This holiday season, display your Christmas cards with a festive and handmade frame. In just 3 easy steps, you can create a beautiful and unique Christmas card display to showcase the cards your family receives.
Do you get excited when the first Christmas card arrives in your mailbox each year?
Or does it make you feel anxious because you’re not sure what to do with it?
Why not turn those holiday greetings into part of your Christmas decorating?!
This simple project gives you a way to show off all those Christmas cards in style.
All you need are a few supplies, and you might even have most of them already lying around.
When the holidays are over, be sure to turn those cards into a keepsake you can enjoy year after year.
You can store the frame away for next year, or use it to display your favorite photos all year long!
- What You Need to Make a Christmas Card Display Frame
- How to Choose Coordinating Ribbons
- Step-by-Step Instructions to Make a Photo Display Frame
- How to Attach Christmas Cards to the Ribbon
- Where to Display a Christmas Card Frame
- Five Other Ways to Enjoy This Frame All Year Long
- More Ideas for Displaying Holiday Cards and Photos
- Resources and Shopping Links
Posts on Simply2Moms may contain affiliate links which means we may earn a small commission on purchases at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read our full disclosure policy here.
What You Need to Make a Christmas Card Display Frame
You don’t need any fancy supplies to make this simple display.
In fact, if you’re a crafter, there’s a good chance you already have a ribbon stash you can pull from!
The biggest thing you’ll need is a large picture frame.
- Heavy Duty Staple Gun
- Scissors
- 24 x 30 Picture Frame (or larger!)
- Assorted Coordinating Ribbon
- Mini Clothespins
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a fantastic frame!
Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and yard sales are all great places to find old frames, with or without art inside them, for very affordable prices.
I found this old frame (and its matching friend) at an antique store for just $25 for the pair!
For years I’ve considered making them into mirrors for my bathroom, but not anymore.
I recommend looking for frames that are at least 24 x 30 inches, and you may want something even larger if you’re lucky enough to receive lots of Christmas cards each year.
Two matching or coordinating frames can be displayed side-by-side. Try arranging one vertically and the other horizontally, layered just a bit on top of each other.
How to Choose Coordinating Ribbons
There are several ways to go when you pick the ribbon to use for your holiday card display.
I recommend starting by looking at the colors in your home or the colors you traditionally use when you decorate for Christmas.
The easiest option is to keep your ribbon colors neutral so they don’t compete with the colors of the cards or photos you’re hanging from them.
You may even decide to skip using ribbon altogether and just use jute twine.
I chose to use a variety of ribbons because I had a lot of short lengths of different styles left from my scrapbooking days.
My ribbons were all relatively narrow, with the thickest one about an inch wide. But you can use wider ribbon if you prefer!
Step-by-Step Instructions to Make a Photo Display Frame
This Christmas card display is seriously so easy to make!
In fact, I made the frame in less time than it’s taken me to write out the instructions.
Start by getting all your supplies together.
Now, decide whether you want the ribbons to run across the short side of the frame or the long side.
If you’re using several frames, consider doing each frame in a different direction.
Use your heavy-duty staple gun to attach one end of the ribbon to the back of the frame.
I recommend using two to three staples on each side of the ribbon.
Next, stretch the ribbon taut to the other side of the frame and staple it on the other end.
If you’re more particular, you may want to use a level to make sure the ribbons are straight.
Or you could use a ruler and mark the spots where you’ll attach the ribbon before you get started.
Usually, I’m kind of picky about things like this, but I’m also fairly confident in my ability to eyeball things.
Alternate the styles of ribbons as you attach them to the frame.
I left about four inches between the bottom of each ribbon to the top of the next one.
Once all the ribbons are attached, use scissors to trim away any excess ribbon from the end.
That’s it!
I told you this holiday DIY project was easy.
How to Attach Christmas Cards to the Ribbon
I clipped several mini clothespins along the ribbons and used them to attach new Christmas cards as they arrived.
You could also keep a small container of clothespins next to the card display.
As we received new holiday cards, I tried to arrange them so that vertical and horizontal cards alternated a bit.
Since I attached the cards somewhat haphazardly, it didn’t matter if some of my ribbons weren’t 100% level.
Where to Display a Christmas Card Frame
If you have a spot in your home to hang the Christmas card display, you could use command hooks to hang it on the wall.
Or you could even swap out a piece of art that you hang in your home year-round for this display of holiday cards.
Another option is to lean it against the wall on a hutch, side table, buffet, or credenza.
Depending on your family, you may want to use a little bit of clear museum putty on the bottom to prevent it from sliding.
Five Other Ways to Enjoy This Frame All Year Long
If the style of the frame suits the style of your home, who says you can only use this frame for holiday cards?!
Definitely not me!
This frame is a great way to display favorite family snapshots all year long.
You could swap out the photos each time someone in your family is celebrating their birthday, graduation, anniversary, or some other milestone.
How about using this frame to display birthday cards and greetings when you receive them?
It would be fantastic to use as a decoration at a graduation party, bridal or baby shower, wedding reception, retirement party, or anniversary celebration.
You could even use it as part of a memorial display.
More Ideas for Displaying Holiday Cards and Photos
If you’ve been around Simply2Moms for a while, then you know that AnnMarie and I love to decorate with photos in our homes.
AnnMarie shared this adorable idea for displaying those photos with Santa from throughout the years. She used the same process as when she made a birthday photo display for her daughter.
Another fun way to display photos or holiday cards is to use an old wood palette.
No matter how you decide to display holiday cards in your home, we hope they bring you joy each time you see them.
Do you have a unique way of decorating with Christmas cards in your home? We’d love to hear about it! Share it with us in the comment section below.
Resources and Shopping Links
Click on any image to shop for items used in this post
If you have any questions or suggestions, contact us or leave a comment below.
Don’t miss any of our tips, tricks, or stories! We’d love for you to follow us on social media. You can find us on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.
Pin it to Remember it!
