DIY Christmas card display ideas: 4 creative ways to make cards part of your Christmas decor

Decorative wall-mounted display board styled with red-and-white stripes and a ribbon hanger, showcasing Christmas cards, family photos, and holiday keepsakes. The board serves as an elegant way to display holiday greetings throughout the season, then transitions into a year-round memory board for preserving cherished cards, photos, and mementos after the holidays are over.

Okay, we’ll admit that if anyone is going to biased in their thinking when it comes to keeping and displaying Christmas cards, it’s going to be us. But Christmas cards are seriously the best! All the sweet photos and merry messages…they feel like a little gift. And there’s just nothing more cozy and homey during the holidays than putting all those wonderful cards on display to remind you how loved you are! 

So we came up with a bunch of creative ways for you to keep and display your Christmas cards this season. Some of them turn your cards into legit decor, and some make it super easy for you to come back to them year after year. (One of the BEST things about cards, if you ask us.) So get your craft supplies…we’re going all in on making those season’s greetings shine! 

Inspired? Create and share by tagging @HallmarkStores.

Idea #1: Christmas card garland  

Holiday greeting cards clipped to a greenery garland above a mantel, showcasing a simple and visually effective way to display seasonal cards as part of holiday décor. The garland is accented with warm lights and stockings, while the cards feature festive illustrations and messages including “Merry Merry Merry,” “Peace on Earth,” a Christmas tree design, and “Joy to the World.”

 

Hanging Christmas cards from garlands is one of the easiest ways to display them. If you want a no-fuss way to make your cards part of your decor, this is it. (Of course, we have tips on how to make a little more fuss. Because “fuss” = “pretty.” See below.) 

What you’ll need: 

  • Wooden clothespins 
  • Twine, string or ribbon 
  • Embellishments like greenery, bows, dried oranges, etc. 

 

How to do it: 

  • Cut a length of twine or string to fit the area you’d like to hang your garland. 
  • Secure embellishments to twine by tying, stringing or clipping them on. 
  • Arrange the cards evenly among the embellishments; hang them on the garland using the clothes pins. 

Idea #2: Christmas card candlesticks  

Supplies for a holiday card display, including illustrated Christmas cards, paper clips, ribbon, corks, and brass candlesticks, are shown on the left; on the right, those materials are assembled into a finished display with the cards clipped to cork-topped candlesticks tied with green ribbon. The cards feature a Christmas tree design, a festive pattern with the message “Merrier Together,” and a pink design with stacked banners reading “Merry,” “Merrier,” and “Merriest.”

 

This is such a fun way to give your cards varying heights in a tabletop or mantel arrangement. Mix in evergreens, dried florals or family heirlooms for a pretty display. 

What you’ll need:  

  • Candlesticks for taper candles (heavier candlesticks work best) 
  • Used wine corks 
  • Sturdy paperclips 

 

How to do it: 

  • Straighten the outermost bend in the paperclip downward, so it looks like a lowercase letter “g” with a tail hanging down. 
  • Push the straightened end of the paperclip into the top of the cork. 
  • Pop the bottom of the cork into the candlestick. 
  • Insert your Christmas card into the paper clip. 

Idea # 3: Christmas card corkboard  

Holiday card display inspiration showing supplies on the left, including Christmas cards, printed photos, ribbon, a paper snowflake, decorative fasteners, and striped fabric, transformed into the elegant display board on the right. The finished board is covered in red-and-cream striped fabric and decorated with holiday cards, snapshots, ribbon bows, paper cutouts, and keepsakes arranged as a festive seasonal collage.

 

This Christmas card display idea looks equally cute in a home office, propped on a living room end table, atop a fireplace mantel, hung in the family “drop zone,” or on your kitchen counter/against the kitchen backsplash. 

What you’ll need: 

  • Corkboard 
  • Fabric (enough to cover the piece of cork board and fold around the edges) 
  • Scissors 
  • Stapler that swings open or a staple gun 
  • Decorative tacks and/or small pins 
  • Embellishments like bows, kids’ crafts, bells, dried floral, etc. 

 

How to do it: 

  • Iron any wrinkles or folds out of the fabric. 
  • Trim the fabric down to fit around the board, leaving at least an extra inch on all sides. 
  • Fold the fabric around the sides of the cork board and secure with staples in back. 
  • Add any embellishments you’d like, then pin cards onto the cork board with decorative tacks or pins. 

Idea #4: Christmas card keeper ring  

Holiday photo greeting cards gathered into a keepsake display bundle using a hole punch and metal D-ring, making it easy to flip through, add new cards, and save holiday memories year after year. The featured card displays a family photo surrounded by festive illustrations and the message “Merry Christmas to All,” alongside coordinating holiday cards and envelopes. One view shows the cards being assembled with the hole punch and D-ring, while the other shows the completed card collection displayed in a woven tray beside seasonal décor.

 

This one is our favorite when it comes to making cards accessible for flipping through (and adding to!) all season long. It’s also really easy to store, which matters if your memory box is already near to bursting with cards you’ve saved over the years. 

What you’ll need: 

  • Hole punch 
  • D-rings or O-rings  
  • Ribbon (optional but pretty!) 

 

How to do it:  

  • Punch a hole through the top left corner of each card. 
  • Arrange the cards in the order you like and then add them to the ring. 
  • Tie a ribbon on the ring for a festive touch, if you’d like. 

We hope these Christmas card display ideas have you feeling extra excited to get those holiday cards in the mail this year! Making them a part of your Christmas decor is such a simple way to keep friends and family close at heart all season long. 

 

Looking for more Christmas DIYs and decor ideas? Check these out!