Free Christmas bell SVG files

Christmas bell SVG files for cards, ornaments, signs and shirts

Bells are the sound of Christmas turned into a shape: church bells on Christmas morning, hand bells in carol services and the jingle of sleigh bells. A pair of bells tied with a bow is one of the most traditional Christmas motifs, and it works at any size, from a gift tag to a door sign.

This collection includes classic bells, pairs and bell strings, jingle bells and bell frames, bells with holly, ribbons and flowers, patterned bells, and frames. Each comes as a solid silhouette, an outline version and a two-layer color version that shows the rim, bow and patterns in a second color.

Styles in this collection

Classic bells

The traditional flared bell with a clapper, a large tower bell on a yoke and a hand bell with a long handle. Simple shapes like these cut cleanly at small sizes and look elegant in gold or silver.

Pairs, strings and borders

Twin bells tied together with holly, two bells hanging from a bow, a cluster of two under a red bow, bells hanging from crossed ribbons, three bells hanging from a bar, a door-hanger string and two bells leaning together under a ribbon arch.

Jingle bells

A round sleigh-style jingle bell resting on a curling ribbon, and a round frame topped with a row of little jingle bells around an open center.

Bells with other motifs

Bells with holly, mistletoe, pine sprigs, a candy cane, a poinsettia, a candle, a long ribbon or a Santa hat, ready-made compositions for cards and signs.

Patterned bells and frames

Bells decorated with polka dots, stripes, a snowflake, a star, a heart, a reindeer or ornate filigree swirls, plus a ring of bells and a bell split across the middle for a name.

Project ideas

• Door signs. Twin bells with a bow at the top of a round wood sign, with a family name below.
• Card fronts. A gold bell over a red backing on a folded card.
• Ornaments. Bell shapes in felt, cardstock or laser-cut wood with a name across the bell.
• Shirts. A pair of jingle bells on a child’s shirt, or a bell in a Santa hat.
• Table settings. Small bells as place cards, cut from gold cardstock.
• Wine and gift bags. A bell with a bow on a plain bag in heat-transfer vinyl.
• Wedding stationery. Bells for winter wedding invitations, save-the-date cards and table numbers.

Choosing materials

Sizes that work

Getting clean rims and clappers

Bells look best when the rim and the clapper are crisp. Many designs separate the rim from the body with a thin cut-out gap, and the clapper hangs just below it. Cut at or above the smallest width listed on each design page, and weed the gaps around the rim and clapper first, before the outer waste. Bows have narrow loops, so lift those slowly as well.

Making a bell door sign

1. Choose a pair of bells with a bow and size it to fill the top third of a round or square board.
2. Add your family name or a greeting below the bells in a bold font, and Attach the two so they cut in place.
3. Cut the bells from gold adhesive vinyl and the text from white or black.
4. Apply the bells first, then the text, with transfer tape, and seal the sign if it will hang outdoors.

For a two-color bell on the sign, cut the backing layer from red and the bell layer from gold, and stack them before applying the text.

Bells with names and dates

Bells are a popular base for first-Christmas and wedding ornaments. Use the split bell name frame, place a name and a year in the gap, and cut the text as a separate layer or as cut-outs with Slice. On a laser, engrave the text across the band of a wooden bell.

Jingle bells on clothing

Jingle bells make cheerful shirt and sweater designs, especially for children. The jingle bell cluster sits well on the chest at 4 to 6 inches, and the bell border can run across the front like a festive banner. Cut them from gold or silver heat-transfer vinyl, mirror the design, and press under a cover sheet. For a matching family set, use the same bell design in different colors for each person.

Gold or silver?

Gold bells feel warm and traditional, and pair naturally with red, green and kraft. Silver bells feel cooler and more formal, and pair well with navy, white and ice blue. If the design sits next to holly or a poinsettia, gold usually looks more balanced; next to snowflakes or stars, silver often looks crisper. The editor lets you preview both before you download.

Colors to try

The default is gold over red. Other combinations:

• Silver bells: silver over navy for a winter evening look.
• Classic: red over white with a green backing for holly designs.
• Rose gold: rose gold over blush pink for weddings.
• Rustic: black over kraft for farmhouse signs.

Bells and Christmas

Church bells have rung in celebrations for centuries, and in many places they ring at midnight or on Christmas morning. Hand bells and carol singing, and the bells on horse-drawn sleighs, added to the sound of the season. In the 19th century, songs about sleigh bells became winter favorites, and the bell became one of the standard images of Christmas.

Bells beyond Christmas Day

Bells carry on after the 25th. Silver and gold bells suit New Year’s Eve party invitations, countdown signs and champagne glass tags, and the same designs work for winter weddings and anniversaries. Cut a set of place cards in gold for Christmas dinner and reuse the leftover designs for New Year by switching the backing color from red to black or navy.

Free to use

Every Christmas bell SVG here is free for personal projects and for small businesses making finished items, up to 500 per design. You may not sell or share the files themselves. See the license for details.