How to Display Christmas Cards

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Americans send a staggering 2 billion Christmas cards every year. For many people, these cards are a chance to share updated pictures of your family, send messages of joy and love, and otherwise celebrate the holiday season with people near and far.

But what’s the best way to display all these cards while honoring all that sentiment and effort?

Here is a mix of classic and contemporary ideas to help you decide how to display Christmas cards this year.

A yarn or ribbon Christmas Tree

You don’t have to be a professional artist to make a 3D mural. It only takes some ribbon or string, a rule and/or level, and some patience to create a modern Christmas tree you can use to display your Christmas cards.

Start by using a pencil or chalk to mark out an oversized triangle shape on your wall. Stick up removable hooks or push pins at each of the triangle’s three corners as well as several spots along the sides of the triangle. Then use yarn or a thin ribbon to outline the triangle before zig-zagging the yarn randomly across the design, using the hooks/pins to anchor your thread or yarn periodically as you go. The result should be a very mod tree-shaped display that’ll look even cooler once you clip on your cards.

This is an especially fun design for anyone who loves bright colors because you can use any shade of yarn or type of patterned ribbon that catches your eye. Love neon? That works. So does sparkly plaid ribbon, braided metallics, or pastel pink.

(If you’re renting your home or just don’t want to attach anything to your walls, you can carry out the same steps outlined above using a large canvas or even foam board as your background/base.)

Shutters and Frames

Upcycled window frames and shutters are wonderful for displaying Christmas cards, especially if you lean toward modern farmhouse or country chic décor already. You can buy frames made especially for this purpose or find a tutorial online to turn a garage sale or flea market find into a frame in your spare time.

It’s not that difficult, even for beginners. Look for window frames and shutters that already have their glass removed. It’s fine if they’re a little beat up. In fact, you may want to purposely distress wooden frames by running sandpaper along the edges and corners for a more worn-in look. Then string some wire or ribbon across the frame/shutter and use that to hang your cards.

If the distressed effect doesn’t quite fit with your holiday vibe, there are other ways to jazz up your thrifty finds. Paint your shutters or window frames a Christmassy shade of red or green, or spray paint using metallics. You can even decoupage using Mod Podge and small pieces of wrapping paper, tissue paper, cardstock (the craft store has tons of pattern options), old photographs, or leftover Christmas napkins from the previous year.

Card Garlands

DIY your very own Christmas card garland, and your ability to display your favorite cards will be limited only by your physical space and your imagination.

All you need is some sort of base garland, some small clips (e.g., miniature clothespins), and a way to attach your garland to your wall, fireplace mantle, or kitchen island.

For the base garland, here are some items you can purchase at craft or retail stores around the holidays — some you might already have in your holiday box from last year:

• Christmas-themed ribbon

• Burlap ribbon

• Evergreen garland (real greenery smells better but the faux stuff sheds less)

• A strand of LED Christmas lights

• Popcorn-and-cranberry garland you can make yourself

On your Christmas Tree or Wreath

Some Christmas cards are works of art, especially those that are custom-designed, hand-drawn, or created using unique design elements like metallic foiling or personal photographs. Punch a small hole in the top of your cards, attach an ornament hook, and put those cards right on your Christmas tree.

The same concept works for a Christmas wreath, too. Depending on how many cards you receive, you may need several wreaths to hold all your photos and messages. But you don’t have to hang them side by side — a wreath on your front door, one on your mantle, and a series of miniatures above the fireplace will spread out the love and help you decorate for the holidays.

On or Around your Door

Doorways are prime real estate for Christmas card displays because they’re usually otherwise free from décor and offer a blank slate, so your favorite cards are free to hog the spotlight.

Here are a few ways to transform an ordinary door into a beautiful seasonal masterpiece:

• Drape ribbons over the top of the door, securing them with tape or a thumbtack, then clip cards onto the ribbon using mini clothespins

• Stick the cards on the door frame, creating a border around the door that will continue to grow as you receive and hang more cards

• Create a mosaic using tape or removable putty to stick cards onto the door in a specific pattern — a Christmas tree, perhaps?

