10 Art Merch Ideas For a Christmas Market

If you want to make more money at your Christmas market stall, add some affordable art merch to your setup. People love small, giftable items they can pick up without thinking too hard.

It’s fine to test a few ideas with small orders, but remember that Christmas trade is short. You don’t get a second chance once the season ends. Treat your first market as a live experiment and use what you learn for next year.

Some of these items have year-round appeal too. Things like mugs, notebooks, and magnets sell anytime, so you can keep them on your stall long after the holidays.

Here are some easy and affordable art merch ideas you can print with your designs and sell at your next Christmas market.

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Calendars

Calendars are one of the best-selling art products at Christmas. Everyone needs one, and they make simple, practical gifts. Use twelve of your best designs and add your logo or contact details on each page for extra promotion.

You can offer wall, desk, or small hanging versions depending on your display space. Customers like choice, so mix sizes and price points. Printify, VistaPrint, or local printers can handle small batches at a reasonable cost.

The selling season runs from October to Easter. The peak is Christmas, but sales continue into the new year as people replace their old calendars. Keep the design clean and let your artwork do the talking. Calendars are dependable sellers, and many buyers will return each year for the new edition.

Fridge Magnets

Fridge magnets were one of my bestsellers. People collect them, and kids love them. They’re small, fun, and affordable, so customers often buy more than one.

I found they sell best when displayed properly. I used a large magnetic notice board so people could browse and pick their favorites. The visual impact alone pulls people in.

I bought my blanks in bulk from wholesalers, made cheap digital dye prints of my artwork, and I inserted them myself. I made around a 400% profit margin on each!

Magnets are easy to make, light to carry, and a steady earner all year.

I would’ve suggested you place a bulk order on one of the Chinese sites, but at the time of writing the tariffs might make this less profitable. You’ll have to check the situation.

Here’s an Amazon link: Fridge Magnet Blanks

Keyrings

Keyrings are small, light, and perfect for Christmas markets. They’re cheap to make, easy to package, and simple to display in bulk. You can hang them on a small rack or lay them flat in trays so people can browse quickly.

They make great stocking fillers, and customers often buy several at once. Keep your designs bold and readable at a small size. Acrylic, metal, and wood all work well depending on your art style and budget.

You can order blanks in bulk and add your own printed inserts, or get them made through Printify or Sticker Mule. Margins are high, and they sell well all year, which makes them one of the most reliable low-cost items to produce.

This is another Amazon link: Keyring Blanks

Greeting Cards

A greeting card with an elephant drawing design

Greeting cards always sell at Christmas, but the season is short. Christmas designs only move for a couple of months, then you’re stuck with leftovers until next year. It’s smarter to balance a few festive cards with designs that sell year-round.

People always need cards for birthdays, thank-yous, and everyday occasions, so don’t limit yourself to holiday themes. One way to get around the seasonal problem is to print your own cards. If you have a decent printer, you can print on card stock and add a few Christmas details to turn your popular designs into festive versions.

Offer singles or small multi-packs so buyers can buy a bundle for a cheaper unit price and a bigger overall profit for you.

Use thick card and include envelopes. Presentation sells the card as much as the art. Try Printed.com, Moo, or local printers are good options if you don’t want to print them yourself.

Read this one: How to Make Prints of Your Art: 4 Ways to Print Artwork

Notebooks and Desk Diaries

Notebooks and desk diaries make great Christmas gifts. They’re practical, personal, and easy to sell at any market. People buy them for themselves and as small presents for others.

You can print your artwork or designs on the covers and keep the inside pages plain, lined, or dated for diary versions. Offer a mix of notebooks and simple planners so customers have a choice. Small A5 sizes are good impulse buys, while larger desk diaries make solid mid-range gifts.

Short-run printing is easy with VistaPrint. If you buy in bulk, your margins improve fast. Keep your cover designs clean and professional, and these products will sell long after Christmas has passed.

