8 Easy Holiday Designs You Can Start Selling for Christmas
Holiday shoppers are browsing online right now, looking for holiday designs and fun Christmas apparel.
What better time to meet this demand than with print-on-demand? And you don’t need to be a professional designer to find success!
We’ve assembled 8, easy holiday design ideas you can start selling today; just in time for Christmas. From simple holiday designs that make money to unique designs with a twist, these can boost seasonal sales in your print-on-demand shop.
Simply upload, publish and sell with Spreadshop. And since you don’t have to deal with storing or shipping inventory, that’s one less thing to worry about during a busy holiday season.
Browse our easy holiday designs, add favorites to your shop and get tools to help you make designs fast.
Why Simple Holiday Designs Sell
You might think holiday designs need to be bold and complex to sell. But the simpler, the better.
Online shoppers are looking for quick gifts, matching Christmas t-shirts and other fun seasonal apparel. And simple holiday designs have mass appeal.
Dainty graphics and slogans fit a wide range of personal styles. Which means you don’t have to worry about catering to every niche and trend. And simple designs are also a time saver.
Tweak your holiday design templates for different seasons and occasions throughout the year. This allows you to maximize designs for your print-on-demand shop without going back to the drawing board every time.
Once you have your designs, Spreadshop makes it easy to upload, publish and select your products. Delve deep into our assortment of 300+ products full of classic, trendy and seasonal options your customers will love.
8 Holiday Designs to Start Selling Right Now
1. Retro and Vintage-Inspired Graphics
Retro Christmas designs are making a splash this season thanks to Kitschy Christmas; an over-the-top, maximalist aesthetic. And it’s taking e-commerce marketplaces like Etsy and social media by storm.
Roll with this trend by making vintage holiday shirts and sweatshirts. Use classic phrases like “holly jolly” and “cozy season.” Create retro designs with Kittl and other design tools.
Go with nostalgic color palettes like pastel pinks, blues and greens. Add mid-century modern accents to your holiday designs to fit that retro 60s vibe. Bring classic Christmas back to the masses with this design trend.
2. Minimalist “Merry” Typography
The tagline for the season: “Be merry”. Take this simple phrase and make minimalist designs that will look great on all print-on-demand products: baby apparel, sweatpants, mugs, tote bags.
Download merry fonts to take your holiday designs to the next level. Make these fonts the statement of your designs or an added component in addition to small icons like snowflakes, pine trees and stars.
Use effects on your fonts like distressing or fading to add personality. This design is an all-around crowd pleaser thanks to its minimalism. Use it to create holiday apparel that’s not obvious.
Shoppers can profess their love for the season without being overt and obnoxious about it. Use that to your advantage in your marketing, too. Order samples and take photos of products.
3. Hand-Drawn Doodle Designs
This is a great holiday design for beginners or those that get easily overwhelmed by the design process.
Pick doodle graphics from free design packs to make your designs. Popular doodle Christmas icons include gingerbread men, snowmen and gifts.
We personally think these holiday designs look great on mugs and baby tees and are best for a female audience.
4. Baking Holiday Puns
It is officially baking season! Whether it’s classic Christmas cookies or decadent desserts, this is a holiday design made for those with a sweet tooth.
The baking puns are plentiful: “baking seasons bright”, “whisk you a Merry Christmas”, “all you knead is Christmas cheer”.
And we have just the right print-on-demand products for these designs.
Our artisan apron is a modern take on a baking must-have. And will bring up special memories year after year. And the heart-handle mug adds a touch of whimsy to your evening hot cocoa and cookie time.
5. Ugly Christmas Sweater Patterns
Ugly Christmas sweaters are a must-have holiday product. They’re great for friend get-togethers, work parties and as matching boyfriend/girlfriend sets.
But what graphics are best? Fair isle patterns and pixelated fonts are an easy way to achieve that ugly Christmas sweater look. Incorporate funny holiday phrases and nostalgic imagery to make designs feel personal.
And we love the idea of adding the same designs to shorts and sweatpants to make Ugly Christmas sets. Promote these designs as great apparel for Christmas morning or to wear in family group photos.
6. Cozy Winter Aesthetic
If you don’t want your designs to be only for Christmas, create designs for the winter season instead. These designs will be sellers now and long after Christmas is over. You can continue to sell and promote into January and February unlike holiday designs you need to retire sooner.
Play on cozy themes like curling up next to the fire, reading a good book, having a nice cup of cocoa.
These designs do best on cozy products! Sweatshirts, beanies, jackets, joggers.
7. Festive Pet Designs
Pet-themed merch makes for great personalized holiday gifts.
Designs with furry friends and a festive touch are very popular. Think of dogs with reindeer antlers, “Santa’s Favorite Pup” slogans, or cats caught in twinkle lights.
Melon and Finn are two viral cats. They are joining this trend with seasonal collections. These collections feature fun pet graphics and festive holiday styles.
Use Kittl and other design tools to create graphic likenesses of pets. Upload PNGs to your shop and customize hoodies, tumblers or ornaments. You've got a holiday-ready pet collection ready to sell.
8. Santa Designs
Santa-inspired designs will are annual best-sellers and instantly iconic. They’re playful, nostalgic and full of Christmas magic.
Add a personal touch to pre-made illustrations of Santa. Go for a vintage feel or make him cool and trendy with sunglasses and streetwear.
Your Santa designs don’t have to include the big man, though. Pairing a Santa hat with words like (“Jolly,” “Believe,” “Ho Ho Ho”) are another high-conversion option.
They’re quick to create in Canva or Kittl and look great on apparel or accessories.
4 Tools to Make Designs Fast
You don’t need be a professional designer to make holiday designs that sell. With the right tools, anyone can make print-ready designs in minutes.
Here are some of our favorites that make the design process fast, fun and seamless.
Canva: Our go-to for anything design. They have hundreds of free holiday templates, Christmas icons and ready-made typography layouts ready to use.
Change colors, swap fonts, download your PNG - and you’re ready to sell.
Kittl: An unbeatable platform for retro and vintage-style holiday fonts. Leverage AI features to take your print-on-demand designs to the next level.
Vectr: Great beginner tool. Easy-to-learn interface that’s ideal for line-art and hand-drawn illustrations. Use AI tools to turn text into original images.
Adobe Express: Fast solution for icons, text overlays and social-ready designs. Perfect for minimal graphics or slogan t-shirts.
Once you have your holiday designs, simply upload to your Spreadshop.
Make your first holiday design and start selling in time for the busy shopping season!