A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World

25 Free Printable Christmas Cards for the Perfect Holiday Cheer

Choose from this assortment of fun and festive Christmas cards you can download and print in no time—and for no cost

printable christmas cards
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Printable Christmas cards

Sending holiday cards can be a fun Christmas activity, but it can also feel like a chore to pick the perfect card, decide what to write, make your list of who to send them to, and correctly spell the last names( especially the plural last names). And then there’s the fact that buying Christmas cards quickly adds up. That is, unless you opt for free printable Christmas cards.

We know what you’re thinking, but free Christmas cards don’t have to be tacky or cheap looking. In fact, these downloadable Christmas card templates are so beautiful and cute that you may wonder why you ever paid for cards in the past. This Christmas, use these printable Christmas cards to celebrate the holidays and show people you care.

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Tidings Holiday Card Printable
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Tidings of comfort and joy

These printable Christmas cards are not only a great bargain, but they’re also beautiful works of art, like this impressive, elegant design. Stationery designer Colleen Michele created this image, featuring a round array of holly leaves that surrounds a prancing reindeer and a lyric from the “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” Christmas song.

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Watercolor wreath christmas card
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Watercolor wreath

This gorgeous watercolor design comes courtesy of Greetings Island, which has a whole collection of free Christmas cards—customizable ones, no less. Plus, red and green are traditional Christmas colors, making this design beautifully on-theme for the holidays. When you know what you want to write in your cards this Christmas, you can change the text inside the card or even add a photo, and it doesn’t cost a thing.

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Fingerprint reindeer card
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Fingerprint reindeer card

The best Christmas cards allow you to put your own personalized spin on them, not just with Christmas card messages but with artistic touches as well. This fun project from Simple Everyday Mom allows you to print out a charming Santa-and-reindeer template. But the rest is up to you! Use your child’s fingerprints to create the reindeer heads and add ribbons to connect the reindeer to the sleigh. You can add decorations to your heart’s content.

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Free Printable Xmas Cards Tree
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Whimsical tree

This abstract, multicolored tree pops right off the page and would even make a perfect Christmas craft for kids, if you want to replicate the design. Stephanie Locsei, the designer behind Homemade Gifts Made Easy, has two full pages of free Christmas cards just like these, for whichever holiday design strikes your fancy.

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Free Printable Christmas Cards Merry Snowman Hot Cocoa
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Merry Christmas snowmen

This wintry scene from Homemade Gifts Made Easy makes a fun, quirky addition to any Christmas card template collection. Once you’ve printed this design, write a funny Christmas quote inside to add some laughter to your cards.

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Santa Says
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Santa says

A sweet message from Santa himself will surely put a smile on your loved one’s face. This printable Christmas card from Greetings Island features a glasses-wearing Saint Nick, smiling at the top of the chimney. Make the card extra special by adding your own text, font, sticker or image.

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A Very Merry Christmas Card
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Best buddies

Even in the coldest weather, you’ll melt for this adorable card featuring a happy reindeer and snowman sharing a cozy holiday hug. The text inside says “Wishing you all the joy a holiday can hold” (though you can change it or remove it, if you prefer).

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Printable coloring pages
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Printable coloring pages

Add a personal touch to your Christmas cards this year with these gorgeous illustrations from Simple Everyday Mom: a Christmas ornament, a “peace” wreath and a snowman. Print out your favorite and have your creative child or relative fill in the colors. Your card recipients will love getting these hand-decorated printable Christmas cards.

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Dachshund Through The Snow
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Dachshund through the snow

This printable will inspire you to dress up your pup for Christmas (maybe an ugly, albeit cute, sweater and beanie hat?). Plus, it includes a fun Christmas pun that will bring on all the joy of the holidays.

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neon christmas card
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Neon Christmas

If the neon text style on Instagram stories were a Christmas card, it’d be this design. The templates on Presentation Magazine download as PowerPoint files, making them super easy to use. We picked our favorite, but the site has lots of other cards to pair with that gift for your boyfriend or girlfriend.

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Tree Christmas Card
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Very Christmasy tree

This design from Greetings Island makes a full Christmas tree out of the words “Merry Christmas.” The red and green pop off the page. As is, the text inside says “Gather around your Christmas tree and relish time spent with family and friends,” but you can edit it to your heart’s content.

