Making the lists
- Choose Kids for big boxes to draw or write each wish, or Grown-ups for a table with sizes, shops, price ranges and links.
- Pick one of the four designs: hanging ornaments, snowflakes, stars or a candy-stripe band at the top and bottom.
- Type the names, one per line, if you want each person's name printed on top. Leave the field empty for blank lists.
- Choose one list per page or two that you cut apart, the year for the title, the paper size and a color, then download the PDF.
The preview shows every page as it will print. Use the arrows under it when the names fill more than one page.
The kids list: draw it or write it
Small children often know exactly what they want but cannot spell it yet. Every wish on the kids list gets a box for a drawing and two lines under it, so a four-year-old can draw a red bike and an older sibling can write the name of a book. The full-page list has four wish boxes; the half-page list has three, which keeps the wishes short and the choosing a little easier.
The last box is for something the child would like to give to someone else, with a line for who it is for and what it is. It turns the list into a small exercise in thinking about others, and it gives you an idea for a homemade present or a small gift the child can pick out. If you also write a letter to Santa, the drawings from the list can go straight into the drawing box of the letter.
The grown-up list: details that help the giver
A wish list for adults works best when the giver does not have to guess. The table has a column for the size or color, one for where to find the item, a price range and a link. Write a range such as "$20 to $40" instead of an exact price, so relatives can choose what fits their budget. On the full page, a strip under the name holds your top, bottom and shoe sizes and favorite colors, which answers the questions people usually ask in a text message.
You can type up to 12 items into the form; they print on the first list. For a shared family list, type nothing, print one list per person and let everyone fill in their own by hand.
Links as text or as QR codes
A written link is fine for a short address, but nobody wants to type a long product link from paper. Choose QR code in the link column and each typed link becomes a code in the last column, made right in your browser. Scan every printed code once with your phone before you share the list. Many shops offer a short share link on the product page; it makes a simpler code that scans faster. If you want a larger code for a single item, the QR code generator makes one you can download as an image.
Planning the gifts from the lists
Once the lists come back, collect them in one place. The printable gift list tracks who you buy for, the budget per person and whether each present is bought, wrapped and given. If the family draws names for a gift exchange, the Secret Santa generator assigns each person someone to buy for, and every giver can look up their person's wish list instead of guessing. To see what the holiday costs fit into, the budget planner splits your take-home pay into needs, wants and savings, so you know how much room the wants part leaves for gifts.
Kids like to see the big day get closer. Put the list on the fridge next to the days until Christmas countdown on a tablet, or tick off the days on a printed advent calendar.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Christmas wish list free?
Yes. Pick a version and a design, download the PDF and print as many copies as you like, for your own kids, a classroom or the whole family. There is no signup and no watermark; one small line at the bottom of each page names our website.
Can I make one list for each child?
Yes. Type the names one per line, up to 12, and every name gets its own list with the name printed on top. Choose two lists per page to save paper; a dashed line marks where to cut the sheet in half. Leave the names empty for blank lists that everyone fills in by hand.
How do the QR codes work?
On the grown-up list, type a link for an item and choose QR code in the link column. The code is made in your browser and printed on the list, so a relative can scan it with a phone camera and land on the right product page. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. Scan each printed code once yourself before you hand the list over, and use the shortest link you can find, because long links make small, dense codes.
Where do my typed items go?
Typed items print on the first list, which is the list of the first name. Lists for the other names keep blank rows to fill in by hand. Up to 12 items fit in the form. A full page has more rows than a half page, rows with QR codes are taller than rows with written links, and the page tells you when an item does not fit.
How do I print it?
Print at 100 % or actual size, not fit to page, on plain paper. US Letter and A4 both work; pick the one in your printer. For the two-per-page layout, cut along the dashed line in the middle. Kids lists work well on slightly heavier paper if your children like to color the boxes with markers.
Why are some characters missing from my text?
The PDF uses the standard Helvetica and Times fonts, which cover English and most Western European letters, but no emoji and no other scripts such as Greek, Cyrillic or Chinese. Those characters are left out, a few rare accented letters lose the accent, and a note under the fields tells you when that happens. The preview shows the text exactly as it will print.