Christmas Gift Card Holder Tutorial: Create an Ornament Handmade Card

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year to experiment with color, layering, and little details that make a handmade card feel extra special. Gift cards are always a popular holiday gift, but I love finding creative ways to present them rather than simply slipping them into a plain envelope. For this project, I combined an ornament-shaped gift card holder with vibrant ink blending, layered stenciling, and festive die-cut embellishments to create a Christmas card that is both decorative and practical. The bright turquoise ornament, cheerful red bow, and colorful holly details give this design a playful holiday feel while keeping the overall layout clean and layered.

Creating an Ornament-Shaped Christmas Gift Card Holder

For this design, I used the Curvy Ornament Gift Card Holder Die from Emily Moore Designs as the foundation. I wanted the ornament to be the main focal point, so I kept the background relatively simple and allowed the shape, color, and embellishments to do most of the work. A soft pink patterned paper from the Winterberry 6x8 Pattern Paper Pad provided just enough contrast behind the bold turquoise ornament without competing with it. I especially like how the lighter background makes the saturated colors stand out. This is a design approach I use often when working with a large focal element: choose a quieter background that supports the main image instead of competing for attention.

Adding Color to White Cardstock Die Cuts with Ink Blending

One of my favorite parts of this project was starting with white cardstock for all the die-cut elements and adding the color myself. This gives me much more flexibility when coordinating embellishments and allows me to create a consistent color palette without needing several different colors of cardstock. I used Catherine Pooler Inks in Boardwalk, Rockin' Red, Cranberry Fizz, Lime Rickey, Deck the Halls, Glitz, and Sauna to bring the individual pieces to life. The ornament base features beautiful layers of blue, while the holly and bow bring in those traditional Christmas reds and greens. Starting with white cardstock also makes this technique incredibly adaptable. You can use whatever ink colors you already have in your craft room to coordinate your die cuts with patterned paper, stamped images, or other elements in your design.

Using Layered Stencils to Add Interest and Texture

Although the ornament already has a beautiful shape, I wanted to give its surface a little more visual interest. I used the Holly & Swirls Layered Stencils from Emily Moore Designs to add a subtle pattern over the base of the ornament, working with the same ink color used for the background. This tone-on-tone approach is a great way to introduce pattern without adding another competing color. The stenciled details create depth and texture while allowing the sentiment to remain easy to read. This is a technique worth trying on other projects, too. When you want to add interest to a solid-colored background but don't want a busy or distracting pattern, try using the same ink color for both the background and the stenciled design. The result is subtle, polished, and adds another layer of detail.

Layering Holly, Bows, and Small Embellishments

The embellishments are what really bring this Christmas ornament to life. I used the Holly Die Set and Dainty Bow Dies from Emily Moore Designs to create a dimensional arrangement near the top of the ornament. The oversized red bow draws the eye immediately, while the bright green holly leaves and little red berries reinforce the Christmas theme. I repeated some of those holly details near the bottom of the ornament to help balance the composition. Repeating an embellishment in two areas is a simple design trick that helps the eye travel around a card and makes the arrangement feel intentional. I also like combining different sizes of embellishments rather than making every element the same scale. The larger bow establishes the focal point, while the smaller holly cluster provides a finishing detail without overwhelming the design.

Finishing the Sentiment with White Posca Marker Details

The sentiment from the All I Want for Christmas Stamp Set is a natural fit for this ornament design, and I love how the lettering works with the shape of the focal panel. One detail that makes a big difference is filling in the open spaces of the sentiment lettering with a White Posca Marker. This adds contrast and helps the lettering stand out against the blue background. I also used the white marker to add small highlights to the die-cut embellishments and other areas of the design. These little touches might seem minor, but they can make colored die cuts feel more finished and give a handmade card a little extra personality. I use a white paint marker quite often when I want to add highlights, create the appearance of reflected light, or bring a little definition to an area that needs more contrast.

Making the Design Your Own with Supplies You Already Have

You certainly don't need the exact products I used to try these ideas. An ornament-shaped die can be substituted with another large decorative die, a traditional ornament stamp, or even a simple hand-cut shape. If you don't have layered stencils, try using a background stamp or tone-on-tone ink blending to add interest to your focal element. You can also change the color combination to suit your personal style. Traditional red and green would be beautiful, but shades of blue, silver, and white would create a lovely winter-inspired version. Patterned paper is another area where you can make this design your own. Choose a subtle print that complements your focal element, or use a piece from your existing Christmas paper collection. The goal is to use your supplies creatively and let the techniques work together rather than feeling like you need to purchase something new for every project.

Finishing the Inside of the Christmas Card

I like carrying a little of the outside design into the inside of my cards, so I added a small coordinating detail using the Winterberry patterned paper. I also stamped the word "You" from the All I Want for Christmas Stamp Set in Sauna ink to complete the inside sentiment. It's a simple finishing touch, but it makes the card feel more thoughtfully designed from the front to the inside. I always encourage taking a moment to consider the inside of a handmade card, even when the outside is the main attraction. A small strip of coordinating patterned paper, a stamped sentiment, or a little leftover embellishment can make the entire card feel complete.

I had so much fun combining ink blending, stenciling, die cutting, and layering to create this ornament-shaped Christmas gift card holder. What I especially love about this design is how starting with plain white cardstock gave me the freedom to create colorful, coordinated embellishments that work beautifully with the patterned paper and focal element. Whether you recreate this design with the Emily Moore Designs products or adapt the ideas using supplies from your own collection, I hope it inspires you to look at your dies, inks, and patterned papers in a new way. Sometimes a few thoughtful color choices and simple finishing details are all it takes to turn an ordinary die cut into something special.

Thanks for dropping by today I hope that you found a little spark of creative inspiration with my project today. Wondering what I used in this project? Everything is linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails in the Materials Used section, or in the text below. Compensated affiliate links used when possible.

Supplies Used

Here you will find the list of supplies that I used to create today's card. All supplies are linked to supply sources below. Compensated affiliate links may be used at no cost to you.

Happy Crafting,

Rick Adkins

Affiliate Disclaimer:

This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to shop through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting my business!