INSIGHTS



HOW TO MAKE YOUR ILLUSTRATIONS SPARKLE IN THE WINTER HOLIDAY MARKET


This article helps freelance illustrators understand how to tap into the seasonal demand for winter holiday artwork. You’ll learn which holidays fall under this category, what kinds of products need festive illustrations, and how to position your portfolio so your work becomes the gift that keeps on giving.

Written by Nate Padavick and Salli Swindell

When you think of winter holidays, you probably picture cozy scenes, sparkling lights, festive foods, and moments of gathering. But from an illustrator’s perspective, this season is more than just merry—it’s one of the biggest opportunities of the year to license artwork, land commissions, and diversify your income streams.


What counts as “Winter Holidays”?


In the U.S. and Europe, “winter holidays” generally includes:
  • Christmas
  • Hanukkah
  • Kwanzaa
  • New Year’s Eve + New Year’s Day
  • Winter Solstice and general “winter cozy” themes

What about Halloween and Thanksgiving? Most retailers consider these holidays part of their “fall season.” 

Globally, illustrators also create art for Lunar New Year, Diwali, and other cultural celebrations that fall within this timeframe. The key is to understand which holidays are relevant to your target market.


Products that need holiday illustrations


Holiday imagery is everywhere—think about how many products and campaigns shift to “festive mode” in the last quarter of the year. Common categories include:
  • Greeting Cards + Stationery: The backbone of holiday illustration, from boxed sets to custom family cards.
  • Gift Wrap + Packaging: Wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue, boxes, and ribbons all need seasonal designs.
  • Home Décor + Textiles: Ornaments, tableware, pillows, dish towels, candles, and more.
  • Retail Products: Calendars, puzzles, mugs, chocolate tins, advent calendars, apparel.
  • Editorial + Advertising: Magazine covers, advertising campaigns, in-store displays, and social media graphics.


Holiday Art Checklist


Here are a few things to keep in mind as you create for this niche:
  • On Trend + On Brand: Does your style align with the company’s seasonal voice—playful, elegant, traditional, modern?
  • Symbolic Yet Fresh: Are you using recognizable holiday icons in a way that feels new and not cliché?
  • Color Magic: Does your palette capture the right mood—warm and cozy, bold and celebratory, or refined and chic?
  • Inclusive Spirit: Does your artwork reflect diverse traditions, cultures, and family structures?
  • Versatility: Can your design work across multiple products—cards, wrap, textiles, and packaging?
  • Gift-Worthy Appeal: Would someone be excited to give or receive this product featuring your illustration?


Themes to consider


Need inspiration for your holiday portfolio? Here are a few ideas to spark new illustrations:
  • Festive Feasts: seasonal spreads, cookie platters, hot cocoa bars, candy canes.
  • Cozy Winters: crackling fireplaces, snowy cabins, wooly mittens, steaming mugs.
  • Sparkling Celebrations: champagne toasts, fireworks, party hats, confetti showers.
  • Holiday Icons: menorahs, dreidels, nutcrackers, stockings, sleigh bells.
  • Magical Scenes: winter wonderlands, reindeer flights, aurora skies, enchanted forests.
  • Playful Characters: caroling animals, snowman families, kids sledding.
  • Global Traditions: Diwali lamps, Lunar New Year dragons, Scandinavian patterns.
  • Gift-Giving Moments: wrapping scenes, decorated trees, stacks of presents.
  • Decorative Delights: holiday decor, ornaments, Christmas trees, wreaths, garland.
  • Nonsecular Subjects: snowflakes, snowmen, peace sign, doves, winter botanical, snowy scenes, winter clothing, fireplaces. 

While the cast of characters and sets of iconography are fairly consistent and well-defined, the challenge for an illustrator is to represent this imagery in fresh, new, and imaginative ways. When an illustration contains characters, it’s always a good idea to focus on clever ways in which they interact with each other and the overall setting.


Income sources for illustrators


Winter holidays offer multiple revenue streams, from one-off commissions to long-term licensing deals:
  • Licensing: Create seasonal collections and license them to manufacturers and publishers.
  • Direct-to-Consumer: Sell prints, cards, or products through your own shop or marketplaces like Etsy.
  • Commissions: Custom family portraits, holiday cards, or branded campaigns.
  • Editorial + Advertising: Magazines, newspapers, and retailers always need seasonal art.
  • Surface Design: Patterns and motifs for textiles, paper goods, and packaging.


Publishers + Companies / Retail Segments


Winter holiday illustration opportunities span multiple retail and product segments. Here are the main categories to consider:
  • Social Expression Industry: Greeting cards, boxed stationery, and gift wrap. Companies include American Greetings, Design House Greetings, and Hallmark. This segment focuses on seasonal cards, personalized stationery, and paper products.
  • Surface Design / Licensing: Patterned goods, gift wrap, and textile collections sold across multiple retail brands. Artists can license collections to companies producing wrapping paper, fabrics, bedding, or holiday-themed apparel.
  • House & Home: Home décor, textiles, kitchenware, ornaments, and holiday decorations. Retailers include Target, Anthropologie, Crate + Barrel, Terrain, and West Elm. Illustrators can create patterns, motifs, and decorative scenes for products like pillows, mugs, tableware, and ornaments.
  • Direct-to-Consumer / Online Marketplaces: Etsy, Society6, Minted, Redbubble, and independent artist shops. Freelancers can sell prints, greeting cards, or products featuring their illustrations directly to consumers.
  • Editorial & Advertising: Magazines, newspapers, online publications, and advertising campaigns need seasonal visuals, illustrations, and graphics. Examples include lifestyle magazines, food publications, and retail marketing campaigns.
  • Food & Beverage Packaging: Seasonal candy tins, chocolates, hot chocolate sets, and specialty beverages often feature holiday illustrations, from cozy scenes to festive patterns.
  • Experience & Event Design: Seasonal event branding, gift experiences, and pop-up activations can include illustrated signage, invitations, and decorative motifs.

Final Thoughts


The winter holidays come around every year, which means seasonal artwork never goes out of style—it simply gets refreshed. By leaning into the traditions, moods, and products of the season, you can make your portfolio sparkle in the eyes of art directors and gift buyers. Whether you’re illustrating for a cozy card line, a chic packaging collection, or a playful ad campaign, the winter holiday market is a chance to earn consistent income and spread a little cheer through your art.
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