12 Christmas Images for the Holidays...

In this post I share 12 Days of Christmas Images (and dozens of extra ideas for engaging your audience). Plus you can download all of the images in Canva and start creating straight away! Grab your free Canva Christmas Templates now!

BY DONNA MORITZ | UPDATED NOVEMBER 2024

As Christmas approaches, it’s important to have your social media marketing prepped and ready to go. This includes your visual content in terms of Christmas Images and Holiday Content.  But what do you post?

To give you a helping hand, we’ve completed redesigned and updated this post to give you 12 brand spanking new Christmas image ideas and 12 Canva Templates so you can start creating with them now for the Holidays! I then taken those templates, and posted them below for you so you can see them all in action.

There’s 12 categories of engaging image “types” in this post, with extra ideas for each post-type. You can apply these categories to any theme or season after the holidays are over, so you’ll keep creating engaging images!

How to Access the Templates

From Nostalgia and “memory” images to “This or That” to Phone Message Notifications and GIFs – there are 12 different types of holiday images to create for Christmas, and dozens of alternative options.

Click on any of the links below each image to download the FULL pack of templates from this post. That’s right… every single image you see in this post is included in the template pack. Once you confirm your subscription we will send you the link to the Canva templates to open in your account. Don’t have a Canva account? You can get started here, including an extended free trial on Pro.

Note: I am approved Canva Creator Canva Marketplace and a Canva Verified Expert, so you can rest assured I have made these templates easy to edit. Find out more about the templates at the end of this post.

Let’s jump in and have fun with the Christmas Images and the free Christmas templates!

12 Easy Christmas Images (with 12 Free Canva Christmas Templates)

I’m all about helping you to create and use visual content successfully in your marketing. So it makes sense that these images are designed to encourage engagement, questions or interaction with your audience.  I’ve included the following for each type of shareable Christmas image:

1. An example of the Christmas Image.
2. A link to click through and start creating your own Christmas images using our FREE Christmas Templates.
3. More suggestions for different types of images (using the same theme) that you can create using the templates.

1. A Fun Phone Message Notification Post – 12 Days of Christmas Images

Let’s kick this off with a phone message notification post for Christmas engagement. These types of posts are super fun on Instagram or Facebook for encouraging conversation. You can edit this template to be anything you like – get super creative with how you edit the text around each notification. Get cheeky with it! And then easily switch out the image.

You can change this Christmas image to be about anything fun when it comes to the Holidays:

• If you have an online store or physical store change it to something like (1) Making a List (2) checking it twice (3) heading to X store for my Christmas Shopping.
• If you have a launch or a product reveal coming up, make your notifications relate to the thing you are going to be sharing.
• Use it to share sentiment about the holidays, like in the example above. Play with puns, humor or play on words like I did with the words “presence” and “presents”.

HOT TIP: Another type of post you can do that is “phone fun” is to use emojis.  If there is one thing that pretty much guarantees engagement on Instagram and Facebook, it’s asking for a response using Emojis. I’m not sure why we can’t resist it, but for some reason we find it hard to resist being asked to speak “Emoji” when called upon to do so. Here are a few ideas for emoji posts: 

1. Describe Your Christmas Lunch using only Emojis.
2. What would you love for Christmas this year? Use Emojis to answer.
3. How will you be spending the holidays? Tell me by using Emojis.

I am sure you can come up with something more creative than these, but rest assured when it comes to Christmas images, yet can be fun using phone, message and emoji themes to spark engagement!

Just note for those that are new to Emoji’s, the Poop Emoji  is not, in fact, a brown Christmas tree or a Hershey’s Kiss.  

2. Holiday Traditions Post

Holiday traditions are a great conversation-starter.  We love the holidays and we love talking about things we love… so it makes sense to ask your audience about their fun, family or even quirky Christmas traditions.

Here’s my Holiday Traditions Post – this year I created some Australian-themed templates. We live in a place with a warm climate (Queensland, Australia) so our holiday traditions are very different. Hence the content of this Christmas Image:

And yes, it is so hot we have seafood vs hot turkey some holidays… and we often go for ice-cream plum pudding vs regular pudding. Or sometimes both!

Other ideas for Holiday Tradition Posts:

1. What’s one unusual family tradition you have in the holidays?
2. What’s one thing you eat/make every year without fail for Christmas Lunch?
3. What’s a non-negotiable for your family at Christmas Time?
4. Who cooks Christmas Lunch in your family and what’s their specialty?
5. What’s your post-Lunch tradition on Christmas Day (and yep, for most Aussies, it’s heading to the beach or the pool in the hot weather, or having a sleep!). 

Ask a question about family, about tradition, about values…. and you’ll get great engagement from your followers!

3. Yes or No Post

People love to state their opinion so a Yes/No choice of reply is an easy way to encourage engagement on your Facebook Page. The other benefit of simple Yes/No Christmas Images is that they only usually require a short answer of one word or a phrase, so people are more likely to respond. It’s quick! Like this sneaky question about the Christmas Elf on a Shelf below.

