DIY Christmas Gifts You Can Make with Printables

By Giraffe Creative Studio · Updated October 2026

The best DIY Christmas gifts you can make with printables are mini junk journals, folk-art ornaments, bookmarks, framed art prints, peek-through cards and personalized mugs. Each needs only a home printer, cardstock, scissors and glue, and most take one to three hours. Printable junk journal kits give you ready-made pages, clipart gives you artwork for ornaments and prints, and printed collage books add backgrounds you don't need to print at all. Below you'll find exact sizes, times and supplies for each project.

Which DIY printable gift should you make?

How do you make a mini junk journal as a gift?

A printable junk journal kit is the quickest route because every page already coordinates. Our holiday kits contain 20–22 double-page JPG files at 11 × 8.5 inches and 300 DPI. Folded in half, a 22-sheet kit gives you 44 journal pages, which is the right size for a thoughtful, giftable book.

1. Print the kit on 24–32 lb matte paper, one double page per sheet.
2. Fold each sheet in half and nest them into signatures of 4–5 sheets (16–20 pages each).
3. Sew each signature with a simple pamphlet stitch. Our guide to binding a junk journal without a machine shows every step.
4. Add a cover from heavier cardstock or a page from a printed collage book.
5. Decorate the first few spreads so the recipient sees how to use it, then leave the rest for them.

Choose a kit that suits the person: the Whimsical Christmas Elf Junk Journal Kit for playful elves, the Whimsical Christmas Farm Junk Journal Kit for a rustic country Christmas, the Whimsical Christmas Cat Junk Journal Kit for cat lovers, or the Christmas Garden Gnome Junk Journal Kit for garden-gnome charm.

For extra character pieces to tuck inside, add a few cut-outs from a printed book like the Xmas Animals Mixed Media Collage Book or the Christmas Dolls Mixed Media Collage Book.

How do you make Christmas ornaments from printables?

Print a motif on 80–110 lb cardstock, cut it out, glue two prints back to back so the ornament looks finished from both sides, punch a hole and add a ribbon loop. A 3-inch ornament is a good size for most trees.

Folk-art clipart works best because its bold, simple shapes are easy to cut. The Scandinavian Christmas Snowman Clipart, Scandinavian Christmas Nutcracker Clipart and Scandinavian Christmas Kids Clipart each include 30 PNG files with transparent backgrounds at 5 × 5 in and 300 DPI, so you can print them up to 5 inches wide without losing sharpness.

How do you make bookmarks as a gift?

Cut 2 × 6 in strips of cardstock; four fit across a letter-size sheet. Use a page from a printed collage book as the background, add one small illustration, punch a hole at the top and finish with a tassel.

• Alcohol Ink Ephemera Paper Book – fluid, colorful backgrounds that look striking in a narrow strip
• Among the Trees Collage Paper Book and Wanderlust Soul Collage Book – calm nature and travel pages for readers
• Christmas Books Watercolor Clipart – 30 watercolor open-book illustrations, the perfect motif for a bookmark

How do you make a framed art print?

Print one illustration on matte photo paper or textured cardstock and place it in a square frame. Because our clipart files are 5 × 5 in at 300 DPI, a 5 × 5 print is perfectly sharp; place it in an 8 × 8 frame with a mat for a gallery look. Cozy subjects work best: the Christmas Cottage House Watercolor Clipart has 27 snowy cottages, and the Christmas Enchanted Clipart brings a magical, storybook mood. A trio of prints in matching frames makes a lovely gift for a new home.

How do you make peek-through Christmas cards?

A peek-through card has a window or door cut in the front, so something on the inside shows through. Cut the opening in a card front, layer a decorative page behind it, and place a character so it "peeks" through when the card is closed. Collage books built around doors and windows, like the Open the Door Collage Book and the Open the Window Collage Book, are made for this kind of interactive project. Add a family scene from the Christmas Family Clipart on the inside for a personal touch.

For more card techniques, see our guide to layered collage cards.

Can you print clipart on mugs and tote bags?

Yes. PNG clipart with a transparent background works well for sublimation mugs, iron-on transfers and fabric printing. An 11 oz mug has a printable area of roughly 8.5 × 3.5 inches, so one or two 5 × 5 in illustrations fit comfortably on the front. The Christmas Tree Truck Watercolor Clipart (22 vintage tree-truck PNGs) and the Christmas Snowman Watercolor Clipart (24 PNGs) are cheerful choices.

Making gifts for friends and family is a personal use. If you plan to sell what you make, check the license details on the product page first; our guide to watercolor clipart uses and licensing explains what to look for.

What is the best DIY gift for someone who loves crafting?

Give a finished project and materials to continue with. A hand-bound mini journal paired with a printed collage book, such as the Whimsy Curvy Cuties Cut & Collage Book or the Xmas Animals Mixed Media Collage Book, gives them something to enjoy immediately and plenty of pieces for their own pages.

Frequently asked questions

What printer do I need for DIY printable gifts?

Any home inkjet or laser printer works. Check the heaviest paper your printer accepts before buying cardstock for ornaments.

What is the easiest DIY gift for beginners?

Ornaments or bookmarks. They take about an hour, need no binding, and look polished because the printed artwork does most of the work.

Can kids help make these gifts?

Yes. Children can choose motifs, glue layers and decorate cards, while an adult handles sharp tools and sewing.

Do I need a cutting machine?

No. Every project here can be cut with scissors and a paper trimmer.

More holiday gift ideas

• The complete gift guide for junk journalers and scrapbookers
• Last-minute Christmas gifts for crafters (instant download)
• Printable Christmas gift tags and gift wrap ideas
• How to make a junk journal advent calendar
• Vintage and Victorian Christmas gifts for crafters
• Whimsical and fairytale gifts for junk journalers
• Gothic and spooky gifts for junk journalers
• Stocking stuffers and Secret Santa gifts for crafters

Shop supplies for DIY gifts

• Christmas digital downloads
• Cliparts
• Paper Ephemera Books
• All printed collage books