Stuck on this year’s Christmas card? Here are 30 Christmas card ideas, grouped by style: photo cards for families, funny cards, minimalist designs, handmade cards, ideas kids can make and cards for clients and coworkers.
After the ideas you’ll find Christmas card messages to write inside, standard card and envelope sizes, and how to make and print your card in Canva for free.
Family and Photo Christmas Card Ideas
- Matching pajamas. Everyone in the same festive PJs on the sofa or by the tree. Shoot near a window in daylight for soft, flattering light.
- Year-in-review collage. Pick four to nine favorite photos from the year and arrange them in a grid with a short caption under each. Our guide on how to make a collage covers layouts that work.
- The pet as the star. Put the dog or cat in a Santa hat and sign the card from them. Pet cards are often the ones people keep on the fridge.
- Then and now. Recreate an old family photo with everyone in the same spots, and print the two side by side. Scanning old prints? Our tips on heirloom photos explain how to digitize them safely.
- A cozy candid. Skip the posed shot and use a real moment: hot cocoa by the window, decorating the tree or opening the first gift.
- Big news card. A new baby, a new home or an engagement? Share the news on the front and add a holiday greeting inside.
Funny Christmas Card Ideas
- A good pun. “Have a tree-mendous Christmas”, “Sleigh all day” or “Yule love it” in big, bold type over a simple illustration.
- The blooper photo. Use the shot where the toddler is crying, the dog is escaping and the lights are tangled, then caption it “We tried.”
- Naughty or nice report. Design a mock report card that lists each family member’s naughtiest and nicest moments of the year.
- Holiday movie poster. Cast your family as the stars of a made-up holiday film, complete with a dramatic tagline and fake credits.
- The unimpressed pet. A grumpy cat or a sulking dog next to a cheerful “Merry Christmas” is funny without saying a word.
Minimalist and Modern Christmas Card Ideas
- Single-line tree. One continuous line drawing of a tree in gold or white on a deep green background.
- Big typography. Just one or two words, such as “Joy” or “Merry & Bright”, in a large, beautiful font. Our list of Christmas fonts on Canva has free options that work at large sizes.
- One-color card. Use different shades of a single color, such as all greens or all reds. Our Christmas colors guide lists hex codes for each.
- Geometric shapes. Stack triangles into trees, use circles as ornaments or build a star from simple lines.
- Lots of white space. A small illustration in one corner and a short greeting. It looks expensive, especially on textured paper.
Handmade and DIY Christmas Card Ideas
- Watercolor wash. Paint a loose wreath, a row of trees or a snowy sky. Paint one original, scan it and print copies.
- Pressed greenery. Glue small sprigs of rosemary, fern or pine onto kraft paper cards. Add a handwritten greeting underneath.
- Stamped patterns. Carve a star or tree into a potato or a rubber eraser and stamp a pattern across the front.
- Pop-up tree. Two cuts and a fold inside the card make a simple tree that stands up when the card opens.
- Washi tape trees. Stick strips of patterned tape in a triangle shape, trim the ends and add a paper star on top.
Christmas Card Ideas for Kids
- Handprint reindeer. Paint a brown handprint upside down, so the fingers become antlers, then add eyes and a red nose.
- Fingerprint lights. Draw a wavy line for the wire and let kids add colorful fingerprint “bulbs” along it.
- Their drawing on the front. Scan your child’s Christmas drawing and use it as the front of the family card. Grandparents love these.
- Color-in cards. Print outline drawings so kids, or the people who receive the cards, can color them in. A playful kids font keeps the lettering friendly.
Business and Work Christmas Card Ideas
- Team photo. The whole team in Santa hats, or a neat grid of headshots with everyone’s first name.
- The year in numbers. Share fun stats such as orders shipped, coffees drunk or new clients welcomed, and finish with a thank you.
- Charity card. Tell clients you’ve donated to a cause instead of sending gifts, and name the charity on the card.
- Brand-colored card. Swap red and green for your brand palette so the card feels like it comes from you. Our brand kit examples show how brands keep colors consistent.
- Video message QR code. Print a QR code inside the card that opens a short video greeting from the team. Here’s how to make a QR code in Canva.
Christmas Card Messages
A good card message has three parts: a greeting, one personal line and a warm sign-off. Mix and match from the ideas below.
Short and Simple Christmas Messages
- Wishing you a season full of warmth, light and good company.
- Peace, joy and plenty of cookies this Christmas.
- Thinking of you this Christmas and sending lots of love.
- Here’s to a cozy Christmas and a bright new year.
- Merry Christmas from our home to yours.
Funny Christmas Card Messages
- Our family photo took 47 tries. Please enjoy try number 47.
- We made the nice list. Barely.
- May your coffee be strong and your relatives be on time.
- Sending holiday cheer and absolutely no fruitcake.
- Eat, drink and worry about your jeans in January.
Christmas Messages for Family and Friends
- No matter how far apart we are, you’re always home for Christmas in our hearts.
- Thank you for making this year so much brighter. Merry Christmas!
- Can’t wait to celebrate together. Save us a seat by the fire.