With this post, I went with a little controversy, because we all know that when it comes to holiday content, the Elf can polarise parents!  Some parents, think Elf on a Shelf is loads of fun and they revel in the creativity.  For others it’s not so much fun, with the challenge of thinking of something every day, let alone remembering!

Here’s my take on a Yes or No Post. Or in this case, a “Heck Yes”, or a “Hell No” Post

Other ideas for a Yes or No Post?

1. Christmas Lights – are you in or out when it comes to decorating your house?
2. Candy Canes – love them or hate them?
3. Christmas Carols – Yesssssssss (hand me the microphone) or Nooooooooo (I’m hiding in the cupboard). 

And of course, if you can touch on a topic that fires people up with passion, like Mr Elf here, then it makes the conversation a little more interesting! Go and create a Christmas image with one of these ideas and remember to grab the Christmas templates so you can do it quickly!

4. Nostalgia Post

If there’s one thing we love to talk about it’s the past. Back in the Day. Throwback Thursday. Childhood Memories. Any of these topics tend to spark engagement when it comes to Christmas Images. And oh yes I have a Free Christmas Template to go with this too.

Here’s my take on a Nostalgia Post.  Tap into our childhood memories of Christmas:

Other ideas for Nostalgia Posts: 

1. What’s your best Christmas present ever?
2. What was your favourite part of Christmas as a kid? Favourite decorations?
3. You’re in the kitchen on Christmas Day as a kid. What can you smell? Who’s cooking?  What’s cooking?

Food. Family. Holidays – all of these things spark nostalgia in us.  Ask your audience about these things and you’ll likely get responses!

5. GIF Post

What would Christmas Images be without a few GIFs along the way? GIFs are everywhere and they lend themselves to some fun movement and eye catching images. You’ll find them in social media posts, in messaging, on emails, and in blog posts. Their animated fun is something that can also be great for having conversations around Christmas images. 

And after all, sometimes you can say with a GIF what you just can’t say in words. So don’t forget to occasionally use them in your social media posts. Like emoji’s, GIFs are hard to resist using when someone encourages you to reply with them!

Here’s a fun little GIF I made in Canva (and yes the template is included for you to download).

Fun, right? You can create GIFs very easily in Canva. Just choose or add animated elements to your design like this Christmas tree, and then when you go to publish, hit Download > GIF as your format. Boom!

Other ideas for a Christmas GIF Image

If you don’t have time to create your own GIFs, Post GIF “Questions” to your audience on social media, encouraging them to answer with a GIF. Here are some examples:

1. Which TV family would you most like to spend Christmas Lunch with? Answer with a GIF.
2. Share a GIF that expresses your opinion of shopping at this time of year!
3. What’s your favourite Christmas Movie? Share with a GIF.
4. Share Your Favourite Christmas GIF!

If you want to find out more about GIFs, read this post.

#6  This or That Post – 12 Days of Christmas Images

A little like Yes or No, This or That is a choice of two things vs a Yes/No reply. There are thousands of binary choices you can choose from, many of which can be switched to a Christmas theme. And we can’t resister responding!

Think of something that has two polar opposites and you have a great place to start.  Like shopping for instance… some people like to shop “in” and some people like to shop “out”.  So…

Here’s my take on a This or That Post. I said I liked Icecream Plum Pudding already, right?

Other ideas for a Christmas This or That Post: 

1. Egg Nog or Mulled Wine?  Insert a drink for cooler climates for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere.
2. White Christmas or Beach Christmas? If your audience is scattered around the world, this is a great question to ask! 
3. Fruit Mince Pies or Plum Pudding?  Food choices will often encourage people to engage and join in!  

And remember, the Free Canva Christmas Templates are super easy to adapt to any type of question or even different holidays… do the same at Thanksgiving, Halloween or Easter!

#7  Christmas Movies Post – 12 Days of Christmas Images

I love Christmas Movies – even bad ones. So I’m giving it it’s own section in this post. Rest assured, I’ve also added an extra hot tip for a type of post you can create around any theme or topic to go with it (see below).

Here’s my fun Christmas Movie Post. Yes, I’m a movie Buff and love to watch Christmas Movies in December and yes I love coffee and yes I just combined the two of them into one Christmas Image.

Bonus Tip: Do a ‘Best Of’ Post!

We all want to add our two cents about what we think is the “best thing” in any category. Christmas Images are perfect for this. One of the all time much-debated topics around Christmas – is the best Christmas Movie.  Everyone has an opinion.  And everyone has a favourite. So ask your audience what their fave Christmas movie is (and yes, some people will pipe up to say they don’t like them, and that’s ok).

Other ideas for a Christmas “Best Ever” Post

1. Best Christmas Cocktail … Go!
2. Best Christmas Carol (or Best Christmas Song).
3. Best Ever Christmas Present (this one combines a Best Ever Image with a Nostalgia Image… Boom!).  

8.  About You Post – 12 Days of Christmas Images

Like all of these Christmas images, the conversation works best for engagement when it revolves around your audience and your followers.

Asking a straight up question about them is a smart move. Again, we just want to feel that we are noticed.. so many people will love being asked about themselves. Try it!

