7 Holiday Card Designs to Get You Ready for the Season

Posted on November 24, 2016 | Updated on January 25, 2023

Now that the turkey’s in the oven and are anxiously waiting for dinner, there’s scarcely any time to recover from today before the next holiday arrives. That’s because Americans traditionally start the holiday season immediately after Thanksgiving. So it’s already time to start decorating the tree, planning holiday parties and writing your seasonal cards. If you’re craving a bit of inspiration to get you through the latter responsibility, keep reading and discover some holiday card designs.

Kitten Christmas

Courtesy of Lang

Courtesy of Lang

If you’re a cat owner, you know felines can scarcely resist playing with your holiday tree. Not to mention their primal urge to climb it. As annoying as those antics may be, they’re also pretty cute, as demonstrated through this whimsical card design.

The exquisitely detailed cats feature serene yet curious expressions, and the addition of an untouched toy mouse speaks to something that’s probably relatable for most cat owners. Even when cats have their own toys, they still have more fun with things their humans buy. Also, the “Hope, Wonder & Joy” text is appropriate regardless of which holiday your recipient celebrates.

Reindeer Paws

Courtesy of Etsy

Courtesy of Etsy

No matter how old you are, you can probably recall fond memories of going outside and anxiously looking for Santa sightings. Maybe you searched for the reindeer tracks left across the snowy ground.

Simple but effective holiday card designs such as this one bring you straight back to childhood and features an embossed front that gives a three-dimensional look. These handmade cards are sure to be delightfully received by anyone you send them to.

“Filthy Animal” Christmas Card

Courtesy of Etsy

Courtesy of Etsy

“Home Alone” is arguably one of the most beloved Christmas films of recent decades. Perhaps it’s because viewers can easily relate to the chaos of holiday travels and the understandable disaster of potentially leaving someone behind. One memorable line from the movie comes when Kevin watches a gangster movie that includes a character who says, “Merry Christmas, you filthy animal!”

Show off your love of pop culture by sending these memorable holiday card designs. Humorously, the script font and elegant design offer a stark disconnect from the somewhat crude yet instantly recognizable phrase. Almost everyone has seen “Home Alone” and considers it a Christmas movie, even if they don’t participate in the holiday themselves.

Fireworks Celebration for New Year’s Eve

Courtesy of Zazzle

Courtesy of Zazzle

People automatically think of fireworks when celebrating Independence Day. The same association is frequently connected with parties where people ring in the New Year with champagne, sparklers and close friends. If you’re planning a bash to transition from December into January, there’s no better way to do it than with these dazzling, personalized holiday card designs.

The modern design features a starburst-like design for the fireworks, complemented by block lettering as a backdrop. Also, each section that lists party details is printed in a different color, which aligns with the bright appearance of the fireworks theme.

Happy Kwanzaa Cards

Courtesy of Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

The colorful lettering across this card includes distinctive patterns that give it personality and immediately attract attention. Since these cards come with bright green envelopes, they easily correspond with the main design. Also, there’s no message inside, leaving you plenty of room to write warm, personalized wishes for each person who receives a card.

Menorah Blahnik

Courtesy of The Jewish Museum

Courtesy of The Jewish Museum

This tongue-in-cheek Chanukah card is sure to inspire chuckles from anyone who sees it, especially if they love shoes. Featuring a pun based on Spanish shoe designer Manolo Blahnik, the card combines traditional menorah candles carefully placed along the insole of a peep-toe stiletto. The inside is blank, offering you ample space for writing greetings to help people celebrate the Festival of Lights. Also, coordinating white envelopes offer a stark contrast to the rainbow-colored candles that act as the focal point of the holiday card design.

Christmas Pear Ornament Card

Courtesy of Minted

Courtesy of Minted

This lovely holiday card design features a visually pleasing red, gold and grey color scheme. Plus, you can personalize the front to feature the year and your own family name or that of the recipient. A bird perching on a branch is the main image on the card, while a design with leaves and buds adds complementary elements.

If you’re someone who likes to encourage people to recycle their holiday cards, this design is a smart choice. It doubles as an ornament and includes a hanger made of silver material. Although the card appears to have metallic parts, it seems that way because of a clever optical illusion. These shaped cards are also worthy choices if you want to send something distinctly different than the usual square and rectangular cards that are so widely available from most card merchants.

Related Posts

About The Author

Eleanor Hecks is the Editor-in-Chief of Designerly Magazine, an online publication dedicated to providing in-depth content from the design and marketing industries. When she's not designing or writing code, you can find her exploring the outdoors with her husband and dog in their RV, burning calories at a local Zumba class, or curled up with a good book with her cats Gem and Cali.

You can find more of Eleanor's work at www.eleanorhecks.com.

Leave a Comment