Santa Claus Cards: A Crafting Round-Up

Ho ho ho! Santa Claus is the heart of Christmas magic, symbolizing joy, generosity, and the wonder of the season. In this round-up of handmade cards, Santa Claus takes center stage. While this post is coming a bit late for this year, it’s perfect for planning ahead—many of the featured supplies may be discounted now, making it the ideal time to stock up for next season’s crafting! Click on the card image to be taken to the original post for additional details.

A welcoming Santa takes center stage on this card, set in a Polaroid-style frame.

Santa Claus Cards: A Crafting Round-Up

This card showcases Santa with a bag of toys and a bell, standing on a snowbank. The dry-embossed snowy background and felt accents on Santa add rich texture.

Santa Claus Cards: A Crafting Round-Up

This card features an old-fashioned stamped Santa and vintage-style sentiment, paired with plaid patterned paper for a nostalgic holiday feel.

Santa Claus Cards: A Crafting Round-Up

This slimline card shows a pink-to-red ombré inked silhouette with Santa, children, and a sleigh, set against a teal background. Sequins create sparkling snowflakes, and a white-embossed sentiment completes the festive design.

Santa Claus Cards: A Crafting Round-Up

This slimline card pairs a light teal, dry-embossed peppermint stripe background with Santa’s face appearing as one of three whimsical ornaments.

Santa Claus Cards: A Crafting Round-Up

This tag shows a small Santa inside a snow globe. The stenciled white trees on kraft cardstock create a rustic, yet festive, background.

Santa Claus Cards: A Crafting Round-Up

This card depicts Santa’s workshop, crafted with dies from a shed set. The shed features doors adorned with a Santa sign and stockings. Santa’s sleigh, loaded with a few packages, sits outside—offering evidence of his hard work.

Santa Claus Cards: A Crafting Round-Up

These cards capture a variety of Santa-inspired designs, ranging from playful to nostalgic, to spark your holiday cardmaking creativity. Which Santa stamps or dies in your collection are your favorites? Do you have any Santa-themed products on your wish list?

Penguin Birthday Card Idea Using Winter Supplies

Hello! Winter-themed crafting products aren’t just for Christmas! Today, I’m sharing a playful winter birthday card featuring a penguin holding balloons, set against a snowy, dry-embossed sky. You can easily repurpose supplies designed for holiday cards, like snowflakes, snowy skies, and winter-themed focal die sets, to celebrate birthdays during the cold winter months. It’s a great way to stretch your crafting supplies. For more inspiration, I did something similar on this card. Spellbinders is holding a Big Holiday Wrap-Up sale, now until December 25, 2024, at 11:59 PST.

Penguin Birthday Card Idea Using Winter Supplies

Penguin Birthday Card Idea Using Winter Supplies

Holiday 2024 Savings


Spellbinders | Winter Birthday Card

Hello! Winter birthdays offer a special kind of celebration, blending the magic of the holiday season without veering into full-on Christmas themes. Featuring a sweet mouse dressed in a cozy scarf and sweater, holding a balloon, this card combines winter magic with birthday joy. With a snowy ground and snowflakes in the sky, it’s perfect for anyone celebrating their special day during the colder months!

Spellbinders | Winter Birthday Card

    • Cover an A2-size card base with patterned paper.
    • Dry-emboss arch-shaped cardstock, cut with a die in the Essential Arches set, with the Floating Balloons folder.
    • Cut white-textured cardstock with a die in the Color Block Scenic Scape set and again with a die in the Essential Arches set. Add to the dry-embossed balloon arch; add assembly to the card base.
    • Stamp the Monster Birthday Sentiments on Chamomile cardstock and cut with a die in the Color Block Balloons set. Assemble and add to the card base.
    • Cut the mouse from a variety of cardstock colors with the Dancin’ & Giftin’ Mouse set. Assemble and add to the card base with foam square adhesive. This mouse die set was originally released with a Christmas collection. I gave it a fresh twist by adding a balloon from another set—showing how versatile Christmas-themed products can be with a few simple changes.
    • To reinforce the winter theme, embellish card with snowflakes cut with a die in the Christmas Wreath Add-Ons set.

