It’s almost that time of year again! So, we’ve rounded up a selection of seven low-to-zero waste Christmas cards from seven different Canadian stationery brands for you to browse through.
Our list includes mostly plantable seed paper cards made from 100% recycled material, as well as a very unique bath bomb card!
With several designs ranging from cute to elegant to punny, there’s sure to be a perfect Christmas card (or two) for you to send to your loved ones (and if there’s not, be sure to click on the “shop all…” links under each description to see each brands’ whole selection of holiday cards).
About Zero Waste Christmas Cards
We may have shifted away from sending Christmas cards to every single person in our address books, and we may have the option to send e-cards nowadays, but there are still many instances where sending a Christmas card is, maybe not essential, but really important.
And that’s where “zero waste” Christmas cards come into play. The options we consider low/zero waste include:
- DIY cards that are made from scrap paper or 100% recycled paper.
- Cards that are made from 100% recycled paper that you purchase, especially if you can recycle them again.
- Cards that are not single-use and so they double as a gift (e.g., a bath bomb, a “package” of seeds, etc.).
Making your own Christmas cards is always a wonderful option, but today we’d like to highlight the zero waste options that you can buy because sometimes it’s nice to send a really beautiful or cheeky card that just wouldn’t be the same if you DIY’d it.
Related Post: Canadian reusable gift wrap brands to browse for Christmas
Plantable, seed paper Christmas cards
The plantable Christmas cards that are listed below have all been embedded with native North American wildflower seeds that are great for bees and other pollinators.
The wildflower seed blends in the paper include seeds for five annuals — Bird’s Eye, Clarkia, Catchfly, Snapdragon and Sweet Alyssum — and one perennial — Black Eyed Susan.
The seed paper cards are also all 100% made in Canada, are made from 100% recycled materials (both post-consumer and post-industrial paper), and are 100% biodegradable.
The cards are all certified to be planted in Canada and the USA, as well as many other countries.
Peace on Earth | Jill + Jack Paper
Of peace on Earth, good will to all people, snow angels, mittens, cozy scarves, and Canadian winters, Jill + Jack Paper’s hand-drawn cards will make a lovely greeting for your loved ones. All of the plantable wildflower seed paper cards feature Jill’s hand-drawn illustrations, including a special collection of cards inspired by her home, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Bonus: You can choose to have Jill send your card right to your loved one with your own personal message inside.
- Shipping from Halifax, NS | Shop all Jill + Jack Paper holiday cards
Polar Bear | Flowerink Stationery
Flowerink Stationery features seed paper greeting cards with watercolour and line art designs by Montréal-based illustrators, including this festive watercolour polar bear that was illustrated by Frédérike Lefebvre. The cards are all illustrated and printed in Montréal, Québec, and have options for both French and English greetings.
Bonus: you can also purchase sets of seed paper gift tags from Flowerink, like the one in the background of the picture above, so you can label your gifts in a more environmentally friendly way.
- Shipping from St-Henri, Montréal, QC | Shop all Flowerink holiday cards
Happy Holidays Truck | Vita Beata Boutique
Simple but elegant, each of Vita Beata’s cards are designed and hand-drawn/painted by owner Allyssa. Depending on the card you have the option of wildflower, basil, or parsley seeds. That way you can give a “bouquet” of flowers or a garden of herbs.
- Shipping from Irricana, AB | Shop all Vita Beata Boutique Christmas cards
Christmas Thyme | SowSweet Greetings
The plantable puns with matching hand-drawn designs from SowSweet Greetings will be sure to put a smile on your face and the face of your loved ones this holiday season.
Bonus: If you’d like SowSweet Greetings to send the card directly to your loved one you can add-on a personal message to your order that will be printed on the inside of your card.
- Shipping from Toronto, ON | Shop all SowSweet Greetings holiday cards
Winterberry Wreath | Botanical PaperWorks
Spread some winter wishes this holiday season with beautifully illustrated personalized greeting cards from Botanical PaperWorks, like the one featured above. Their plantable Christmas cards can be personalized with your family name or a short message.
The minimum purchase order is 25 cards, with prices to match the bulk order, so they’re a great selection if you are looking to send out cards to all your family and friends.
- Shipping from Winnipeg, MB | Shop all Botanical PaperWorks personalized Christmas cards
You’re a Mean One… | Plantable Greetings
You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch, but you still deserve a Christmas card! The wildflower seed paper cards from Plantable Greetings are all designed by local artists and therefore come in a variety of different styles.
Bonus: each card sold plants 2 trees! So far, over 12,000 trees have already been planted!
- Shipping from Vancouver, BC | Shop all Plantable Greetings Christmas cards
Holiday Berry Branches | The Good Card
You’ll be sure to find that perfect holiday card with the many options provided by The Good Card. Each card is embedded with a blend of six different wildflower seeds, printed with non-toxic ink and left blank inside so that you can send a personal message. And most importantly, their cards are shipped ‘naked’, meaning they don’t use any plastic cello wrapping.
- Shipping from Guelph, ON | Shop all The Good Card holiday cards
Bath Bomb Christmas Card
I hadn’t ever heard of bath bomb greeting cards until this past summer, but they are a perfect zero waste option! Instead of sending a card and a bath bomb, you can just send the card and it doubles as a bath bomb. It’s so cool! Keep reading below for more info on how the bath bomb card works.
“Special Christmas Delivery” Bath Bomb | Hello Suds
Hello Suds’ greeting cards are extremely unique as they are not only a card but they also double as a bath bomb too!
The cards are made from all-natural, non-toxic ingredients, and they dissolve completely in water to create a bath bomb experience that includes fizz, scents (relaxing lavender, uplifting eucalyptus, or energizing peppermint), and colour. The dissolving paper and printer ink are even food grade.
Like all the plantable seed paper cards listed above, the bath bombs from Hello Suds are also made in Canada!
However, unlike the seed paper cards above that are blank on the inside, Hello Suds’ cards come with a short message on the inside to which you can add your own message. This card in particular says, “You made the nice list! Enjoy this bath bomb card. Merry Christmas!”
Bonus: You can choose to have Hello Suds send the card right to your loved one and they’ll print your own message inside the card.
- Shipping from Toronto, ON | Shop all Hello Suds bath bomb Christmas cards
Pro Tip: If you’re ordering online and you have the option to include a personal message and send your chosen card (be it a seed paper or bath bomb card) straight to your recipient, you’ll be able to help save on packaging!
This is because the card + message + envelope will be the only thing shipped, rather than the card + message + envelope + extra packaging that is needed to ship it to you before you send the card in its envelope to your loved one.
Related Post: Canadian reusable gift wrap brands to browse for Christmas
We hope this collection of seed paper and bath bomb Christmas cards is helpful for your greeting card selection this holiday season!
If you know of any other Canadian low-to-zero waste Christmas card brands, please let us know in the comments. We’d also love to hear which Christmas card design is your favourite!
Happy Holidays!
