Ah, who can smell those chestnuts roasting on an open fire? While there aren’t that many fireplaces in Las Vegas, we’re happy to report the weather is still cool enough to get in the Christmas spirit! With all the presents to buy, dinners to host, and decorations to procure, it’s no secret the holiday season can be a little bit on the pricey side. You can save huge money by creating decorations, activities, and even gift tags right in your own home with the use of your printer. No matter what kind of equipment you’re working with, there’s a Christmas printing project perfect for your family. Check out our 2019 favorites below!
1. Christmas Banners
Banners are one of the easiest and most affordable ways to jazz up any space! As they’re printed on regular, colored, or textured paper, banners can be as basic or fancy as you need. Download a template from the internet for the general shape and then add whatever background you like. For a musical family, the notes from your favorite Christmas carol could be an excellent choice. Once you spell out your message in large letters, hit print and let the little ones cut them out! Hole punch, ribbon, and hang them to your heart’s desire!
2. Color by Numbers
Every kid loves coloring no matter how old they get! An affordable and fun activity that engages their brains and creative side is a color by numbers chart themed to the holiday. Be it ornaments, Santa, or an intricate drawing of Rudolph, children will enjoy combining a number scavenger hunt with beautiful colors. This is an affordable activity for all ages, as any paper will do, and very minimal ink needs to be used per sheet.
3. Potpourri Tags
A more intricate printing project, potpourri is for the family who has a massive social circle. The sweet gift is nothing more than some herbs and citrus fruit in a bag, but it can make a wonderful present to someone who is close enough to receive a gift but won’t be joining you at your home for the holiday. What makes them special is the custom tag, which can be printed on thick stock and stapled to a plastic bag for a professional presentation. Tags should be put on cardstock, so make sure to call your printing supply company to make sure your home printer can handle the thicker paper before running it through!
4. Dinner Place Cards
Guests coming for the holidays are coming to spend time with you and your family, so why not make them feel welcome with a custom place card at the dinner table? Place cards are a traditional way of organizing the dinner table for large families, and they can be made fun with a custom printed card. Using a perforated card stock (available through any print supply company), all you need to do is type in the names of your guests and hit print! Try a fun presentation, such as the below candy canes or prop them up against a meaningful ornament!
5. Drink Station Menus
The below picture looks like a chalkboard, but we’ll let you in on a secret… It’s really just a framed print! Instead of buying a fancy board for your holiday drink station which will sit around in storage 11 months out of the year, download a chalkboard template and use a custom font to type out your message. Guests will be impressed at the clean finish!
6. Fancy Dinner? No Problem!
Oh no, your in-laws have announced they’re coming for Christmas dinner! Don’t rush to the printer for a fancy menu; turn to your home printer! If you’re planning a big dinner, have a menu printed for guests so they know what to expect. A simple template can be made with any script font, and you can add Christmas-themed accents for a festive twist. Use a paper cutter or a custom-sized stock to cut it down to size and place it on each setting before guests arrive.
7. Nice List Certificate
The tale of the ‘naughty and nice list’ has kept kids in line for the holiday season for generations, and there’s no reason to stop that now! Reward good behavior from your little ones with a Nice List Certificate printout, to be displayed right next to Santa’s milk and cookies on December 30th! They’ll love the recognition, and all you’ll need is an online template.
8. Specialty Gift Tags
Too many presents under the tree? Keep everything organized and the excitement strong with custom gift tags. These unique gift tags will let everyone know what they can expect to open on Christmas day without costing retail prices. While the template is easy to use, these do require a thick cardstock to print. They need to hold up against plenty of excited fingers touching them, so don’t skimp on the paper. You can usually print multiple tags on one sheet, so maximize your placement in Word before hitting print!
9. Light-Looking Checklist
A soothing activity for all ages, Christmas light looking is a cheap way to rock the little ones to sleep and spend some quality time with the family all in one go. Riding around in the car to look at neighbor’s light displays can be made fun with a checklist. Kids call out what they see and whoever completes their checklist first gets to open presents!
10. Jingle Bingo
Who says Christmas music is repetitive?! If you’re a fan of the Yuletide jams, try a Christmas Jingle Bingo printout. Add your family’s favorite music and print it out on any paper you have lying around! Laminate it so markers can be wiped clean and each sheet can be used for future activities. This is a gift that keeps on giving!
