Simple Handmade Watercolor Christmas Card Ideas
Skip the store-bought cards and make these easy Christmas cards with your family! These 14+ simple watercolor Christmas card ideas are perfect for all ages and can be made in minutes!
Creating together as a family is especially fun around the holidays, from salt dough ornaments to homemade Christmas crayons, my kids always love making new Christmas art projects. These watercolor Christmas card ideas are easy enough for all ages!
Notes On Supplies You’ll Need
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*Sets Of Blank Cards To Buy
- Budget-Friendly 60 Pack of Watercolor Postcards – non-foldable
- 50 High Quality Watercolor Cards – this is what we used
Before You Begin
You can prep a lot of materials first by using a small rotary cutter or paper trimmer to make several blank and folded 4 x 6” cards before you begin. These watercolor Christmas tree cards go pretty quickly, so you may want to have several sheets of paper ready.
#1 Washable Markers As Paint
If you are looking for a simple way to add a little painterly look to your homemade cards or projects, try using washable markers first. Then use a small brush to add water to some areas to see what happens.
ART TEACHER TIP – Check your supplies first and make sure this will work on the type of paper you are using.
#2 Zoomed In Watercolor Christmas Tree Card
You could make this a detailed evergreen tree or as simple as you want. That really is the beauty of watercolor paint. Add a few Christmas decorations in your favorite colors and enjoy your simple painting.
#3 Draw With Glue First
Draw a simple tree, Christmas gifts, or holiday items with glue first. Let the glue dry, then add watercolor paint on top. There is no need to be perfect with this textured painting idea.
#4 Repeated Word Design Card
This card was created by using a gold paint marker on top of shaving cream-marbled paper. Use a gold paint marker to write the holiday words, such as “Merry”, on top. If you made these smaller, they also would make simple watercolor gift tags.
#5 Simple String Of Lights
Paint different colored light shapes. Add details with a fine-line pen when you are finished for the perfect holiday lights!
#6 Paint A Simple Word
We sure love the word merry. Keeping it all in lowercase and adding a period at the end of the simple design was perfect for this DIY Christmas card.
#7 Tape Resist Designs
Everyone will love this process. It can get a little messy, so be aware. You can make really cool papers or tape out a shape first before printing with shaving cream.
#8 Crayon Resist with Watercolor Paint
First, draw with crayons in different shades of green. The harder the crayons are pressed on, the more wax will be on the paper.
After the drawing, use watercolor paint and paint on top.
For best results, make sure the watercolor paint contains enough water for the technique to work. I tell little kids that if the paint is goopy, they are not using it correctly.
#9 Add Salt to Watercolor Paint
This classic watercolor technique is an excellent technique for a handmade card because the salt gives it a wintery feel. Use bright green or other colors; just make sure they mix well. No one wants brown Evergreen trees.
#10 Oil Pastel Resist Snowflake Card
Use a white crayon or oil pastel to draw snowflakes before painting with purple and blue. You can add salt while the paint is wet as well. Kids will think there is magic behind these creative cards.
#11 Oil Pastel Resist With Watercolor Paint
This watercolor paint technique will also work with oil pastels. They are just a little messier. I highly recommend these oil pastels if you are looking for high-quality, long-lasting oil pastels with excellent color saturation.
After this card dries, you could use pen markers to add simple designs, Christmas gifts, or decorations.
No need to be perfect when writing. Have fun adding your personal touch with a special saying, or go with the classic Merry Christmas.
Wet the watercolor paper with a brush first. Add the colors of your choice, and while the paint is wet, sprinkle regular salt onto the painting and see what happens!
#12 Simple Watercolor Ornament Design
Trace a circle in the middle of your paper and paint a light wash for the background. Once the background is dry, add different designs using drawing materials or watercolor paint.
#13 Simple Christmas Trees With Lines
Grab those green watercolor paints and a simple brush to create these easy Christmas tree paintings with strokes and lines. Keep it simple and let the magic of watercolor do its thing.
#14 Masking Fluid Christmas Design
Whether you want to create a simple word or a cool snowflake, masking fluid is a fun way to add a design to your Christmas card easily.
Other Techniques To Try
There are so many creative ideas you can try when making easy DIY Christmas cards. We like using basic tree shapes, but you can use any holiday subject matter you love.
- CLEAR WRAP – Add extra textures to your paintings
- WET-ON-WET – Put water down first, then add colors to let them blend. Kids love seeing what happens!
- MIXED MEDIA- Use colored Sharpies for the main design and add watercolor paint to the background.
Homemade Christmas cards and gifts are the best! We love it when the whole family can create together this holiday season.