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I Hand-Painted My Christmas Cards This Year, And These 4 Easy Ideas Are Perfect For Beginners
Hand-painting Christmas cards with watercolors featuring a snowy forest scene, brushes, and a wooden tabletop.
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I Hand-Painted My Christmas Cards This Year, And These 4 Easy Ideas Are Perfect For Beginners

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Store-bought cards are fine, but there is nothing quite like receiving a hand-painted keepsake. I wanted to create something special this year that looks professional but is actually quite forgiving to paint.

I used my favorite extended points brushes (the long tips are a game changer for details!) and some pearl pigments to add that holiday sparkle. Here are 4 unique styles I came up with—from a misty forest to a shiny ornament. Grab your brushes, and let's get festive!

More info: fuumuui.com | Instagram

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    Here is the final collection. They look complex, but they all start with simple shapes. Let’s start with the Shiny Bauble

    You don’t need fancy tools for perfect circles. I just traced the inside of a tape roll!

    I wetted the circle and dropped in Pearl Pink and Ruby Red. The “Extended Point” on my brush helped control the water flow so it didn’t spill over the edges

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    Adding the bow and some pine needles. The long tip of the brush acts like a rigger, allowing for long, unbroken lines

    This one is my favorite because it uses masking fluid. I drew the snowflakes and trees with the fluid first. It protects the white paper from the paint

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    Then comes the scary part—covering everything in dark blue and indigo! It looks messy, but trust the process

    The most satisfying part: peeling off the masking fluid to reveal the crisp white snow underneath. The contrast is instantly striking

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    For the forest, I used a “wet-on-wet” technique. I wetted the paper first, then dropped in green pigment. The key is not to stress about details—let the water spread the paint for you

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    Once the greens dried, I added the secret ingredient: Metallic Gold pigment. I painted a “hero tree” in gold to make the forest pop

    For the wreath, I used the “Press & Lift” technique. You simply press the belly of the brush down and lift it up quickly. It creates a perfect leaf shape instantly—no drawing required

    Finally, I tapped the brush handle to splatter some paint dots for an organic, festive texture. Then, write your Christmas message, and it’s all done!

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    And they are ready to be mailed! Which style would you try first?

    If you’d like to see a complete list of all the materials I used or read the full tutorial, please check out my blog post on Fuumuui!

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    Kevin Steven

    Kevin Steven

    Author, Community member

    Read more »

    Hi there! I'm Steven. I believe art belongs to everyone, not just the "talented." I spend my days creating step-by-step watercolor tutorials to help beginners conquer the blank page. As part of the creative team at Fuumuui, I’m also obsessed with designing the perfect travel brushes for artists on the go. Here to share tips, tricks, and a little bit of magic. Let’s paint something beautiful together! 📍 Read my full tutorials: https://fuumuui.com/blogs/guide

    Read less »
    Kevin Steven

    Kevin Steven

    Author, Community member

    Hi there! I'm Steven. I believe art belongs to everyone, not just the "talented." I spend my days creating step-by-step watercolor tutorials to help beginners conquer the blank page. As part of the creative team at Fuumuui, I’m also obsessed with designing the perfect travel brushes for artists on the go. Here to share tips, tricks, and a little bit of magic. Let’s paint something beautiful together! 📍 Read my full tutorials: https://fuumuui.com/blogs/guide

    Diana Lopetaitė

    Diana Lopetaitė

    Moderator, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Hey there, Pandas! My name is Diana (though some prefer to refer to me as Diane, Deanna, and even Liana sometimes), and I am a Community Post Moderator Lead for Bored Panda. As my position title states, I am one of the people (employed Pandas for bamboo) over here who work with the community side of things on this website to ensure all is well, and while at that, I also help various creators and artists get recognition for the incredible work they do by connecting them to a large worldwide audience. Other than that, outside of work, you can find me brewing a nice cup of coffee, making a pizza from scratch, or baking brownies. I also love traveling, concerts, and cats (heavy on that, because I am a cat mom).

    Read less »

    Diana Lopetaitė

    Diana Lopetaitė

    Moderator, BoredPanda staff

    Hey there, Pandas! My name is Diana (though some prefer to refer to me as Diane, Deanna, and even Liana sometimes), and I am a Community Post Moderator Lead for Bored Panda. As my position title states, I am one of the people (employed Pandas for bamboo) over here who work with the community side of things on this website to ensure all is well, and while at that, I also help various creators and artists get recognition for the incredible work they do by connecting them to a large worldwide audience. Other than that, outside of work, you can find me brewing a nice cup of coffee, making a pizza from scratch, or baking brownies. I also love traveling, concerts, and cats (heavy on that, because I am a cat mom).

    What do you think ?
    SaladSpinnerDeux
    Community Member
    2 days ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank you for posting your paintings. I wanted to handpaint cards this year but I am a procrastinator. I'm inspired to get ready for next year!

    Bianca
    Community Member
    1 day ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These look beautiful, what talent. Thank you for the tips. Thanks for sharing. Selfmade cards are always great

    SaladSpinnerDeux
    Community Member
    2 days ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank you for posting your paintings. I wanted to handpaint cards this year but I am a procrastinator. I'm inspired to get ready for next year!

    Bianca
    Community Member
    1 day ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These look beautiful, what talent. Thank you for the tips. Thanks for sharing. Selfmade cards are always great

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