Asking the whole family to wear something for the holidays is one thing. Getting everyone into matching Christmas shirts is another, especially when everyone has different tastes.
Still, a festive family shirt is a fun way to get everyone in the holiday spirit, whether you’re posing for the annual photo, tearing into presents together, or just wanting something to look back on and laugh about when the next holiday rolls around.
There are different avenues you can take with a family shirt. You could go with a classic Christmas design, give everyone a funny title, or turn an old family tradition into a design of its own. For some families, it is the only time everyone can gather together. If you need some inspiration, our Design Studio has plenty of Christmas and family reunion themed templates and clip art you can customize into your own design to present to even the most reluctant family member.
1. A Classic Christmas Design
Traditional Christmas imagery gives matching family shirts a festive look that works for any age group. Think Christmas trees, snowflakes, candy canes, wreaths, ornaments, and wrapped presents.
A simple design with a Christmas tree on the front and the words “Christmas Together” underneath is an easy option for a family who prefers a classic look. You could also use a row of small Christmas trees, with each tree representing a family member.
Red, green, and white are natural choices for a traditional holiday palette. If you want something a little different, try forest green with cream, burgundy with white, or navy with silver-inspired graphics. The Gildan 5000 Heavy Cotton white T-shirt with a Christmas clip art is $7.75 based on an order of 50 shirts with a 1-color front graphic.
Keep the main design consistent across everyone’s shirts, then personalize smaller details if you want to distinguish individuals. Adding a family name or the year makes the shirts a thoughtful keepsake.
2. Family Christmas Character Theme
Christmas characters give your family plenty of room to have fun with a shared design. Santa Claus, reindeer, elves, gingerbread people, and snowmen can all work well as part of a coordinated family shirt or hoodie. If you have family members who live in colder climates, then consider purchasing the Gildan 18500 Blend Pullover Hooded Sweatshirt. Available in a wide range of sizes and colors with a large front pocket, this hooded sweatshirt will be popular, especially if the image is of a favorite character. An order of 50 shirts with a 1-color front graphic or text is only $21.09 each.
One idea is to bring several characters together in a single design, such as Santa surrounded by reindeer and elves, or a group of gingerbread people gathered around a Christmas tree. Some other families have a specific character they all relate to which can be the central focus of the shirt.
Make sure the graphics are easy to recognize from a distance. Bold illustrations and clear outlines work better for group photos than designs packed with tiny details.
3. Funny Family Christmas Shirt Sayings
For families that enjoy a good joke, a funny saying can become the centerpiece of the design. Short phrases are usually easiest to read, especially in photos where several people are standing together.
Some ideas to get you started:
Funny sayings for the whole family
- Official Christmas Cookie Tasters
- Santa’s Favorite Family
- Sleigh All Day
- Resting Grinch Face
- All I Want for Christmas Is a Nap
- Christmas Calories Don’t Count
- Dear Santa, We Can Explain
- Powered by Christmas Cookies
- The North Pole’s Favorite Troublemakers
- Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
Sayings for different family members
A coordinated set can also give everyone a different role within the same design.
- Mom: Santa’s Favorite
- Dad: Santa’s Helper
- Grandma: Head Elf
- Grandpa: Chief Cookie Inspector
- Kids: Christmas Chaos Crew
- Baby: Little Christmas Miracle
- Family dog: Santa’s Real Favorite
You could also give everyone a different Christmas status, from “Nice” to “Naughty,” or assign each person a title within the family’s imaginary North Pole operation.
When designing shirts with sayings, keep the lettering large enough to read easily. Use a font that suits the humor, but avoid overly decorative lettering that makes the words difficult to recognize. If the design includes a longer joke, put the main punchline in larger type and keep any supporting text smaller.
4. Christmas Shirt with a Family Tree
Christmas brings together family members from different generations. A family tree design is a sweet way to represent everyone on one shirt.
Try a simple tree illustration with branches representing different generations of your family. You could add the family surname and the year, then decorate the tree with Christmas ornaments, stars, and little presents. For a more personal touch, include family members’ names on the ornaments or around the branches.
Keep the same design for the shirts so everyone matches in the family photo. You can play with festive colors and playful illustrations to give the tree a bit of personality, whether your family prefers a classic Christmas look or something more whimsical.
5. Christmas Pajamas and Casual Shirts
Matching Christmas pajamas are a familiar holiday tradition, but casual long sleeve shirts offer another way to coordinate the family look. They work well for Christmas Eve gatherings, decorating the tree, baking cookies, and opening presents on Christmas morning.
