Creating Stunning ORNAMENT CARDS with Nontraditional Colors

When I sit down to make Christmas cards, I sometimes catch myself reaching for the same red, green, and gold. Don’t get me wrong—those colors are classics for a reason. But after making holiday cards year after year, they can start to feel a little repetitive. That’s why I decided to shake things up and try a brighter, more playful palette with the I Love Hanging With You Die Set & Stamp Bundle from Pixi Dust Designs. The results? A cheerful ornament card in shades of pink, aqua, lime, and orange that feels festive without being traditional.

Creating Stunning ORNAMENT CARDS with Nontraditional Colors

Why Nontraditional Colors Work for Holiday Cards

One of my favorite things about cardmaking is that it gives us permission to play. Who says Christmas ornaments have to be red and green? By pulling out the Jolly 6 x 8 Smooth Cardstock Paper Pad, I was able to create a color scheme that feels light, modern, and joyful. These colors make the ornaments pop in such a fresh way.

I’ve found that if you’ve ever felt stuck in a rut with your holiday designs, switching up your colors is the easiest fix. It immediately makes your cards stand out and gives your recipients something a little unexpected. In fact, I still remember the first time I sent out aqua and pink Christmas cards a few years ago—friends called to say how fun and different they were. That memory encouraged me to lean into bold choices like this more often.

A Bold Striped Background

Instead of reaching for patterned paper, I built my own background using ½” strips of cardstock scraps from the Jolly pad. I adhered them directly to the card base, trimming the edges for a clean finish. This not only creates a bold, colorful backdrop but is also one of my favorite ways to use up leftover scraps.

Pro Tip: If you ever struggle with scrap storage, try pre-cutting strips from your leftover cardstock. You’ll always have them handy for backgrounds like this one.

Layering Up the Ornaments

The ornaments from the I Love Hanging With You Die Set are such a joy to work with. I cut each piece from the Jolly cardstock and layered some of them with Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80 lb cardstock for extra dimension and sturdiness. The hangers were cut from silver foil cardstock, which gives just the right polished, metallic touch.

To keep the arrangement dynamic, I adhered some ornaments flat with liquid glue while others were popped up with foam adhesive. Varying the height adds depth and movement, almost like ornaments swaying from a real tree branch. A bit of greenery tucked behind them grounded the design and gave a nod to traditional Christmas without overpowering the bright colors.

Sentiment & Finishing Details

Before adding the ornaments, I stamped the sentiment “I love hanging with you” from the I Love Hanging With You Set in crisp Versafine Onyx Black Ink onto the front panel. Layering this panel onto the card base with foam adhesive gave the entire card a little lift and framed the design nicely.

For finishing touches, I couldn’t resist adding white gel pen highlights to the ornaments for extra shine and a touch of Star Dust Stickles for sparkle. These little details make such a difference, especially on simpler die-cut designs.

Pro Tip: If you ever feel like your die cuts look a little flat, try adding highlights with a white gel pen. It gives instant depth without extra bulk.

Final Thoughts

This project reminded me how freeing it can be to step away from tradition and create something unexpected. The mix of aqua, pink, lime, and silver feels festive, modern, and just plain fun. If you’re ready to break out of the red-and-green rut, I highly recommend giving nontraditional colors a try for your holiday cards this year. You may just find that you love the results—and your recipients will too.

Creating Stunning ORNAMENT CARDS with Nontraditional Colors Video Tutorial:

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(Wondering what I used in this video? Everything is linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post, or in the text below. Compensated affiliate links used when possible). As always I appreciate your support of my videos!

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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