- Missing you this Christmas and counting the days until we’re together again.
Religious Christmas Card Messages
- Wishing you the peace and joy of Christ this Christmas.
- May the light of the star of Bethlehem guide you in the year ahead.
- Celebrating the birth of Jesus with you in our hearts.
- “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)
Christmas Messages for Coworkers and Clients
- Thank you for a great year of working together. Happy holidays!
- Wishing you a restful break and a successful new year.
- It’s been a pleasure working with you this year. Season’s greetings from all of us.
- Thank you for your support this year. We’re grateful for clients like you.
Not sure whether someone celebrates Christmas? “Happy holidays” or “Season’s greetings” works for everyone.
Christmas Card Sizes and Envelopes
The most popular Christmas card size in the US is 5 x 7 inches, which fits an A7 envelope (5.25 x 7.25 in). In the UK, Europe and India, A6 and A5 cards are more common, with C6 and C5 envelopes.
| Card size | Dimensions | Envelope | Envelope size | Common in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2 | 4.25 x 5.5 in (108 x 140 mm) | A2 | 4.375 x 5.75 in | US |
| 5 x 7 | 5 x 7 in (127 x 178 mm) | A7 | 5.25 x 7.25 in | US (the most popular photo card size) |
| A9 | 5.5 x 8.5 in (140 x 216 mm) | A9 | 5.75 x 8.75 in | US (large cards) |
| A6 | 105 x 148 mm (4.1 x 5.8 in) | C6 | 114 x 162 mm | UK, Europe and India |
| A5 | 148 x 210 mm (5.8 x 8.3 in) | C5 | 162 x 229 mm | UK, Europe and India |
The card size is the folded size. For a folded 5 x 7 in card, you print on a 10 x 7 in sheet and fold it in half. A folded A6 card is printed on A5, and a folded A5 card on A4.
Thinking about square cards? In the US, the Postal Service treats square envelopes as nonmachinable because their length-to-height ratio is too close to 1, so they need extra postage. Lumpy extras such as wax seals, buttons or pressed flowers can add a surcharge too. Postal rules differ by country, so check with your local post office before you mail a big batch.
How to Make a Christmas Card in Canva
- Pick a starting point. On the Canva home page, search for “Christmas card” and choose a template, or select Custom size and enter your card size, such as 5 x 7 in or 148 x 210 mm.
- Add your photos. Open Uploads, upload your pictures and drag each one onto a photo frame in the template.
- Change the text and colors. Double-click any text to edit it. Swap in your own colors with the hex codes from our Christmas colors guide.
- Add the inside page. Click Add page below your design for the inside message or the back of the card.
- Download for printing. Select Share, then Download, choose PDF Print and turn on crop marks and bleed if a print shop will trim your cards. Our guide on how to print from Canva walks through each setting.
Printing double-sided cards at home? Our explainer on flip on long edge vs short edge shows which setting keeps the inside the right way up. You can also order printed folded cards straight from Canva in many countries, in 5 x 7 in and 4.25 x 5.5 in sizes, with a choice of paper and finish.
Sending lots of personalized cards? Canva’s Bulk Create feature can drop each person’s name into a copy of the design. Our guide to Canva mail merge explains how it works.
Tips for Christmas Cards That Look Professional
- Use sharp photos. Aim for 300 dpi at the printed size. A full 5 x 7 in photo needs about 1500 x 2100 pixels. If a photo looks soft, try our tips to fix blurry photos first.
- Keep text away from the edges. Leave at least 0.125 in (3 mm) between important text and the trim line. In Canva, turn on Show margins to see the safe area.
- Run backgrounds into the bleed. Stretch photos and colors past the edge of the page so you don’t get thin white lines after trimming.
- Check colors in print. Screens show RGB color and printers use CMYK, so bright reds and greens often print darker. Print one test card first. If your PDF looks blurry, see our Canva PDF export fixes.
- Leave room to write. A few blank lines inside make a handwritten note easy. For neat lettering, try these easy fonts to write by hand.
Want a matching phone wallpaper or video call background? Our free aesthetic Christmas backgrounds use the same festive styles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start with a greeting, add one personal line about the year or the person, and finish with a warm sign-off. For example: “Merry Christmas! We loved seeing you this summer. Lots of love, the Patels.”
In the US, 5 x 7 in is the most popular size and fits an A7 envelope. A2 cards (4.25 x 5.5 in) are also common. In the UK, Europe and India, A6 and A5 cards with C6 and C5 envelopes are standard.
In the US, yes. The Postal Service treats square envelopes as nonmachinable, so they need a surcharge on top of the normal letter rate. Other countries have their own rules.
Use a free Christmas card template in Canva, add your photos and message, then download it as a PDF Print file. Print it at home or at a local print shop. Templates marked with a crown need Canva Pro.
Try your pet, a child’s drawing, a big typographic greeting, a simple illustration or a one-color design. All of them feel personal without a posed photo.
Thank the person for their support, wish them a good break and keep it short. “Happy holidays” or “Season’s greetings” works well when you don’t know whether everyone celebrates Christmas.
