An Easy DIY Christmas Card Holder

Disclaimer : Thank you Vistaprint for sponsoring this post. While this was a sponsored opportunity from Vistaprint all content and opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

I was talking to my girlfriends and it’s legit….Christmas is 11 weeks away.  That means Christmas cards are seven weeks from being sent out.  That means Christmas card photo sessions are taking place NOW and Christmas card companies are showing off all their new designs and layouts YESTERDAY.  Have you even started looking yet?

It’s crazy how fast the holidays come.  Like certifiable.   I was super pumped to see a package from Vistaprint….they sent me a sample pack of their newest designs and I got the scoop on their newest holiday bounty 🙂  It always makes me feel special….getting Christmas cards….even if they are just models and not real people 🙂  And I can’t wait to display all the cards as soon as they make their way into my grubby little hands.  Seriously…cards are up there with presents.  I haven’t thrown away a Christmas card in YEARS.  I hoard them.  Don’t judge.  Okay you can judge a little.

So today I wanted to give ya a super easy 15 minute project you can do to make an adorable christmas card holder!  Hooray!  I displayed my fake model friends 🙂

First you need an old picture frame.  This was in my stash.  You remove the glass and put it back in your closet somewhere safe.  Then take out the cardboard back and trace that on regular ole cardboard.

Cut out the new back with scissors….or have your creepy-smile-obvious-fan-of-rogue-gear boyfriend do it.

I picked out this cute red polka dot fabric to make my project but really any upholstery cotton or twill will do.  Too thick and this project will be hard to get back into the frame….too thin and the fabric will be loosey goosey.

My cardboard was 19 3/4″ x 15 3/4″ so I cut my piece of fabric 34″ x 24″.

Then you want to iron this puppy flat.

I laid my fabric on the cardboard so that I could see the spacing better.  I pulled the fabric up so it had a couple inches to fold over at the top and then I placed my first holiday card on the fabric leaving an inch of fabric showing above the card but below the edge.  The fold was fairly easy to judge….I just pulled up about three inches of fabric and folded it tight with the bottom of the card and ironed it down to create a pocket.

Then it came time for pocket row number two.  I did the same thing…line up the cards, pull the bottom up and fold over where it should crease and create a pocket and iron it down.

It helps to hold your card in place with one hand and pull up your ‘pocket’ with the other.

Iron it flat with no cards in it….you don’t want to melt your model friends faces 🙂

Then repeat one more time.  Lay….pull up…

fold….and iron. That sounds like a yoga move 🙂

You can reinforce your ironed spots on the very left hand side and right hand side edge with a little hot glue.

Then just push you fabric and cardboard into the frame.  Pull it taunt on both sides (be more delicate with the pulling on top and bottom because you don’t want to pop your pockets!).

Then after hanging it on the wall, you can fill the pockets with Christmas cards!

This could work for Hannukah, Kwanza, birthday, Easter, anniversary, just because cards or any holiday paper as well.  Just making that clear in case anyone gets confused 🙂

Overall….it’s adorable.  I don’t know if it’s the project or the cards but seriously….I love it.

The cards definitely help 🙂

Don’t you guys love sneak peeks?!  Well….here is the new holiday line of cards that Vistaprint has available!  I am digging so many of the designs it’s hard to pick one as a favorite.  Probably that Love & Joy one….dude that flower art is amazing.  No wait…the Merry & Bright one goes with my past Christmas cards so I would pick that.  Or maybe the grid of nine card….that’s a lot of photograph real estate right there!

Either way….the Vistaprint holiday cards are adorable and they are completely on trend.  I mean….gold?  simplicity?  nature?  great fonts?  YES yes yes yes and another yes for emphasis.  That one that is just a simple wreath even looks like art.  Not just a card.  So good.

So are you guys preparing for your holiday photos now?  Vistaprint is running a 50% off holiday cards sale. So go pick out a layout from Vistaprints new designs and show it to the photographer…she can then make sure to snap a perfect picture to pop in!  That’s my tip of the day 🙂  Not only will your photographer love you but then you can get that coveted title of Most Favorite Card from all your family and friends.  And also…collect old frames from Goodwill because I see lots of card holders in your future 🙂