• Use thick (3-4 inches across) Christmas ribbon to crisscross your door horizontally and vertically, like you’re wrapping ribbon around a present, then clip cards to the ribbon

• To decorate near but not actually on your door, buy one of the long wooden Christmas signs available around the holidays, tightly wrap the middle two-thirds of the sign with string or twine, then weave your cards between layers of string to keep them secure

Stair Railing

There’s something beautifully and classically Christmas about a stair railing wrapped in pretty garland and lights. Now clip on your Christmas cards. You can tack them directly onto the garland or dangle ribbons to hold the cards themselves so the banister decorations are a bit less cluttered.

Wine Cork Christmas Tree

Finally, a fun way to use up all those wine corks you collect throughout the year! All you need is a big bucket of wine corks, a hot glue gun, and some push pins.

Lay out all your corks on your kitchen table or desk, arranging the corks like a puzzle (some horizontally, some vertically) to create a tree shape. Then go through and lift each cork individually, applying hot glue to the sides that connect to other corks, and pressing the cork back into your tree shape. Eventually, you’ll have a finished cork tree ready to hold your cards — just pin your cards to the cork as they come in the mail.

A few quick tips that may help:

• Wine corks aren’t meant to hold a ton of weight, and that includes the weight of other corks, so stick to smaller tree designs or make several little trees if you have a lot of cards

• Reinforce your cork tree by mounting the entire thing on foam board or cardboard backing — cut the backing to the shape of the tree and it’ll practically disappear behind the corks and cards

• Look online for 3D wine cork trees for a sturdier alternative that doesn’t need to be mounted or hung

Driftwood Hangers

For people who love beachy, natural décor, it’s important to find ways to honor that aesthetic even as the rest of the world is knee-deep in fir boughs and poinsettia plants. For this Christmas card display idea, take a long, thin branch or piece of driftwood, tie a length of string to the ends of the wood, then loop the middle of the string over a hook or nail to create a triangular display.

To hang your cards, tie lengths of string or twine to the driftwood/branch, then clip the cards to the strings. Add some extra pizazz by gluing seashells, pinecones, or small river rocks to the branch itself.

On your Fridge

This is perhaps the easiest way to display your Christmas cards since everyone has a refrigerator and most people also have some magnets ready to go. But you can up the ante by buying or making Christmas-themed magnets, then arranging your cards in a fun pattern. If you’re lucky enough to receive a Christmas Card Magnet this year, the work is already done for you!

One quick but important tip: If you’re considering this display option, make sure you have some strong magnets to help secure your cards. Otherwise, you’re likely to send your cards flying every time you open the fridge door to grab a snack or accidentally close the door with too much gusto.

Across your Mantel

Traditionally, many families have chosen to display the Christmas cards they receive across their mantel. You don’t need any extra tools or accessories. Just park the partially open card on top of the mantel, staggering cards as needed to accommodate the amount you receive.

All the colors of the cards will come together for a beautifully festive look. You can add to this by surrounding the cards in a collection of battery-operated tealights, pinecones, Christmas tree ornaments, glass canisters filled with peppermint sticks, snow globes, and other seasonal items.

How do I display old holiday cards?

All of the suggestions above are primarily intended to help you display this year’s Christmas cards, but what should you do with old holiday cards once the season is past? Old cards can usually be divided into three categories:

• The mass-produced, impersonal cards you get from your dentist and auto-repair place

• Cards you loved receiving but don’t necessarily feel the need to keep once the current holiday season is over

• The cards you love for aesthetic and sentimental reasons and want to preserve

Cards from the first category can be tossed as soon as you’re comfortable — it may not be worth displaying those bulk-printed commercial cards in the first place anyway. Cards from the second category can either be tucked into a storage box or tossed. But cards from the third category need a safe place to hang out until you're ready to look at them again or share them with the next generation.

Some people choose to dedicate an entire photo album to Christmas cards. Collect your favorite cards in a single album or create a new scrapbook each year, preserving Christmas cards alongside other keepsakes, such as ticket stubs from holiday events and family photographs.

Help your loved ones solve the display conundrum this year by sending out personalized metal photo ornaments instead of a classic Christmas card. These ornaments give recipients a glimpse at your beautiful family, and they come ready to hang.