Hi there friends!

Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday! I love the entire holiday season- bright pumpkins in the fall, ghosts and goblins during Halloween, cornucopia w/ corn husks in November, and finally the soft white lights at Christmas! I also love making cards. Every Christmas I have the best of intentions to make holiday cards for friends and family, but the hustle and bustle of the season leaves me short on time. So this year I am making my holiday cards early. Join me as I show you simple strategies for how to make holiday cards for friends and family!

Step One for How to Make Holiday Cards for Friends and Family

So let’s make some beautiful cards! To get started, you will need:

• Cardstock- solid colors and holiday themes
• Paper glue
• Scissors
• Embellishments- you choose

And Starbucks… always have your coffee ready! (Side note: Starbucks coffee is my Saturday morning treat! Wish I could drink it daily, but the drink I love is loaded with sugar!)

When it comes to embellishments, you can purchase or make your own. I like to make my own using my Cricut Explore Air. In a couple of weeks, I will post a tutorial on making your own embellishments with a Cricut Explore Air. Stay tuned!

Step Two for How to Make Holiday Cards for Friends and Family

Next, you want to select a piece of cardstock that will serve as the frame of the card. I am using white today, but you can use any color you choose. I used a large piece and cut it in half, so I can make two cards with one piece. Once you have cut it in half, fold each piece in half. This is the frame of your card!

Do you rush around like crazy during the holiday season? Is it difficult for you to get everything you need done AND find time to enjoy the season? If so, check out my Christmas planner printables! These popping printables have everything you need to get organized and find time for YOU this holiday season! And the best part? The printable are FREE! Check them out!

Click here for your FREE printables!

Step Three for How to Make Holiday Cards for Friends and Family

I love this step! Picking the papers that will make up the main design of the card is so much fun! You can pick the patterns and colors you like best. I bought this Christmas pack of cardstock at Michael’s last week. Best part? It was in the Hot Buy section for $5! Yes! Love beautiful papers, and they are even better on sale!

I cut the decorative piece of paper to fit the frame I made in step 2. Glue this piece on.

Just a word about glue: I have tried all kinds of glue when I make cards. I get so annoyed when the glue bubbles, preventing the paper from laying smooth. Some glue will even bleed through the paper. Ugh! Glue dots are okay, but too pricey for me! I love Zip Dry because a little goes a long way and it does not bubble or make the paper funky. You cannot even tell the paper is glued on when I use it, and that is why I love it!

Step Four for How to Make Holiday Cards for Friends and Family

For this step, you begin adding embellishments. I like to think about my pieces in layers. If you layer your pieces, it allows everything to stand out. Sometimes, your embellishments can appear flat. To prevent this, I like to add contrast. Pieces that pop and draw your eye are best.

Here I added the Merry and Bright sign.

Next, I added my Merry Christmas message attached to my Santa pin.

I also added the mug of cocoa, but I do not like it as is. It blends in too much. Remember how I mentioned contrast earlier? I think I need something else here to help the mug of cocoa stand out.

…and here is my contrasting piece!

I like it because it adds another dimension because of the layering.

A lot of card making, and scrapbooking in general, is trial and error! Sometimes you put things together and find they are just not right, or something is missing. The best news is you can fix it! Even if something is glued on, you can usually peel it away and make it okay. The joy of making cards is you get to put your personal touch on them, while making each card beautiful in your eyes.

Here it is with the cocoa mug:

And this is the finished product:

Step Five for How to Make Holiday Cards for Friends and Family

The final step for your cards is to ENJOY giving them to friends and family! It is a special moment you get to enjoy when the people that are special in your life receive your beautiful cards.

Let’s recap the steps for how to make holiday cards for friends and family:

1. Gather your supplies
2. Create the frame for your card
3. Glue the decorative paper to your card
4. Add embellishments
5. ENJOY by giving to friends and family!

Should You Make Your Own Holiday Cards for Friends and Family?

Why make your own holiday cards? Well, I love the personal touch it adds to your holiday gift giving! There is just something about receiving a handmade card that is super special. Store bought cards are nice, but can sometimes be pricey and lack the personal feel that comes when you receive a homemade card. When I receive a card from someone that they actually made, it touches my heart! And I hope this tutorial shows you that card making is not a complex task. You can make beautiful cards for little money and minimal effort!

A Look at the Final Products

Let’s look at some of the other cards to see how they are coming along!

Here is the start of a second card:

Love some super cute embellishments! I could absolutely get lost in the aisles of Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and Joann’s looking at all of the adorable holiday embellishments. And the variety of colors and patterns- gorgeous!

I made four cards today, each with a similar color scheme but different patterns. I am really happy with how each turned out- and I know just who to give each of these cards!

Here is a look at all four cards:

The Christmas season is a great time to show your friends and family that you care about them and you are happy they are in your life! One way that you can really show someone they are special is by making a holiday card just for them. One that you personally designed for them! I hope this post inspires your to make something special for the people in your life!

What special holiday traditions do you have in your family? Go ahead and share in the comments!

Be sure to check out my other holiday posts:

How to Make a Holiday Sign with a Cricut

How to Organize Your Holiday

Create a Hot Cocoa Bar for the Holidays

And coming soon… how to decorate your mailbox for Christmas, how to flock your Christmas tree, how to make ornaments for your tree, and how to decorate your Christmas tree like a pro! Subscribe to Home on Arbor Pointe today to get weekly updates!

See you soon, friends!