Clean and Layered Santa Christmas Card with The Rabbit Hole Designs

There’s something about clean and layered card designs that feels timeless—especially during the holidays. I love when a card has just enough detail to catch the eye but still feels light and airy. For this project, I wanted to capture that look using a few of my favorite supplies from The Rabbit Hole Designs—the One Line Santa Stamp Set and Holiday Background Builder Stencil. This combination gives you the perfect balance of playful whimsy and crisp design, and it’s a great reminder that clean doesn’t have to mean boring.

Clean and Layered Santa Christmas Card with The Rabbit Hole Designs

Building the Background

When I start a card like this, I always begin with the background because it sets the tone for the entire design. I used the Holiday Background Builder Stencil on a piece of Hammermill 100 lb Smooth Cardstock. It’s one of my go-to papers for ink blending—it holds ink beautifully and gives such a smooth finish.

I masked off the areas of the stencil I didn’t want to ink, keeping just the Santa hats visible. For the first layer, I reached for It’s a Girl Ink—a soft, cheerful pink that feels festive but still modern. Once that layer was done, I cleaned my stencil and masked off the hats so I could work on the white fur trim. A light layer of Ocean Breeze Ink added the perfect icy touch.

Now, here’s where the magic really happens—texture. I replaced the stencil over the fur sections and spread a thin layer of Snowfall Distress Grit Paste across them. If you’ve never tried grit paste, it adds a beautiful sparkly dimension that dries with just the right amount of texture.

Pro tip: always let your textured panels dry flat to prevent any warping. I set this aside to dry while working on the focal image.

Adding the Focal Point

For the main image, I stamped Santa from the One Line Santa Stamp Set in Intense Black Ink using my Mini MISTI. This little Santa is so charming in his simplicity—just a single continuous line, yet so full of personality. I stamped him vertically along the edge of another panel of Hammermill Cardstock and added the sentiment “No Peeking” right beside him.

I decided to keep the coloring light and playful, reaching for a few pastel Copic markers. There’s something really fun about taking a traditional holiday image and softening it up with lighter tones. It’s a great way to give your card a fresh, modern twist while still keeping that classic holiday feel.

Once my coloring was finished, I lightly ink blended the edge of the Santa panel with It’s a Girl Ink to tie everything together. It’s a small detail that adds cohesion between the layers.

Bringing the Layers Together

Now that both panels were ready, I carefully trimmed around Santa’s outline—right along the stamped line—using my Mini Recoil Scissors. Cutting around the mittens and beard gives him that “peeking around the corner” look, which adds such personality to the card.

To build the final layout, I trimmed both panels down to 4" x 5 1/4" and added thin foam tape behind the Santa panel before layering it over the stenciled background. This little bit of dimension gives the card depth without making it bulky. I mounted the whole piece onto a Black Licorice Cardstock mat and then adhered it to a top-folding A2 card base cut from Neenah Ultra Thick Cardstock.

Pro tip: whenever you’re layering a clean design, balance is key. Keep one element dimensional and let the others remain flat for a polished look that still feels airy.

Finishing Touches

Once the main design was assembled, I added a few final touches to make it shine—literally. Using a POSCA Extra Fine White Paint Marker, I added a few highlights to Santa’s beard and hat. After the paint dried, I brushed a little Stardust Stickles over the white areas of his hat and gloves for sparkle.

To complete the design, I placed a few Stargazer Jewels around the sentiment. These tiny gems draw the eye and add just the right touch of holiday shimmer.

A Clean and Festive Finish

This design really captures what I love about clean and layered cards—they look elegant and intentional but come together quickly. The combination of the One Line Santa Stamp Set and Holiday Background Builder Stencil from The Rabbit Hole Designs makes it easy to create a festive card that’s full of personality without being overwhelming.

If you’ve ever struggled to find that balance between simplicity and detail, try pairing a clean-lined image with a textured background. It’s a simple formula that works beautifully for holiday cards and beyond.

I hope this design inspires you to mix a little sparkle and texture into your clean Christmas creations this season. Sometimes the most impactful cards are the ones with the simplest foundations—just a few thoughtful layers, a bit of shimmer, and a whole lot of joy.

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.

Materials 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

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