Craft Simple, But Marvelous Handmade Christmas Cards With Cardstock

One of the first papercraft projects I completed was making handmade Christmas cards. If I wasn’t hooked on cardmaking by then, I surely was by the time I finished!

Now, I know some of you are saying, “What’s going on, Beverly?  Christmas cards? It’s not even Thanksgiving yet!”

Well, those of you who have made all your Christmas cards in the past, you know that it is never too early to start!  

Especially if you have a long list of friends and relatives that you want to send your handmade card.

So today, I am showing you how to make these marvelous 4.25 x 5-inch handmade Christmas cards!

How Hard Is It To Make Handmade Christmas Cards?

It doesn’t have to be hard at all.  My tutorial is actually pretty easy.  The skills you need really boil down to three:

• Cutting paper
• Adding adhesive or glue
• Tying a bow

That’s it! 

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Watch my video to see how I make this adorable, vintage-looking handmade Christmas card?

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For your convenience, I included affiliate links which means I may make a commission, but it won’t cost you any more.  Read my entire disclosure here.

Materials

• Cardstock, green and black (or your choice of colors)
• Scrapbook paper, Christmas themed
• Adhesive squares, double-sided tape, or craft glue
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Jute twine or ribbon
• Paper cutter or scissors

I’ve included a step-by-step tutorial in my Maker Library for your convenience.  Join for free and download the PDF and all my other free resources!

Tell Me More

To begin your handmade Christmas card, you will need to decide what color you want your base to be.  I chose a nice bright, Christmas green, but you can choose whatever color you fancy.

Often I go with white cardstock for the base of my cards.  

Cut the base for your handmade Christmas Card

You will need to cut your base pieces to be 8.5 x 5.5 inches.  If you are using 8.5 x 11-inch sheets of cardstock, then you will be able to get two cards from one sheet of cardstock.

The finished size of these cards will be 4.25 x 5.5 inches.  For this size card, I do not like using my Cricut Maker to cut the bases.  

Why?  Well, it is difficult to align the paper so that the machine cuts the sheet in half.  The Cricut Maker doesn’t cut to the edge of a sheet.  It keeps a quarter-inch border around the mat, so you would need to account for that.  It’s just too much trouble for me.

Instead, I use my OLD, but trusty Fiskars cutter.  You can use scissors or a rotary cutter with a cutting mat and a ruler.

Score and fold the base

I used a bone folder, but you can use whatever hard-edged item you have handy.  For the longest time, I used an old plastic phone card (remember those things?) and an old plastic insurance card.

Fold one short end toward the other short end.  Just make sure to line up the corners and use your scorer to make a sharp crease.

Layers two and three of the handmade Christmas card

Next, you will need to cut your second layer.  You always want to cut your layers a tiny bit smaller than the preceding layer.

In this case, my second layer will be 4 x 5.25 inches.  I used black as the second layer.  I thought it made a nice frame around my ‘sheet music’ layer.

Cut your second layer cardstock to measure 4 x 5.25 inches.  

Note:  You don’t have to use cardstock for layer two – you can use scrapbook paper for this layer if you prefer.

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So the third (or top layer) will need to be a bit smaller than the preceding layer.  Use whatever Christmas-inspired scrapbooking paper you like.

Cut the third layer to measure 3.75 x 5 inches.  

I used scrapbooking paper that was printed with old Christmas hymns like Joy To The World and Silent Night.  I love the vintage look of this paper!

Cut a banner for an embellishment

The banners look like thick arrows.  Each of them is .75 inches wide, but I varied the length between 3 and 4 inches.  

Choose Christmas-themed scrapbooking paper to complement the printed Christmas paper you used for your top layer (3rd layer).

Be sure to cut a point on one end of the banner to make the arrow shape.

Time layer up

Using adhesive squares, double-sided tape, or glue, attach the second layer (black) to the base layer (green).  

Next, attach the third layer (Christmas hymn paper) to the second layer.

Finally, stick two foam squares on the back of the banner and layer the banner on the card by aligning it with one of the top corners of the third layer.

Bow time

Using twine or ribbon, make a small bow.  Use hot glue or craft glue to stick the bow to the corner of the banner.

Include a sentiment on your handmade Christmas card

Lastly, you will need to add a sentiment of some sort to the inside of your card.  You could print out a saying or you could stamp a sentiment if you have Christmas stamps.  

A handwritten note works just as well.

Admire Your Handmade Christmas Cards

Time to step back and ooh and ahh over your creation!  Wasn’t that fun?

And this design is so easy that you can make several cards in a short amount of time.

What do you say?  Want to try your hand at crafting handmade Christmas cards?  Please share with me what you make!

Did you know I created a gift guide for the 2021 Holiday season?  I love looking at gift guides, and I thought you might, too.  So I created one with the crafter in mind.  Check it out!

Looking for a gift for someone who isn’t a crafter? Or want some cute holiday decorating items? Check out my Tate + Zoey boutique! It has jewelry, home decor, bags, and so much more. There’s even a gift planner, so you never miss a birthday or anniversary!

Additional Reading:

• 3 Reasons To Start Making Handmade Cards Now
• How To Make An Easy Barn Door Fold Card
• What Supplies Do You Need To Create A Basic Handmade Card