Merry Christmas with Holly SVG

About this design

Some greetings call for capitals. This version spells MERRY CHRISTMAS in a bold display serif with strong thick-and-thin strokes, the kind you see on vintage shop signs and Christmas cards. A small holly sprig with two spiky leaves and three berries sits centered above the words, tying the design together.

Each capital letter is its own piece, plus the holly, for thirteen pieces in total. The lettering is spaced evenly, so it transfers cleanly with one sheet of transfer tape, and only five small letter holes need weeding.

Color layers

• Lettering in red, which is also the base for the berries
• Holly leaves in green, to layer over the leaf shapes

Projects

• Porch and door signs. Capitals read from the street.
• Painted wood signs with stencil vinyl.
• Banners and mantel signs. Cut each word from felt or cardstock.
• Gift boxes. A label on a kraft gift box.
• Pillows with iron-on vinyl.
• Shop window display in white vinyl.

Size and cutting tips

The design passes our cut checks from about 4.5 inches wide. The thin serifs and hairline strokes are the delicate parts, so for stencils, cut at 10 inches or more so the paint has room to flow.

When using stencil vinyl, burnish every serif edge firmly before painting and use a nearly dry brush to prevent bleeding.

Step by step: painted farmhouse sign

1. Paint a board white and let it dry overnight.
2. Set the design to fill the board minus an inch each side, download the solid style and cut it from stencil vinyl.
3. Weed so that the letters are open, then apply the stencil and burnish the edges.
4. Seal the edges with a thin coat of the background color first, then paint the letters red.
5. Remove the stencil while the paint is slightly wet.
6. Cut the holly leaves separately in green vinyl, or paint them through a second stencil.

Font note

The capitals are already shapes inside the SVG, so you never need to install the font. The serif style is a free, open-licensed font; the arrangement and holly are drawn for this design.

Color ideas

• Black lettering on whitewashed wood with green holly
• Gold lettering on dark green for an elegant sign
• White on red for a bold shop-window look

Variations to try

• Use the editor’s thickness control to bolden the hairlines for felt or thick cardstock.
• Remove the holly in your software for a plain greeting.

Pairs well with

The Holly Sprig with Berries adds more holly, and the Happy Holidays design uses the same red-and-green combination.