Spellbinders | Winter Birthday Card


Die-Cut Staircase Christmas Card

Hello! There’s joy in breathing new life into older crafting supplies, and this Christmas card is a perfect example. With timeless Poppystamps dies, I created a nostalgic scene that exudes cozy charm. The patterned paper mimicking vintage wallpaper, cream cardstock for the staircase, and rich red accents capture the essence of a classic home. A die-cut staircase adorned with garland and stockings, a faithful dog resting on the floor, and a textured ground created with the Penny Black Allover Stitches embossing folder all come together seamlessly. This card demonstrates how older products can still craft something truly magical.

Die-Cut Staircase Christmas Card

I cut the Poppystamps Elegant Stair Frame from Memory Box Woodgrain Paper in Cream. The dry-embossed ground is SU Cherry Cobbler, which coordinated with the patterned paper I used for the sentiment and stockings. I cut the dog from SU More Mustard.

Die-Cut Staircase Christmas Card

Poppystamps Dies (now retired): Patient Pup, Elegant Stair Frame, Leafy Garland, Stocking Garland


How to Add Snow to Your Handmade Cards

Hello! You can bring the magic of winter to your handmade cards with a variety of techniques for adding snowy details. In this roundup, I’m sharing cards from past blog posts to illustrate different methods for adding snow, offering inspiration rather than focusing on specific products.

Snow can be featured in different areas of your cards, such as softly layered on the ground, gently falling in the sky, or as striking accents and focal points with die-cut snowflakes. I won’t be specifically mentioning where dies are used to create the snowflake accents, but you’ll see them featured in many of the examples throughout. Click on the card image to be taken to the original post for additional details.

One of the simplest ways to create a snowy scene is by using a hill die to cut white cardstock, adding instant winter charm to your card.

How to Add Snow to Your Handmade Cards

For an extra touch of sparkle, you can use glitter cardstock or glitter foam to create a snow-covered ground.

How to Add Snow to Your Handmade Cards

Glitter cardstock can be used to create focal items, such as sparkling snowmen, adding a festive and eye-catching touch to your card. When I use glitter cardstock for a snowman as a focal point, I don’t use it for the ground, as it would make the snowman less distinct and take away from its prominence. I own one die with snowflakes, and I used it on the card below, along with smaller die-cut snowflakes.

One easy option to use patterned paper featuring snowflakes or a gentle snowfall, instantly setting the scene for a winter feel. The style and color of the paper helps set the mood and tone for your card.

How to Add Snow to Your Handmade Cards

Another way to add snow is by using a background stamp. The ink color, along with the style and scale of the snowflakes, shapes the overall feel of the card, with subtle changes creating entirely different effects.

How to Add Snow to Your Handmade Cards

How to Add Snow to Your Handmade Cards

An embossing folder can add texture to create a snowy sky or overall background, with the style of the snow adding character to your card.

How to Add Snow to Your Handmade Cards

Stencils are a great way to add a snowy sky, whether you’re using designs like snowflakes, snowfall, or flurries. Applying white stencil paste through the stencil creates a textured, dimensional effect.

How to Add Snow to Your Handmade Cards

White embossing paste can be sprinkled with glitter before it dries, creating a beautiful, sparkly effect that enhances the snowy scene.

How to Add Snow to Your Handmade Cards

When I want to achieve the look of snow on greenery, such as evergreen trees or sprigs, I use various embossing powders to make the greenery look as though fresh snow has gently settled on it.

How to Add Snow to Your Handmade Cards

I hope these examples inspire you to get creative with adding snow to your cards. There are many ways to capture the magic of winter—how will you add snow to your next card?