DIY Christmas Card Holder for a Mantel or Console Table
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This DIY Christmas Card holder made using scrap wood will display your holiday cards in style when you want to decorate a long surface like a mantel. It can be painted or covered with ribbon to coordinate with your Christmas decor. Once it is placed on a mantel, sideboard or console table, the card holder fills the long space beautifully and becomes holiday decor all on its own.
I was inspired to make this Christmas card display stand for the sideboard in my living room after seeing a long brass Christmas card holder at Target.
I don’t get as many Christmas cards during the holiday season as I used to, but I still get plenty and since they are like little works of art, I like to use them as holiday decoration.
I liked the Target holiday card holder, but it was sold out and also too short for where I wanted to display my Christmas cards this year – on the sideboard under my wall-mounted TV that swings to face the kitchen or living room.
There isn’t a lot of clearance between the bottom of the swing-out TV and the top of the sideboard, so I always need to find decor on the low side when decorating the top of it.
In past years I used my Framed Ribbon Christmas Card Holder, to display my cards, but that wouldn’t work on the sideboard.
I wanted a longer holder that would cover the length of the sideboard so I headed to my scrap wood pile in my garage to make my own wood Christmas card holder.
This holder to display holiday cards is not hard to make especially if the wood you want to use is already cut to the length you need. My card holder is 50″ long and holds about 35 cards.
The nice part of making anything yourself is that you can customize it to fit your needs. You can make the holder any length. You can also place the paper clips that hold each card on further apart so the cards don’t overlap the way I created mine. You are the designer.
How to Make a DIY Christmas Card Holder for a Mantel or Console Table
supplies needed:
- Scrap wood or a 1 x 2″ piece of molding cut to desired length
- 1″ wide ribbon cut to the length of holder plus 3 inches
- Owl style paper clips – enough to cover the length of wood
- Hot glue
- Stapler
- Paint
- Cut wood to length needed. Paint and let dry.
2. Gather owl-style paper clips. Using your fingers, hold the square part with your non dominant hand, then with your other hand move the center section up as shown. Repeat for each clip needed.
3. Line up the paper clips along the top of the wood as shown in the photo above so that the loop section placement changes. One placed with loops to the back, then front, back, front. Continue that pattern of placement along the entire top of the wood.
Use hot glue to attach the paper clips to the wood. As you glue, make sure the paperclips are straight. Let the glue cool.
4. Place your cut ribbon over the length of the wood. Use your fingers to get the ribbon inside the space between the paper clips. Carefully turn the wood over, pull the ribbon taut and staple or use hot glue to attach the ends of the ribbon to the underside of each end of the wood.
5. Place cards between the loops on a paper clip. I placed tall cards on back paper clips and short cards on the front clips.
The first card you place on a paper clip, the card may turn. Use your fingers to arrange the loops on the paper clip so the card stays straight.
Once you have a few cards secure, they will help to keep the additional cards you add straight.
If needed for a large card, place the card in two clips to keep it in place.
Place the Christmas card holder on a long table or your mantel. Add some greenery, a few pinecones, holly, ornaments or jingle bells in front of it to add more interest.
If you enjoy decorating your home for the holidays, don’t miss my Christmas Decorating Ideas & DIY Project Gallery.
I love this DIY Christmas card holder idea.
Merry Christmas,
Kippi
Hi Kippi – Thanks :-)
You are amazing! I love this idea!
I love collecting postcards – this seems like a good way to be able to display a few at a time and easily rotate in/out. Thanks!
That is one of the prettiest card holders I’ve seen. It is quite a bonus that it is so budget-friendly. We get fewer and fewer Christmas cards each year, but I can see putting vintage photos or vintage Christmas cards as a display. Or even spelling out holiday words. I love how versatile this DIY is! Thank you for always having such fun and doable ideas.
Any tips on hanging card holders? I’d like to hang ribbons on both sides of my front door (live in apartment) and clip cards to them. I’ll check your past posts.
Hi Patricia – The only other card organizing post I have is of the framed one that uses ribbon to make pockets to place the cards in. I linked to in the post. Clipping them to ribbon hanging on your door is a great and easy way to display them.
You are so clever!
Hi Heather – Thanks :-). I learned to be very resourceful when I worked in retail display. I enjoy finding creative solutions to create the things I need or want.
Brilliant! thank you!
That is SUCH a clever idea Diane. Happy Holidays!