20 Handmade Holiday Cards

Like so many things in life, there are do's and don'ts when it comes to when and how to send holiday cards. Our handy guide breaks down the accepted timeline (surprise: you should have them ready to send earlier than you may have thought!), plus provides guidance if you, like so many of us, are postage procrastinators.

Send warm and cozy greetings to friends and family this holiday season with one of our down-homey designs. We've done most of the hard work; just download one (or all!) of these sweet styles, print onto card stock and add a personalized greeting.

Surprise friends and family with this cute, three-dimensional card. Graphic chevron, trellis and polka-dot patterns + traditional Christmas colors = a hip card that really pops. Our easy tutorial, below, and printable templates will make assembling this card a breeze.

Embellish our free printable template with a favorite family photo surrounded by a glitzy, glittered frame to create a holiday greeting they'll treasure for many years to come.

Afterall, why should marrieds have all the photo card fun? Our free printable template plus photo-editing tips, below, will make it easy to turn a playful snapshot into a punny photo card.

Our free printable template and tutorial, below, make crafting this cute card a snap, even for the littlest crafters. Just print out the design, then let the kids go to town embellishing it however they'd like.

Raid your produce drawer for the raw materials (pun intended) necessary to create one-of-a-kind stamps you and the kiddos can use to design sweet sentiments to send to friends, family and neighbors.

Who can resist this adorable llama decked out in pearls and a Santa hat? Certainly not your pun-loving pals. Just print our oh-so-trendy design onto card stock, sign and send. Make it extra special by adding a bit of glitter to the llama's hat for seasonal sparkle.

This charming handmade card gets its vintage-inspired look from layers of patterned paper. A trendy (and easy-to-create) felt pennant adds the perfect finishing touch.

Dollar store poster board or leftover card stock can be used to create a custom envelope for your crafty card. To create a template, just unfold a standard envelope and trace onto your paper of choice, then cut out. Bring the four corners together, securing the edges with a glue stick. For a festive finishing touch, add a bit of colorful ribbon.

What would the holidays be without a little snow? Send warm-climate friends and family an interactive holiday shaker card with a magical falling-snow effect.

This graphic three-dimensional card is sure to impress — but it's much easier to make than you may think. Our free printable templates and tips, below, make crafting one a snap.

Layers of patterned paper and felt give this card texture and a three-dimensional look that makes it a holiday card standout.

In some tropical regions, we hear Santa's sleigh is pulled by a team of flamingos. No word if the lead bird has a glowing red beak, tho. For an easy last-minute card, just print our free, punny design, then customize with a personal sentiment and let these flamingos take flight.

Forget store-bought, mass-produced Christmas cards. Show friends and family how special they are with this vintage-inspired handmade holiday card. Break out the old sheet music and get crafting with our tutorial, below.

This easy-to-craft card is the perfect way for kids to let grandparents or distant relatives or friends know that they're thinking of them. Just print our free template, then embellish with a bit of yarn or twine.

These easy felt cards come together in a snap and their soft texture and bright colors ensure they'll stand out from the pack. To create, use pinking shears to cut a 5" x 7" dark-gray felt rectangle for each card. Next, cut colorful felt into assorted holiday-themed shapes and glue onto the felt base. Finish by stitching on holiday greetings which have been printed onto paper. Image courtesy of Melanie Blodgett.

Go scavenging in your backyard to source a pine cone to lend a rustic, textural touch to this charming handmade card. Get all the details, below.

Crafty folks tend to have crafty friends — who'd appreciate a crafty card, like this one. Just print out our free template, below, then embellish however your crafty little heart desires.

Layer ribbon and fabric trims to create a colorful piñata-inspired handmade Christmas card.