October 19, 2026

3 Easy Christmas Cards with Advent Labels & Small Paper Squares

 Small paper squares, big Christmas-card possibilities

Have you ever looked at a sheet of patterned paper divided into little squares and thought, ‘That’s pretty—but what am I supposed to do with it?’ You are not alone! A small panel can feel a little limiting when you are used to covering the whole front of a card.

This week on Stampin’ Sundays with Katrina, we made three easy Christmas cards with the Advent Labels bundle and Hearth & Home Designer Series Paper. Each design gives those smaller pieces a job to do. There is a poinsettia focal point, a stack of festive labels, and a paper square that becomes a wrapped present.

If your creative energy is running low after a busy day, these are manageable places to begin. Choose your paper, make a few cuts, and let the patterns provide the personality.

1. Give a 3-inch square a simple frame



The poinsettia card starts with a 3 × 3-inch square of Designer Series Paper. I layered it on a 3 1/4 × 3 1/4-inch piece of Real Red cardstock and added it to a Garden Green card base.

Here is a useful little measurement trick: adding 1/4 inch to the overall width and height creates a 1/8-inch border on each side. You divide that extra space between two sides. It is a small detail, but that narrow frame helps the patterned paper stand out.

A stamped, punched Merry Christmas label overlaps the bottom of the panel. There is no need to fill every bit of green space. The open area helps your eye land on the flowers and greeting. A few candy canes stamped inside finish the card without adding another complicated step.

2. Repeat a label for an easy layout



For the second card, I used three small patterned rectangles down the left side of a Thick Basic White card base. Each rectangle measures 1 1/2 × 1 3/4 inches.

You can cut two of these rectangles from one 3-inch square; you will need another matching piece for the third. That is a good reminder to check the cutting plan before assuming every small-paper layout uses just one square. Keep the offcuts for another project.

Three white punched labels sit over the rectangles. A wreath, a tree, and three gold stars give each label its own little moment, while the repeated shape keeps the card looking coordinated. The Merry Christmas greeting sits to the right in the photographed version.

If choosing a layout is where you get stuck, try repeating a shape you already own. You have made one decision instead of inventing three separate focal points.

3. Turn patterned paper into a wrapped gift

The Packed with Love card might be the easiest way to give a paper square a new purpose. Start with a 3 × 3-inch polka-dot square, cross it with ribbon, and suddenly it looks like a little present.

Secure the ribbon ends behind the square before attaching it to the card. Dimensionals lift the present above the pink check background and leave room for the ribbon tucked underneath. Add a small bow where the ribbon crosses, then place the punched greeting below.

Tiny bows can be fiddly, so I demonstrated my dollar-store fork trick during the Live. The fork holds the loops while you make the center wrap and knot. If that description sounds harder than the bow itself, watch that part of the replay—the hand movements make much more sense when you can see them!

I also reached for a stamping cushion when the greeting needed a better impression. Supporting a photopolymer stamp with a cushion and using even pressure is a helpful thing to try before deciding the stamp is the problem.

4. Let one small piece be enough to begin



The best part of these beginner Christmas card ideas is that you can borrow the layouts with paper you already have. A favorite floral square can become a birthday card. A wrapped-paper present can celebrate almost anything.

Pay attention to the size of the printed panels before cutting. Use the small designs as focal pieces, and use a full-pattern reverse when you need a larger background. That way, the paper works with your design instead of making you piece together a background you did not plan.

Save these ideas for your next ‘I want to make something, but I don’t want to think too hard’ evening. Which would you try first: the framed poinsettias, the three labels, or the ribbon-wrapped present? Tell me in the comments, and look for the printable tutorials in this week’s subscriber email.



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