20 Best Online Holiday Cards Of 2021

Sending a holiday or Christmas card has always been a thoughtful way to let someone know you care.

Since the pandemic has made it harder than ever to connect with and be near the ones we love, cards have become an even more pivotal way of putting into words what we can’t with touching and feeling.

It won't be the same, but sending holiday and Christmas cards online is so important and needed. At a time where physical connections aren't an option, emotional connections can still remain strong.

Best Online Holiday Cards of 2021

Cards can come in all forms — from festive and merry to sappy and nostalgic — and these online sites all have a way of putting a unique spin on a holiday classic.

1. 1-800-Flowers

The holiday eCard assortment from 1-800-Flowers.com, powered by SmartGift, has a wide variety of fun and festive complimentary eCards for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. These cards are perfect for sending instant seasons greetings to family, friends, coworkers, and everyone in between.

2. Amazon Handmade

Amazon Handmade is an online marketplace that offers one-of-a-kind, handcrafted products, all made by verified makers from around the globe. These makers bring unique and personalized items right to your home.

3. Artifact Uprising

This website is a great option for minimalists who don’t want too many choices when making a card selection. Artifact Uprising has a small, well-curated collection of holiday cards. Even more unique is that all cards are printed on thick, 100 percent recycled paper, giving a luxe, matte look.

4. Etsy

Etsy is the perfect website to find a creative card that is both original and unique. Since each item is made by individual sellers, you can give your loved ones a truly unique card. There are plenty of great custom options as well that will allow you to stay within budget.

5. Food for Thoughts Cards

With the purchase of each bread-outlined greeting card, Food for Thoughts Cards donates the cash equivalent of one sandwich to an organization that feeds the hungry.

For twelve years, owner Connie Charney packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to give to a homeless person when she took the train from New Jersey to Penn Station each week. As she walked downtown, she gave the sandwich to someone in need. Now, she’s taken that effort up a notch.

6. Elf Yourself

Elf Yourself is certainly not a traditional way to send holiday cards, but it's fun entertainment for everyone — and it's free!

Choose up to 5 family photos and 23 dances, with Hanukkah dances included. You can even add your very own personal greeting at the end of the video and share it in email or social media to as many people as you’d like. (Send these fat belly elf candies as an added funny gift!)

7. Five Dot Post

When Jessica Walker's husband Tommy was diagnosed with cancer in 2017, she started a greeting card company to spread hope and laughter throughout the cancer community.

The company grew into Five Dot Post, a card company with funny and clever greeting cards for every occasion and holiday. The Hannukah cards are particularly entertaining, with images of challah dancing across the front.

8. At Home With Ray

If you're looking for sophisticated holiday cards made with high-quality materials, At Home With Ray should be your first stop. Each notecard in the collection is thoughtfully designed with elegant and fun prints and typography.

They're printed on a cream felt stock with matching envelopes. The packaging is just as thoughtful as the note cards themselves — they arrive in a brown patterned folio that has "love notes" printed on it, encouraging you to share the love with your family and friends.

9. AfriMod

This Canada and Nigeria-based shop was started by the father-daughter team, Osita D. Juwah, and Ada-Nkem (Ada) Juwah.

The African-Canadian duo chooses to highlight African-inspired design with a modern twist. (AfriMod, get it?) Though the company has a range of home products and yoga gear, the stars of the shop are the Kwanzaa cards with abstract design and gorgeous splashes of color. All the cards are custom made, with customizable text.

10. Vicky Barone Kindness Cards

Vicky Barone, a self-taught graphic designer, fills a unique space in the greeting card market: sending free kindness. Her line of Kindness Cards are free, meant to be given to someone who needs some hope, encouragement, or just a few nice words of support.

Each set comes with 10 illustrations on 20 cards, and all you pay for is shipping. You can pay $6.99 for a set of Specialized Kindness Cards for teachers, the holidays, appreciation, and encouragement.

11. Punchbowl

Go ahead and admit it: at times, you've forgotten to get someone a card for a special occasion. We've all done it. And thankfully we have Punchbowl to bail us out. The company specializes in digital cards, so you can easily send everyone in your family a card for the holidays even if you forgot about it until the day of.

And if you forgot a gift for someone, too, you can add a virtual gift card to the delivery. Punchbowl operates on a membership basis to send cards, with three tiers that give you different perks, like removing ads, adding video messages, and getting exclusive designs.

12. Smitten Kitten

Not only is every Smitten Kitten card both hysterical and beautiful, designer Amy Kwong's company arguably makes the best Christmas cards in existence.

It's a collection called "Creepy Santa", which pairs images of a, well, creepy Santa, with lyrics from "Santa Clause Is Coming To Town." Except Santa is staring at you and the lyrics are dripping in blood.

13. Ohh Deer

Ohh deer has an excellent selection of cards for any occasion, all clever, cute, and made by an artist from their collective.

The company works with more than a hundred artists who design all the cards; you can sort by the artist to find the specific one you want right on the website. And every card sold gives right back to the artist, as well; they get a share of the revenue.

14. Girl With Knife

I'm willing to bet someone irritated you this year.

Send them a card that's as black as the coal the bad kids get, one that lays it all out with a simple phrase: "You're on my shit list." Not everyone deserves your holiday cheer. (OK, OK, you can also just send one of other fabulous Girl With Knife cards that are much nicer, I guess.)

15. Hello!Lucky

Those of us who celebrate the solstice hardly ever get to give each other seasonally appropriate cards — until now.

Hello!Lucky is doing us good with a winter solstice greeting card, so all of us Earth-loving witchy types can enjoy fun greetings on our own holidays. Sisters Eunice Moyle and Sabrina Moyle run Hello!Lucky, and every card is a high-quality letterpress delight manufactured in Portland, Oregon.

16. InstaCake

OK, let's forget cards altogether! Who needs them! What we all really want t... is cake. And InstaCake makes it easy to shower your loved ones with sugary delight. When you send someone a card from InstaCake, it's actually a whole baking kit.

They'll get everything they need (except the water) to make their own mini microwave cake to celebrate the holidays. It even comes with the baking tray, frosting, sprinkles, topper, and candle. Party on.

17. Saved By Grace Co.

Need a card to show someone just how special they are — no matter the season? This card is the perfect reminder for any occasion/gift, which they have plenty of, too.

18. Sweeter Cards

Sweeter Cards is the first-ever greeting card and gourmet chocolate bar all in ONE. The idea is simple: combine everyone's two favorite things — sending love to people we care about and, well, chocolate — to bring innovation and taste to the gift-giving world.

19. Brightbox

A truly affordable option at $5 a card, this confetti card will brighten anyone's day — hence the company name. Simply choose a 5 x 7 printable, and voila! A treat and confetti will be sent that special someone who needs a pick-me-up — and who doesn't these days?

20. Bokksu

An environmentally-friendly option, these washi cards are made from grapes that would have been otherwise discarded. Maker Igarashi Seishi uses a traditional washi paper-making style to create these cards. Admire the purple hues as you send these cards to friends and family.

Read the full list here.