Journals

Journals are upmarket notebooks really and make excellent Christmas gifts. They feel more personal than notebooks and appeal to anyone who likes to write or keep a diary. A good cover design makes them look special without costing much to produce.

You can print your artwork or patterns on the covers and keep the inside simple with lined or dotted pages. Hardback covers look more premium, but soft covers are lighter and cheaper to stock. Offer a few styles if you can, and price them as mid-range gifts.

Printify and VistaPrint all handle short runs. Good journals sell well all year, so they’re worth keeping in your regular range.

Stickers

Stickers are cheap to make, easy to sell, and appeal to all ages. Kids love them, and adults use them for journals, scrapbooks, and gift wrapping. They’re fun, colorful, and take up almost no space on your table.

You can sell them as single sheets, mixed packs, or themed sets. Keep your designs bold and simple so they print cleanly. Seasonal packs with Christmas icons can boost sales in December, but everyday designs will keep selling all year.

Try Sticker Mule for good prices. You can even print your own if you have a decent inkjet and sticker paper. They’re quick sellers, great add-ons, and ideal for filling small gaps on your stall.

Coasters

Coasters are steady sellers at Christmas markets. They’re practical, easy to gift, and work for every age group. Most buyers pick them up as small presents or stocking fillers, especially when they’re sold in sets.

You can print your designs on cork, MDF, or ceramic bases. Sets of four or six look more complete and give you room to raise the price a little. Keep your designs clean and centered so they print neatly on square or round blanks.

You can order short runs from Printful or Gelato, or buy blank coasters in bulk and press them yourself with dye-sub prints. They’re compact, simple to package, and an easy way to add variety to your stall.

Tote Bags

Tote bags are always popular. They’re practical, reusable, and make easy gifts. Buyers like them because they’re useful and show off a bit of style at the same time.

You can print your artwork or designs on cotton or canvas bags. Neutral colors like cream or natural work best because they make the art stand out. Stick to simple, bold designs that look good from a distance.

You can print small runs with Printful, Gelato, or Printify to test your designs. If you find a good seller, order in bulk for higher margins. Tote bags sell year-round, so you can keep them on your stall long after Christmas.

Gift Tags

Gift tags are perfect Christmas add-ons. They’re small, cheap, and make great impulse buys. People always need them, and they love tags that look more personal than the ones in big stores.

You can print mini versions of your designs or crop details from larger artworks. Sell them in small packs of six or twelve with string or ribbon included. Buyers like ready-to-use packaging, especially during the busy holiday rush.

You can print them yourself on good card stock or use Printed.com or Moo, for short runs. They take up almost no space on your stall and are ideal for upselling alongside your cards or wrapping paper.

Art Merch for Christmas Markets: Final Thoughts

There are plenty of extras you can make and sell, but I’ve listed the most practical ones here. These items are easy to store, simple to transport, and have a good chance of selling well at a Christmas market. Most will keep selling after the holidays, and the rest are cheap enough that they’re low risk.

The product with the biggest potential for high-volume sales is the calendar. You only have to walk through the malls in December to see how popular they are. If you get the design and subject right, calendars can become a seasonal business on their own.

The key is to make art that’s commercial enough to appeal to a broad audience.

Adding a few peripheral products to your range will help you stand out and boost your bottom line. It’s all about giving people more ways to buy your art without overcomplicating your setup.

You’ll find everything you need to know about selling art in markets in my book Selling Art Made Simple. It’s a practical, no-fluff guide based on years of selling art in person, and it’ll save you a lot of trial and error.

Need more convincing? Read these posts for more selling advice:

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10 thingsartists can sell at a christmas market

Hi, I’m Kevin Hayler
I’ve been selling my wildlife art and traveling the world for over 20 years, and if that sounds too good to be true, I’ve done it all without social media, art school, or galleries!
I can show you how to do it. You’ll find a wealth of info on my site, about selling art, drawing tips, lifestyle, reviews, travel, my portfolio, and more. Enjoy