15 Kids Christmas Cards to Print With Cheeky Elves, Snowmen and Coloring-In Fun

The box of blank cards never quite gets filled, does it. Someone always ends up with the same three words scrawled in a hurry, and the good crayons run out before the teacher’s card even gets a face. Fifteen designs here solve that before it starts, each one a finished scene a child can color, not a stack of lines waiting for an idea.

Every sheet prints straight from a home printer, no special paper needed unless you want the stiffer card stock for the ones travelling furthest. A few line up more than one to a page for class swaps, the rest give a child the whole sheet because a big picture deserves the room.

If the week has already turned into a pile of half-finished Christmas crafts, this is the one that actually leaves the house. And if cards are only half the plan for the afternoon, there is a full stretch of Christmas activities for the long December days to fill the hours either side.

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1. The Cheeky Elf Peek Card

Every box of cards needs one that makes a child laugh before the crayons even come out. This elf leans over the top edge like he has already read the inside, which is exactly the joke. Print it on plain paper for a quick batch or on card stock if it is going somewhere that keeps cards on a shelf. One elf per A4 sheet, so his grin stays big enough to color properly.

2. The Snowman High Five

Best friends do not want a card that sounds like it was meant for anyone. This one is built for one particular person, the snowman’s mitten raised mid high five. Hand it to the friend who gets the inside jokes. Print single sided on regular paper, one card to a page, and let her fold it herself once the color is dry.

3. The Reindeer Nose Boop

Some cards need to be a little silly or a child will refuse to sign them. The reindeer’s nose takes up most of the page here, red enough to color in one determined swipe. It suits a sibling or a cousin who likes a pun more than a sentiment. One sheet, one reindeer, plain paper is fine since this one is headed for a pocket by dinner.

4. The Hot Cocoa Hug

Grandparents keep the cards that sound like the child wrote them, not a shop. This one leans warm rather than funny, steam curling up from a mug toward the words. It fits a grandmother, an aunt, anyone who gets a hug at the door. Print it on card stock if it is going in an envelope rather than handed over in person, one per sheet.

5. The Nativity Manger Card

Not every card on the list needs a joke. For the family that keeps the story of the first Christmas close, this one sits quieter than the rest, a small manger scene low on the page with plenty of white space above it. It suits a grandparent, a godparent, a Sunday school teacher. Print on plain paper, one to a sheet, and let an older child take their time with it.

6. The Wreath Joy Thank You

Teachers get a drawer full of mugs every December, which is exactly why a card lands better than another one. The wreath here forms a full ring around the words, so the whole page feels finished before a single crayon touches it. Print on card stock for a teacher gift, one per sheet, and let the child write their own name on the blank line.

7. The Gingerbread Family Card

One card that covers everyone at once saves a child from writing six separate ones to six separate cousins. A row of gingerbread figures runs along the bottom like a little family of its own. It suits a household card, the kind that goes to an aunt’s whole family rather than one person. Plain paper works fine, one sheet per household on the list.

8. The Penguin Waddle Card

A toddler cousin cannot read a paragraph, so this one does not ask them to. One big penguin fills most of the page, simple enough for a very young child to color without leaving the lines in despair. It suits a baby sibling or a little cousin still learning their letters. Print large on plain paper, one penguin per sheet.

9. The Classroom Swap Mini Card

Twenty five classmates cannot each get a full sheet, so this one shrinks on purpose. Six small cards sit on one page, each with its own tiny star and the same short line, ready to cut apart along the printed grid. It suits a school card exchange where speed matters more than size. One sheet makes six cards, so three sheets covers most classrooms.

10. The Community Helper Thank You

The mail still arrives in the snow, and someone should probably say so. This one goes to the mail carrier, the crossing guard, the firefighter down the road, with a small badge motif marking the corner. It suits any child’s Christmas craft pile that needs a destination beyond family. Print on plain paper, one per sheet, no envelope required if it is handed over on the doorstep.

11. The Nursing Home Cheer Card

Some of the best Christmas mail goes to someone the child barely knows yet, a neighbor at the care home down the road. The page stays mostly plain here on purpose, since a big open signature line matters more to someone living alone than a busy picture does. One holly sprig sits quietly in the corner. Print on plain paper, one card per visit.

12. The Overseas Letter Card

Distance makes a card feel heavier than usual, and this one is built for that, going to a parent or relative stationed far from home. A small compass star sits at the top, the words run down in a tall narrow column the way a real letter does. It suits any family counting down to a reunion. Print on plain paper, one per sheet, light enough to post easily.

13. The Blank Canvas Card

Sometimes a child does not want a scene already decided for them. This sheet gives almost nothing away: a plain border, one small star in the corner, and the rest left open for whatever they want to draw. It suits the child who draws constantly and resents a template. Print on plain paper, one sheet per card, no instructions needed beyond the border.

14. The Owl in a Scarf Card

Next door neighbors get the same five cards every year, usually store bought. This owl, perched in a striped scarf along one edge, is the kind a child actually wants to deliver in person. It suits any neighbor who waves from the driveway. Print on plain paper or card stock if it is going through a mail slot, one owl per sheet.

15. The New Baby’s First Christmas Card

A baby cannot color a thing yet, so an older sibling or cousin does it for them, which somehow makes the card sweeter. A single small stocking sits at the top, the words beneath left soft and short on purpose. It suits a new niece, nephew or baby cousin’s very first December. Print on plain paper, one per sheet, no fold needed if it is going straight into a frame.

Frequently Asked Questions

What paper should I print kids christmas cards on?

Plain printer paper is fine for anything going straight into a hand or a pocket, like a sibling’s card or a classroom swap. Card stock holds up better for anything travelling by post or sitting on a mantelpiece, especially the ones meant for grandparents or teachers.

How do I fold a printable card so it sits up properly?

Score a light line down the center with the back of a butter knife or a ruler edge before folding, which keeps the crease sharp without tearing the paper. A single fold down the middle turns any of these sheets into a standing card once the color is dry.

Can a toddler who can’t write yet still send one of these?

Yes, and it is one of the sweeter parts of the tradition. Ask a toddler what they want the card to say and write it on their blank line for them, or let an older sibling color the picture while the little one scribbles their own signature underneath.

Who else can kids send Christmas cards to besides family?

Plenty of people outside the immediate family love getting one, including grandparents and other family members, Sunday school teachers and pastors, schoolteachers and classmates, friends and neighbors, nursing home residents, missionaries and church families, mail carriers and delivery drivers. A card handed to a crossing guard or firefighter tends to get just as warm a reaction as one sent to a relative.

Do I need a color printer for these, or does black and white work?

Black and white is actually the point for most of these, since the whole design is meant to be colored in by hand afterward. A basic home printer on plain paper settings is all that is needed, no special ink or photo paper required.

Can these be used as a classroom Christmas card exchange?

The classroom swap design in this set was built exactly for that, with six small cards to a page so one sheet covers several names at once. For a full class, two or three sheets usually covers the list without anyone running out mid afternoon.