DIY Holiday Card Display

Today I’m showing you how we made the sweet DIY holiday card display which many of you spotted it in the hallway.  I love getting mail (that isn’t a bill!), and living so far away from all of our family – and a lot of our friends – I treasure the little notes and photos we’re sent.  This card display has actually been a permanent fixture in our home (and previous rental) for more than three years, but it makes a perfect DIY holiday card display.   Create your own, in any size and in any colors, to display your treasured holiday cards in one beautiful spot.

This DIY holiday card display is really easy to make, with lots of opportunity for personalizing.  I started off with a cheap thrifted retro gold frame and painted it a warm white.  Here’s what it looked like before!

You could use any frame that fits your style.  This is a great way to re-purpose a frame you have on hand – or maybe salvage one from a recent thrift store piece of art.

The finished product

Supplies for a DIY Holiday Card Display:

• Frame (any size – but I think the bigger the better)
• Piece of foam core, cut to fit inside your frame (can also use thin cardboard or the original old art if using a thrifted frame)
• Fabric (to cover foam core)
• Ribbons (I used a mix, but mostly a wide, wired ribbon – I love this aqua chiffon one)
• Buttons (any kind – I used self covered shank buttons)
• Thin gauge wire/carpet thread/embroidery floss (to  sew on button)
• Large needle or awl (to pierce foam core)
• Glue – any type, like fabric glue, all purpose craft glue or hot glue and glue gun)
• Small framing nails or staples

How-to Make a DIY Holiday Card Display:

1. Lightly sand, prime and paint your frame to suit your decor
2. Cut your foam core to fit – my frame was empty, you can skip this step if you frame comes with ugly art you can cover
3. Cut the fabric to size – slightly larger than the foam core
4. “Upholster” the foam core, pulling your fabric tightly around the edges and gluing it in place on the back
5. Arrange ribbon in a random/grid pattern and affix to back of board using glue (pull the ribbon very taught)
6. Select where you want the buttons to go (where two ribbons cross) and pierce the foam core
7. “Sew” on the button, using the thin wire or carpet thread and tie off at the back
8. Insert finished board into frame and affix using staples, or small nails

I don’t have progress photos, because I made this years before the blog, but it’s very simple and you can see the “construction” very easily from the back:

I love this DIY holiday card display because, unlike a bulletin board, you don’t need to puncture holes in sentimental cards and photos!  The ribbon holds them in with friction – but you can also hang landscape cards over the ribbon!  Plus I like to hang little ornaments and things on the buttons.  Clearly I’m a bit sentimental, but with everything corralled in one spot these little bits and pieces don’t take over the house!  It looks less cluttered this way, and these mementos almost feel like a work of art.

Looks so cute in the hallway!

Looking for more holiday ideas?  Check out my DIY projects gallery.

P.S. Don’t Forget to Pin for Later!