Six Christmas Cards in One Sitting

About this project

After fifteen years of making Christmas cards I have learned that the difference between finishing your card list and abandoning it in November is workflow, not skill. This tutorial is about batching: cutting all your pieces at once, stamping in one pass, and assembling last. I make six cards from one layout with three color ways so they feel individual rather than identical. If you make cards for a long list every year, this is the single most useful hour you can spend before the season starts.

What you’ll learn

• How to set up a cutting plan that wastes almost no cardstock
• Stamping in one pass without re-inking between colors
• Varying a single layout so batched cards do not look batched
• A realistic order of operations that avoids waiting for drying

Step-by-step instructions

Written out in full so you can follow along without the video, or check a measurement without scrubbing back.

1. Plan the cuts Work out every piece you need for all six cards and cut them in one session. Cut the largest pieces first so offcuts become the small layers.
2. Score and fold all bases Score and fold all six card bases before anything else. Folding is the least interesting part, so get it done while you are fresh.
3. Stamp in color order Stamp every image that uses your lightest ink, then move up to the darkest. You clean the block once per color instead of once per card.
4. Die cut in one pass Stack and cut. Most dies will cut two layers of cardstock cleanly with a shim.
5. Vary the layout Move the focal point for two of the six, and swap the accent color for another two. Three small variations across six cards is enough to break the pattern.
6. Assemble last Assemble all six at the end, in a line. This is where the time saving actually shows up.