Create a Jolly Christmas Card with Glowing Holiday Lights

A little holiday mischief makes for a whole lot of cardmaking fun! Today, we're welcoming Jennifer Kotas back to the Hero Arts Blog with a playful Christmas card featuring products from our November My Monthly Hero: Jolly Holiday and Yuel Fuel Collection.

If this mischievous raccoon tangled in Christmas lights reminds you of a certain holiday movie, you're not alone! Jennifer took inspiration from the Christmas classic National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, giving her card a little Clark Griswold-style holiday chaos. And with our Elf-inspired Yuel Fuel Collection joining the fun, this card has plenty of Christmas movie charm!

Jennifer's step-by-step photo tutorial combines stamping, die cutting, heat embossing, and a clever ink blending technique that makes the colorful Christmas lights appear to glow. You'll also see how a white-on-white background and bold layered sentiment add dimension without competing with the adorable focal point.

Ready for a little holiday fun? Let's get crafty with Jennifer!

Project Snapshot

Hello! I'm Jen Kotas of Who Stole My Glitter?, and I'm so excited to be back on the Hero Arts Blog! I've got a step-by-step photo tutorial using the Elf Culture Stamp & Cut and November My Monthly Super Hero.

This card was inspired by National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, with Clark Griswold wrapped in Christmas lights, but for my card, it's a raccoon!

Since we will be adding Reactive Inks directly over the stamped image to create a glow from the lights, it might be a good idea to stamp and color extra images. Adding the glow isn't necessary, but it adds a bit more charm.

Cut the HO HO Cover Plate Die from Classic White ColorWheel Cardstock. Adhere to an A2 white card base.

Stamp the raccoon and hat from the Elf Culture Stamp & Cut using Intens-ified Black Ink. Color the stamped images using alcohol markers. Cut out with coordinating dies.

Die cut the String of Lights Die out of Raven ColorWheel Cardstock and Classic White ColorWheel Cardstock. Use Mini Blending Brushes to add Taffy, Key Lime Fizz, and Pool Party Reactive Inks to the lights. Adhere lights to the string of lights.

Die cut the Jolly Die out of Pomegranate ColorWheel Cardstock three times. Die cut the shadow layer from white glitter cardstock. Adhere together to create a dimensional sentiment.

Stamp sentiments from Let's Be Jolly Stamp & Cut using Clear Embossing & Watermark Ink. Sprinkle with White Detail Embossing Powder and heat set with your heat tool. Die cut with coordinating dies, then cut twice more for each sentiment. Adhere the layers together.

Adhere the stamped sentiments to the card using liquid glue, then add the die cut sentiment and stamped images with thin foam adhesive.

Lightly tack down the string of lights as if wrapped around the raccoon. Behind each light, use a Mini Blending Brush to create a circle as if the lights are glowing. Once finished, secure the string of lights.

How fun is this tangled-up raccoon? We love how Jennifer brought together products from two different collections to create a Christmas card with a story to tell! The colorful lights really shine against the crisp white background, and that bold JOLLY greeting adds just the right amount of festive cheer.

One technique we especially love is the glowing light effect. By blending a little ink behind each bulb, Jennifer creates the illusion of colorful Christmas lights shining against the raccoon's fur. It's a simple detail that makes a big difference! Try this same technique with other holiday stamps and die cuts featuring string lights, candles, or anything that could use a little glow.

We also love how the String of Lights Die Set works with the raccoon from the Yuel Fuel Collection. It's a great reminder to look through your crafty stash and discover unexpected ways to combine your favorite products.

Now we'd love to hear from you! What's your favorite holiday movie? Are you a Christmas Vacation fan, an Elf enthusiast, or is there another holiday classic you watch year after year? Share your favorites in the comments below!