For a relaxed look, choose a simple graphic that resembles a pajama design. Repeating Christmas patterns like snowflakes, candy canes, or gingerbread cookies all translate well to shirts. An order of 50 shirts with a 1-color front graphic will cost $13.39 each. A good example of a Christmas pajama shirt is a white Jerzees 29LS Long Sleeve Tee with black snowflakes.
You can also create a two-part design for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. For example, everyone might wear “Waiting for Santa” on Christmas Eve and “Santa Was Here” the following morning.
Consider the occasion when choosing colors and fabrics. Darker colors can be practical for a busy day of cooking and playing with children, while lighter colors look great in a family photo taken indoors. If you’re planning to wear the shirts throughout the day, consider the fabric when deciding on the shirt.
6. Design Shirts for a Family Christmas Photo
If your primary goal is a memorable family photo, start with the setting and the colors you expect to see in the background.
For a photo in front of a Christmas tree, red, cream, forest green, and navy can create a cohesive look. If you’re shooting outdoors, pick colors that pop against your surroundings so your family stands out.
If the photo will become part of an annual family tradition, include the year in the design. You can reuse the overall concept next Christmas and change the date, colors, or illustration to mark another holiday together.
7. Celebrate Your Family’s Own Christmas Traditions
Some of the best family shirt designs come from traditions that are unique to your family. Perhaps everyone gathers to make a particular recipe, watches the same Christmas movie every year, or competes in an annual gift-wrapping contest.
Turn that tradition into a graphic or saying that family members will recognize immediately.
A family known for its elaborate Christmas dinner might use “The Official Holiday Feast Crew.” Are you a family that spends the afternoon playing board games? A perfect shirt could say “Christmas Game Night Champions.” If everyone travels to the same house each year, the design could feature the location, family name, and year.
You can also incorporate a family pet, a favorite holiday quote, or an illustration of the house where everyone gathers. These personal details make the shirts more meaningful to your family and help distinguish them from generic Christmas shirts.
8. Ugly Christmas Shirt Theme
Ugly Christmas sweaters have become a holiday staple, and the same idea works for T-shirts. The trick is to embrace the over-the-top look, with a design that’s intentionally tacky, chaotic, or just plain silly.
Think a Christmas tree buried under decorations, Santa stuck in a chimney, a reindeer with mismatched antlers, or a ridiculously oversized bow. The more ridiculous the design, the better.
Before creating the artwork, decide how far you want to take the theme. A busy design can be fun, but any text and graphics should still be clear enough to recognize on the finished shirt.
If your family plans to make this an annual event, you could come up with a new ugly Christmas theme each year and add the shirts to your collection.
Tips for Ordering Family Christmas Shirts
Once you’ve settled on a design, start coordinating the order early, especially if relatives live in different places. Set a deadline for everyone to confirm their shirt size, and keep a single list of names, sizes, and quantities so nothing gets missed. With free 10 business day shipping, orders need to be in on or before December 10 to arrive before Christmas Eve. If you have a family member that waits until the last minute, don’t fret, with our Rush delivery service, we can cover late orders up to December 22 depending on product specifics, time of order, and what day of the week it is, to ensure your family is covered.
Before placing the order, check the size chart for the specific shirt style you’ve chosen rather than assuming everyone’s usual size will fit the same way. Our low minimum order of six helps even smaller families.
Finally, check production and shipping timelines to make sure your shirts will arrive before Christmas. At BlueCotton, our standard delivery time is 10 business days, with rush options available for tighter deadlines. Our Quick Price tool can also help you estimate the cost based on your quantity and decoration.
Bring Your Family Together With Matching Christmas Shirts
Family Christmas shirts can be traditional, funny, personalized, or deliberately ridiculous. The right idea depends on the people wearing them and how your family celebrates. A simple shared graphic can work for a family photo, while a set of personalized sayings might suit a gathering full of inside jokes.
Start early deciding on a theme everyone can get behind. Focus and finalize the design, shirt colors, sizes, and order details before the holiday rush. With a little planning, your family can have a coordinated look ready for Christmas morning, a holiday party, or your annual gathering. We have created a Christmas Design page with basic designs you can build on or modify to fit your family’s personality and holiday traditions. For those families that want something less Christmas themed but still want to remember the time spent together, we at BlueCotten have created a Family Reunion page full of designs to get you started. With the days shortening and getting colder, it is time to take the next step and check out the Christmas Design page to start the process.