Here’s my Conversation-Starting “About You” Post.  The idea of this post is that you volunteer something about yourself and ask them to share their own perspective or experience. In this case, it’s something you’ve done well this year – be it self-care/being “kind to yourself” or being brave, creative, productive. Ask your audience to share what they would write on a note to Santa!

Other ideas for your Christmas “About You” Post

1. Ask about favourite meals/drinks on Christmas Day.
2. Share one thing about Christmas that is unique to your part of the world (that people from other countries may not know about).
3. How do you spend your Christmas afternoon (napping, movies, ???). 

9. Christmas Foodie Post – 12 Days of Christmas Images

Everyone loves Food and Drink at Christmas, so we need to include this in our Christmas Templates! Tap into that foodie love for engagement on your social media with Christmas Images that start a conversation with your foodie followers!

Mmmm cocktails. Wine. Mulled Wine. All the things. Here’s my Conversation-Starting “Christmas Foodie” Post. And who doesn’t want to talk about cocktails, and food too?

Other ideas for a Christmas “Foodie” Post

1. Name Your Favourite Christmas Dessert… Go!  … or your favourite treat that you only have in the Holidays. 
2. You can only eat 3 Things at Christmas. What are they?
3. Name something unusual (and tasty) that your family eats at Christmas!

Create your own Christmas Foodie Post to connect with your audience!

10. Pay it Forward/Giving Back Post – 12 Days of Christmas Images

Christmas and the Holidays are a great time to give back and help your fellow human being, especially when so many people are doing it tough in the colder climates. And with the year we’ve had in 2020 – a lot of local businesses are struggling too.

Sharing some favourite charities or asking people to shop locally is a powerful gesture on Social Media. Or ask your audience how they are giving back or paying it forward to help out their favorite charity or local business.

Here’s an example of a post that encourages your community to shop local this year and start a conversation. Post it to your social media and ask them in the comments where they will be “shopping local” this year.

Other ideas for a Christmas “Giving Back” Post:

1. Tell us how you are giving back this year? Encourage the sharing of simple ideas for helping others. 
2. Post behind the scenes of any charitable work your team is doing and encourage your followers to share their photos too.
3. Share your favourite charity’s website.

Create your own Christmas Charity Post to connect with your audience!

11.  Photo Post – 12 Days of Christmas Images

Everyone loves to share a good photo – it’s what social media is built on.  Asking your audience to share a photo around a particular topic can be loads of fun.  Especially when you throw a photo competition into the mix. And Christmas images!

You can either ask your followers to share a photo in the comments under a Facebook Post or perhaps share a photo in an Instagram story with a hashtag and tagging you – so you can find their posts.

Here’s my Photo post about Ugly Christmas Sweaters with a twist to include the Southern Hemisphere and our T-shirt wearing ways: 

Other ideas for a Christmas “Photo” Posts: 

1. Post a photo of your snowman!
2. Share a foodie post of your food/Christmas cocktails/treats.
3. Post a photo to show how different Christmas is in your part of the world (ie snow, beach).

Create your own Christmas Photo Post (or Photo Contest) to connect with your audience.  Click here to find a template and create an image in minutes. 

12.  Quote Post – 12 Days of Christmas Images

Quotes Quotes Quotes. You can’t go past a great quote at Christmas time, so of course we’ve included a quote template for you.

I created this post with my all-time favourite quote about Christmas:  

Other ideas for a Quote Christmas Image: 

1. Share a quote and ask your followers to share their own favourite quote underneath your post.
2. Share a section of a Christmas Carol and ask your audience to share their favourite.
3. Share quotes from your favourite Christmas movies and ask your followers to guess what movie you are quoting from.

Create your own Christmas Quote Images!

Final Hot Tips

1. Click through on any of the links below the images above to start creating your own using the templates!  Use my ideas and final designs as inspiration.  Swap out your text, font and image to create a new design.
2. Don’t just create one image – create a whole series of images like I did – 12 days of Christmas Images in fact! It’s quicker, more fun and you’ll be set for Christmas posts for the next couple of weeks if you batch them!
3. If you ask your audience a question, don’t be afraid to answer it yourself. YOU set the tone by starting the conversation. Even if it seems a bit odd to answer your own question, you are setting the example and showing you want to engage. It’s like being the first person to dance… once somebody dances, everyone does. A bit like this guy:

How to Use the Templates:

1. Use the original template as it is. Publish and post to your profile and you’re good to go… or:
2. Change it up – this is what I have done with many of the images above.  Just click on the background image and change it to your own image or choose a new image in Canva. Then change the text and/or font to create a completely custom set of Christmas Images. Add your own style to it and have fun.
3. Use one of the additional ideas I’ve listed for each image type or template. Again, you can easily switch out the text and image to create a completely custom design.

With the free Canva Christmas templates above, and the dozens of additional ideas in this post, you can create Christmas Images for days!

Oh and feel free to steal my ideas. That’s the whole point of the Christmas templates and this post.

Over to You

That’s a wrap.  Now you have the ideas AND the tools, you can spread a little Christmas Spirit on your Facebook Page and social media.   

What Christmas Images will you create using these suggestions and templates?