Christmas Cardmaking Tutorial: Create a Layered Ornament with Stencils and Die Cuts

I love when a Christmas card can look detailed and dimensional without requiring a complicated card layout. That was the idea behind this card. I wanted the ornament to be the star of the design, but I also wanted the background to have enough interest that the card didn't feel like a plain white panel with a large die cut sitting on top.

For this project, I combined stenciling, stamping, ink blending, and die cutting with several products from Emily Moore Designs. The result is a playful Christmas card with a little bit of sparkle, lots of color, and a fun sentiment that definitely gives this ornament some personality!

What I especially like about this design is that the techniques are easy to adapt. You don't need these exact products to recreate the idea. The real lesson here is how a few layers of ink and die cuts can turn simple white cardstock into custom elements that coordinate beautifully.

Christmas Cardmaking Tutorial: Create a Layered Ornament with Stencils and Die Cuts

One of my favorite ways to approach cardmaking is to start with a question: What can I create from plain cardstock that I might normally reach for patterned paper to accomplish?

That question played a big role in this Christmas card.

Rather than using a busy patterned paper for the background, I used the Holly & Swirls Layered Stencil from Emily Moore Designs to create my own background. The holly leaves and swirling elements give the card that traditional Christmas feeling, while the bright colors keep it playful rather than overly formal.

This is also a great example of why I love having a few versatile stencils in my stash. A layered stencil isn't limited to one particular card design. You can change the colors, use only one layer, rotate the panel, or even stencil just a portion of the cardstock.

Creating Custom Cardstock with Ink

One of the most useful techniques on this card is also one of the simplest: turning white cardstock into a custom color with ink blending.

The large ornament was die cut from white cardstock using the Curvy Ornament Nested Die Set, and instead of searching through my cardstock collection for the perfect shade of purple, I created it with ink.

This is such a handy trick when you're working with a particular color combination.

White cardstock becomes a blank canvas. You can make it soft and subtle with a light layer of ink or build up the color for something much more dramatic. It also means you can create a color that coordinates exactly with the rest of your project.

For this card, the vibrant purple-pink ornament creates a strong focal point against the white, green, red, and softer purple tones of the stenciled background.

And here's an important little cardmaking lesson: your die cuts don't have to start out the color you want them to be.

If you have white cardstock and ink, you already have access to a surprisingly large cardstock color palette.

Adding Dimension to a Stenciled Background

The background might look like patterned paper at first glance, but that's actually part of what makes this design interesting.

I used the Holly & Swirls Layered Stencil to add the holly and swirling details directly to the card base. The stencil gives me the visual impact of patterned paper while allowing me to control the colors and placement.

I also used two shades of green on the holly leaf layer.

That small change makes a big difference.

When you use only one shade of green, a stenciled leaf can sometimes look very flat. Introducing a second shade gives the leaves more visual depth without requiring complicated shading.

You don't necessarily need two dramatically different colors, either. Try using a lighter green for the main portion of the leaf and a slightly darker green toward one edge. Even subtle differences in value can make a stencil design feel much more dimensional.

This is a technique I recommend experimenting with whenever a layered stencil feels like it's missing something. Before adding more layers or embellishments, ask yourself whether simply changing the ink color could create the additional depth you're looking for.

Letting the Ornament Become the Focal Point

With a detailed background, I knew I needed one strong focal point.

That's where the large ornament comes in.

The Curvy Ornament Nested Die Set gives the ornament a distinctive shape, but the important design decision was actually about scale. I wanted the ornament to be large enough to cover a good portion of the background without completely hiding the stenciling.

That's an important consideration when working with patterned or stenciled backgrounds.

If your focal point is too small, the background can compete for attention. If your focal point is too large, all the work you put into the background disappears.

I think of it as giving each element a job:

• The stenciled background creates supporting visual interest.

• The ornament provides the main focal point.

• The sentiment adds personality.

• The embellishments finish the story.

Once you start thinking about your card in those terms, designing becomes much easier because you're no longer trying to make every element the star.

Don't Forget the Details at the Top

The ornament wouldn't feel quite as finished without the decorative elements at the top.

I used the Christmas Charm Dies to add the little metallic-looking details and the Dainty Bow Dies to create the bow.

These smaller elements are a good reminder that embellishments don't always have to be scattered around the card.

Sometimes they work better when they're connected directly to the focal point.

Here, the bow and ornament details reinforce the idea that we're looking at a hanging Christmas ornament. They're decorative, but they're also functional from a design standpoint because they help complete the visual story.

A Sentiment with a Little Personality

The sentiment comes from the Special Delivery Stamp Set, and I think it is what takes this card from a traditional Christmas ornament card to something much more playful.

The sentiment is large enough to become part of the ornament itself rather than feeling like an additional element added underneath it.

That's another design choice worth remembering: sentiments don't always have to live in the usual places.

Instead of putting the greeting along the bottom of the card, try incorporating it into your focal image. A sentiment can be stamped inside a die-cut shape, across a tag, on a banner, or even partially behind an element.

This approach is especially useful when you want to create a card that feels more like a cohesive illustration than a collection of separate pieces.

Making the Design Work with Supplies You Already Own

You certainly don't need to purchase every product used on this card to take the idea and make it your own.

If you don't have an ornament die, look through your stash for a circle, oval, tag, or other shape that could become a Christmas ornament. You could even create an ornament shape from a basic geometric die.

No layered holly stencil? Try a simple holly leaf stencil, a Christmas background stencil, or even a small stamp repeated across the cardstock.

And if you don't have colored cardstock that coordinates with your project, try the custom cardstock technique I used here. Ink-blending white cardstock is one of my favorite stash-friendly solutions, especially when I'm working with an unusual color combination.

You can also simplify the design.

For a beginner-friendly version, use one shade of green for the holly leaves and one color of ink for the ornament. Skip the additional charms and let the bow and sentiment provide the finishing details.

For a more advanced version, experiment with additional shading on the ornament, metallic embossing for the charms, or dimensional foam adhesive between the layers.

The basic design remains the same—you simply decide how much detail you want to add.

A Simple Design Formula to Keep in Your Stash

There is a larger cardmaking lesson hiding in this project that I think is worth remembering.

When you're stuck on a card, you don't always need a completely new idea. Instead, try combining one background technique + one strong focal image + one supporting detail.

For this card, that formula looks like:

Layered stencil + large ornament + dimensional embellishments

You could easily apply the same formula to other occasions.

Try a floral stencil with a large flower die cut for a birthday card. Use a geometric stencil with a large balloon for a celebration card. Or combine a background stamp with a large heart for a Valentine's Day design.

Once you have a basic design formula that works, you can change the theme, colors, products, and sentiment without having to reinvent your card from scratch.

Final Thoughts

This Christmas card is a good example of why I enjoy combining techniques rather than treating each technique as a separate project. The stenciling creates the background, ink blending gives me custom-colored cardstock, die cutting establishes the focal point, and stamping brings the personality.

None of those techniques has to be complicated on its own.

The magic happens when you start thinking about how they work together.

And that's really the part of cardmaking I hope you'll take away from this project. Don't worry about having every new product or perfectly coordinated cardstock color. Look at what you already have and ask yourself how you can change it, layer it, or combine it with something else.

Sometimes the most interesting cards start with nothing more than a piece of white cardstock and a little bit of ink.

And, of course, a Christmas ornament that apparently has some serious plans to get its face ready!

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

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