Make unique Christmas cards and gifts for family and friends, easy and fast

If the holiday season often leaves you feeling time poor, then lean on Canva to help you get your Christmas cards and gifts out on time.

Using Free and Pro templates, you can design cards, gift tags, advent calendars and even Christmas sweaters that your friends and family will adore.

Watch the video below to learn how to utilize all the tools in Canva’s toolbox to inspire Christmas cheer and create personalized gifts for all the people on your list.

Once you’ve designed a custom card, you’re ready to print.

Canva has an array of printing options, which include paper quality, finishes and even envelopes.

To order your cards, click on the ‘Share’ button in your navigation menu. Toggle down to the section ‘Print your design’ (beside the delivery truck icon), and preview your card in full-screen mode to proofread your design. From here, click the ‘Print folded cards’ option and select your paper type and finish. With these selections in place, you can choose the quantity of cards you wish to print. You also have the option to select ‘Include envelopes in my order.’ Now, click on the ‘Checkout’ button to finalize your order. It’s that easy!

After placing your order, you can expect your cards to arrive within five to seven business days. This is a game changer for those that struggle with last-minute shopping and organization.

For those friends on your list who prefer unconventional favors, consider designing an animated card that can be sent and received digitally. Animated cards are a great option, because they’re free to make and can be sent to anyone on your gifting list within minutes.

Canva has thousands of free templates⁠(opens in a new tab or window) you can use to get started. Learn how to design an animated card using Canva templates in the video below.

If digital cards and gifting is your thing, creating view-only links for your designs will be important so your friends will experience your designs as you intended.

To create a view-only link, first click on ‘Share’ in your navigation menu. Change your file sharing settings to ‘Anyone with the link can view’ and ensure ‘View only’ is also selected. With these settings in place, the recipient of your digital art won’t be able to move elements of your design around and will just be able to enjoy the final product.

To download your design as a GIF, click on ‘Share’ and ‘Download.’ Change the file type to GIF and voilà — you have an animated piece of art ready to attach in an email, as a message, or to post on social media.

Ugly Christmas sweaters are a holiday staple. Canva gives you the ability to turn your holiday designs into custom T-shirts, sweatshirts, or hoodies. And, for those secret Santa parties and stocking stuffers, Canva has a selection of wall calendars, notebooks, stickers, mugs, photo books⁠(opens in a new tab or window), and coasters to choose from.

To start on your festive ‘ugly’ Christmas sweater design, go to the Canva home page. Search for ‘sweatshirt’ and select the blank sweatshirt option. Go to the Elements tab and search for ‘ugly sweaters.’ Once you’ve selected a template, you can modify your design by adding graphics and text from pre-existing templates, or by dragging elements over from your search results into your design. Making apparel is fun, especially since your designs can be completed and ordered in under 10 minutes!

If you’re looking to personalize your gifts even further, themed designs can be a fun and meaningful way to go, especially for kids or fans of specific characters. Alongside your Christmas sweaters, you might consider customizing a Cars mug⁠(opens in a new tab or window) for hot chocolate, a Cars T-shirt⁠(opens in a new tab or window) for a casual holiday outfit, or a Cars hoodie⁠(opens in a new tab or window) as a cozy, character-inspired gift. These small touches can make your holiday gifting feel more personal, while still being quick and easy to create.

Still looking for thoughtful and personalized gift options? Check out Canva’s tutorial on how to create and print your own photo books⁠(opens in a new tab or window). The perfect gift for your parents, newlyweds, and friends with the travel bug.