Making Holiday Cards With Kids: Easy Designs, Good Paper and a Simple Plan

The easiest way to make holiday cards with children is to fold heavier paper in half, let them decorate the front with one simple design, and write the message inside together. A batch of eight to twelve is plenty for one afternoon. Heavier paper keeps cards standing, washable markers give bold color, and a grown-up can trim edges neatly afterwards.

Below: what you need, five easy designs, and a plan for making a batch without anyone losing interest.

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What you need

For a batch of cards

Pick	Best for	Good to know	Buy
Heavier paper that stands upHP Premium32 Printer Paper, 32 lb, Letter	Noticeably sturdier pages	Costs more than everyday paper	$22.99 on Amazon.com Price as of Oct 27, 6:29 PM UTC Details Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Check price on AmazonView on Amazon Paid link
Bold washable colorCrayola Ultra Clean Washable Markers, Broad Line, 40 Count	Among the most washable kids' markers from skin and most fabrics	Broad tips aren't for tiny details	$18.99 on Amazon.com Price as of Oct 27, 6:29 PM UTC Details Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Check price on AmazonView on Amazon Paid link
Straight edges (grown-ups only)Fiskars SureCut Deluxe Paper Trimmer, 12 in	Perfectly straight edges	For grown-ups: it is a blade	$28.00 on Amazon.com Price as of Oct 27, 6:29 PM UTC Details Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Check price on AmazonView on Amazon Paid link

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Five easy designs

1. Fingerprint baubles: a drawn string with colorful circles hanging from it.
2. A row of lanterns: simple shapes with a gold glow (see metallic crayons and markers).
3. A starry night: a deep blue sky with one big star (see how to color a night sky).
4. Pattern tree: a triangle tree filled with pattern doodles.
5. A snowy window: a square window with white snow left uncolored.

A simple plan for a batch

1. Grown-up prep: cut and fold the paper before the children sit down.
2. Choose one design together and make a sample.
3. Make four cards, then take a break.
4. Write messages together; younger children can sign their name or draw a small heart.
5. Trim edges (grown-up job) and leave them to dry flat.

Cards for grandparents are especially loved (see coloring with grandparents).

Free printable · 2 pages

One Lantern at a Time

A lantern walk turns a hill into a trail of warm little lights.

Print it free →

Writing the message

• Ages 6–7: a grown-up writes the message lightly in pencil, the child goes over it, then signs.
• Ages 8–9: pick one sentence starter: "I hope…", "Thank you for…", "I remember when…".
• Ages 10–12: a short personal note, plus a tiny drawing inside.

Short and personal beats long and copied. One true sentence ("Thank you for the walk to the pond") is what people keep.

Posting and giving

• Let cards dry fully before putting them in envelopes, especially metallic or marker fronts.
• Check the size fits the envelopes you have before cutting.
• Hand-delivered cards to neighbors are a lovely way for children to see the card being opened.

A card for every kind of child

A card-making station that runs itself

Set out one tray per step and let children move along it, like a little workshop: blank cards (already folded), decorating (markers, crayons, a pencil for sketching), messages (a list of sentence starters on a sticky note), and drying (a flat spot or a clothes line with pegs). Everyone works at their own speed, nobody waits for a shared marker, and finished cards go straight to the drying line instead of getting smudged on the table.

Write a short list of who the cards are for before you start: grandparents, a teacher, the neighbor who waves every morning, a friend who moved away. Children work better toward real people than toward "some cards", and the list stops the batch from growing to forty.

Plan it across a week

Short daily sessions keep the cards fresh and the children cheerful. If a sibling or a grandparent joins, see coloring with siblings for keeping a mixed-age table happy.

Thank-you notes, the same way

The same workshop works brilliantly after birthdays and holidays for thank-you notes. Children dread writing them when it means a long letter, but enjoy it when it's a small card with a drawing of the present and one sentence: "Thank you for the kite, I flew it on Sunday!" Short, specific and in their own words is exactly what the person reading it hopes for.

Keep a few blank folded cards in the art box all year round. Then a thank-you, a get-well card or a "welcome to the street" note can be made the same afternoon, while it still means the most.

Whatever the occasion, the same simple setup works: folded cards ready, one design chosen together, short sessions and a drying spot. Children who make cards a few times a year get quicker and more confident, and many start making them on their own for friends' birthdays without being asked. That habit of making something for someone else is worth more than any perfect card.

The one thing to remember

One design, heavier paper and short sessions. The wobbly ones are the ones people keep.