun to create a winner scene with a dollop of imagination using images like Santa, kids, and critters. With white ink splatters on the background, you’ll be able to achieve a winter night sky easily.

• Ink blended background: You can use any dye inks such as Tim Holtz Distress Inks, Altenew Crisp Dye Inks, and Hero Arts Shadow Ink.
• White ink splatters: When it comes to creating a snow falling in the sky, my favorite way is using Hero Arts Unicorn White Spray with a paintbrush. If you don’t have this product, you can use white watercolor paint. If you want to add some shimmer to the background, just mix Ranger Perfect Pearls with white ink spray.
• Worth checking out: I can’t think of anyone better than Amy Lee on this technique. I highly recommend you to visit her blog to see her incredibly beautiful cards using ink blending techniques.

Holiday Card Idea 2: Using Traditional Holiday Colors – Red and Green

It’s the easiest way to bring a holiday cheer to your card. You can color your images in red/green using Copic markers or watercolors. Or you can create a red/green background by ink blending or simply using the red/green cardstock for your card base.

Holiday Card Idea 3: Using Non-Traditional Holiday Colors

If you are tired of seeing too many reds and greens during the holiday season, don’t be afraid to use non-traditional holiday colors on your cards.

If you are not comfortable with using non-traditional colors as you’ve never done before, start with a different shade of reds and/or greens as a baby step. Then use at least one non-traditional color while you have red and green on your card.

• Soft colors? I always admire people who are so good at using colors. If you are on Instagram, I recommend you to follow these people to find color inspiration: Melania Deasy, Keeway Tsao, and Joni Andaya. There are my favorite card designers when it comes to using soft colors.
• Why not rainbow colors? You can go even one step further by using rainbow colors as long as you use holiday greetings and images. Whenever I hear the word rainbow, I can’t stop thinking of Laura Bassen. She is such a sweetheart who loves all the colors of the rainbow. 😉

Holiday Card Idea 4: Use a Gold Element such as Gold Diecut and Gold Heat-Embossing 

Using a hint of gold adds such an elegant and classic feeling to your card. It doesn’t matter that the color combo on your card is monochromatic or colorful. You can always incorporate with gold in some way.

• Diecutting the sentiment out of gold cardstock: I love to use Gold Mirror Cardstock or Gold Foil Cardstock from Altenew. You can even use gold cardstock to mat your card panel to give a finished look.
• Heat embossing the images/sentiment with gold embossing powder: My all time favorite gold embossing powder is Ranger Super Fine Gold Embossing Powder.
• Embellishing with gold thread or sequins: There is no limit when it comes to embellishments, right? You can go crazy with it if you want to. 🙂 I love to use Classic Christmas Sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.

Holiday Card Idea 5: CAS(Clean and Simple) One-Layer Card(Single Layer of Cardstock Folded in Half) 

It’s easy to mass produce and mail out without bulk. However, CAS one layer card doesn’t always mean that it’s quick and easy to make depending on the techniques you use.

• Stamped background: It’s a great way to stretch your small stamps you may neglect. You can stamp, color in, or heat emboss depending on the images you have.
• Shape stamping: Small images can be great to be used to fill in the shape like a Christmas tree, ornament, and snowman. Depending on the shape you choose, the possibilities are endless. So you need to observe what small images you have in your stamp sets.
• Tips on creating one layer wonder: my talented friend Virginia Lu created a blog post with one layer card tips a while ago. I hope you check it out HERE.
• Worth checking out: There is a cardmaking challenge blog, CASology, dedicated to clean and simple card inspiration. Check it out HERE. If you are on Instagram, make sure to check out hashtag #onelayercard or #cas_only_cas.

Holiday Card Idea 6: Anything Ornaments, Wreaths, and Christmas Trees

What comes first to your mind when you think about Christmas? Snow, Santa, gift under the Christmas tree… List the tangible objects when you can see during the holiday season. Using a holiday related object is a simple way to start off your card design process. The way you implement it on your card will vary depending on what obeject you choose.

Holiday Card Idea 7: Die-Cut Window Frame or Shaker Card

I can’t think of anything better than creating shaker cards for holiday season. It takes time and effort to complete, but that hard work always pays off. You can use anything for your shaker card: sequins, confetti, beads, die cuts, and etc. My favorite content for the shaker card is always Pretty Pink Posh’s sequins.

If you are not familiar with shaker cards, please check out Kristina Werner’s video tutorials; her shaker cards are so fun and creative!

More Holiday Card Inspiration 

If you want to see more holiday card inspiration, I highly recommend you to follow these Pinterest boards from two of my favorite crafters: Yana Smakula and Debby Hughes. Their boards are full of amazingly beautiful cards you won’t want to miss. You’re welcome! 🙂

Giveaway

No hop is complete without a fun giveaway, right? Simon Says Stamp has generously offered $150 gift card for this hop. All you need to do is visit and leave a comment on each blog. The winner will be randomly selected from one of the participant blogs. You have until midnight Thursday, 11/17/2016 to leave a comment. The winner will be announced on Vera’s blog on Friday, 11/18/2016.

Caring Hearts Card Drive 

The holidays are about family, kindness, and joy. However, during this time many of the elderly who live in nursing homes feel lonely. Wouldn’t it be great if we brought a smile to their face and brightened their holiday season? All you do is making cards. As many as you want and/or have time for. Anything helps! Details for the card drive can be found HERE.

Blog Hop

It is now time to head on over to the amazing Yana Smakula’s blog to see what creation she has to inspire you all. Thanks so much for stopping by. Happy hopping!