How to Make a Christmas Card with Photoshop

Step 1

First, create a new document 600 by 500 pixels. Fill (Edit > Fill) the background with the color #eeeeee.

Step 2

Second, we're going to be creating the base that the card is going to go on (like the front of the card). Create a new layer (Layer > New > Layer) and make a selection in the middle of the document using the rectangle tool with a size of 350 by 450 pixels. Make sure that the color is on white.

Step 3

Now we are going to be adding an outer glow to our card.

Layer > Layer Style > Outer Glow

Result:

Step 4

Next, we are going to be creating the christmas tree to go on our christmas card. Create another new layer and select the rectangle tool from the tool box, set the color to a green (I've used the color #006600). Make a box on your card with the dimensions 100 by 100 pixels.

Step 5

Rotate the box by 45 degrees by going Ctrl + T and rotating it.

Step 6

Select the delete anchor point tool and delete the bottom point on the box.

Step 7

Duplicate this layer and move it below the original one (I've moved mine 30 pixels down). Go Ctrl + T and adjust the width and heights to 120%.

Step 8

Duplicate the new layer and move it below the original, go Ctrl + T and adjust the width and heights to 120% again.

Step 9

Select the top tree part and apply the following layer styles.

Layer > Layer Style > Gradient Overlay

Layer > Layer Style > Pattern Overlay. I've used this image.

Result:

Step 10

Copy the layer styles we have just added, to the other two parts of our christmas tree.

Step 11

Create a new layer and using the rectangle tool add a brown rectangle to act as the trunk of the tree. The color I've used for this is #973300. I've also added the pattern overlay layer style we added earlier to the green parts of the tree.

Step 12

Now we'll be adding a simple shadow to our tree. Create a new layer and make a selection using the elliptical marquee tool. Fill the selection with black. Make sure the shadow layer is below the trunk layer in the layers window (so it doesn't overlap the trunk).

Step 13

Apply a blur to the shadow layer by going Filter > Blur > Guassin Blur - I've used 18 pixels. Lower the opacity to 40%. Move the tree down a bit so we can have some room for the text.

Step 14

Lastly we're going to be adding in the text for the card. Using the text tool ad in some 'Merry Christmas' text.

You can adjust the text a bit by going Edit > Transform and playing around with some of the settings.