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holly berry wreath card
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Holly berry wreath

Instead of the traditional red-and-green cards that you know your recipients are going to get scores of, choose a free Christmas card with a snazzy but still festive pink-and-white design. Plus, gifting this holly berry wreath card may make you feel better about not using a wreath as a Christmas decoration, if you’re opting out this year.

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Free Printable Xmas Cards
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Silly reindeer

Kids (and kids at heart) are sure to smile when they open this cute card and see a friendly cartoon animal— a reindeer adorned with Christmas ornaments and treats.

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Holly Jolly Penguin Card
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Holly, jolly penguins

How cute are the adorable penguins featured in this holiday card by Homemade Gifts Made Easy? This is a fun card for kids to write their messages to loved ones. After printing, cut around the card’s outline and fold it down the center.

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Black Tree Christmas Card
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Happy holidays tree

The vibrant, colorful tree pops on the black background of this artsy card. This one comes blank inside, but you can add your choice of text (a hilarious Christmas joke, perhaps?) if you’d like. You can also get this, and all the other printable Christmas cards on Greetings Island, as an e-card.

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Free Printable Xmas Card
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Trees with candy stripes

This lovely card proves the red-and-green Christmas color scheme doesn’t have to be so bright and bold. The subdued olive and deep red give this vintage-style card a rustic feel. Everyone’s favorite arborescent symbol of the holiday is front and center in this design.

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starry christmas tree card
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Starry Christmas tree

We love the spooling aqua-colored strands of the Christmas tree on this card from Presentation Magazine. It’s a fun, modern take on the traditional tree and may be the perfect pick for an unexpected Christmas riddle.

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Oh What Fun Card
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Oh what fun

A quintet of simply drawn, unique Christmas trees, along with a joyful lyric from “Jingle Bells,” makes this card a perfect choice for your season’s greetings.

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Festivities Ecomm Via Greetingsisland.com
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All the festivities

How do you celebrate the holiday season? With a day full of tree trimming, carol singing and cookie eating, of course! Keep this Christmas card‘s message as is, or personalize it with another merry saying.

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Have a holly jolly Christmas card
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Have a holly jolly Christmas

The classic Christmas song comes to life in this snazzy card from Simple Everyday Mom, and the pink and green designs pop off the page. There’s nothing inside, so you can write whatever you want. You can also find cards reading “Joy to the World” and “Merry Christmas” in a similar color scheme, so you can change up your holiday cards. They’re all sure to be winners!

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Free Printable Ornament Xmas Cards
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Snowflake ornaments

It might take a second glance to realize the ornaments on this beautiful card design from Homemade Gifts Made Easy are made up of miniature snowflake shapes. With two traditional Christmas symbols in one, this design from Stephanie Locsei lets you deliver double the holiday cheer!

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Mele Kalikimaka
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Mele Kalikimaka

No, this isn’t a Christmas card. It’s a set of free gift tags—eye-catching, colorful, double-sided ones— that will complement the rest of these free printable Christmas cards. Wish someone a “Mele Kalikimaka” with these vibrant printables from Colleen Michele.

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Sweet Christmas Card
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Sweet Christmas

Love all the sweet treats the holidays bring? Then this card from Greetings Island is for you. It features an adorable gingerbread man, a festive cookie, a delicious-looking cake—what more could you want?

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Christmas Gratitude Card
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Christmas gratitude

Christmas is a time to express our sincerest gratitude for what we have. This lovely card from Blue Mountain reminds us that it’s important to slow things down and reflect on what we cherish most around the holidays. Write a sentimental gratitude quote in the card to add an extra layer of appreciation.

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Simple Happle Holidays Card
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Simple “happy holidays”

This card from Xerox proves that there’s beauty in simplicity. The wonderful design and gorgeous seafoam-green color make it stand out. The best part? You can write your own special message on the inside.

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Next, check out these fun Christmas bingo cards you can print for free.

Meghan Jones
Meghan Jones is a word nerd who has been writing for RD.com since 2017. You can find her byline on pieces about grammar, fun facts, the meanings of various head-scratching words and phrases, and more. Meghan graduated from Marist College with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 2017; her creative nonfiction piece “Anticipation” was published in the Spring 2017 issue of Angles literary magazine.