Holly corner: holly green on ivoryIvory card, holly green leaves, berry red berries, old gold border, soft black lettering.#F4EEDD · #2C6347 · #9B3143 · #C29C3D · #272420
Candle and bow: butter yellow on creamCream card, butter yellow flame, faded red candle, sage green bow, old gold holder.
Holly corner: holly green on ivoryIvory card, holly green leaves, berry red berries, old gold border, soft black lettering.
Lantern in snow: midnight blue on parchmentParchment card, midnight blue night, butter yellow glow, off-white snow, berry red ribbon.
Poinsettia: brick red on ivoryIvory card, brick red petals, moss green leaves, old gold centers, kraft tan envelope.
Robin card: faded red on creamCream card, faded red breast, cocoa brown wings, holly green leaves, dusty blue snow shadow.
Sleigh ride: cranberry on buffBuff card, cranberry sleigh, cocoa brown horse, off-white snow, midnight blue sky.
Snowy cottage: dusty blue on parchmentParchment card, dusty blue snow shadows, brick red door, butter yellow window, pine green fir tree.
Stocking by the fire: faded red on buffBuff card, faded red stocking, off-white cuff, ginger brown mantel, faded orange fire glow.
Show all 48 palettes (40 more)
Glass ornaments 8
Box of twelve: jade green and rose pinkJade green ball, rose pink ball, dusty blue ball, silver caps, buff card dividers.
Clip-on bird: powder blue and silverPowder blue glass body, silver clip, off-white tail brush, faded red breast, moss green twig.
Drop bauble: turquoise and silverTurquoise glass, silver cap, rose pink stripe, off-white frost, pine green branch.
Glass bell: dusty blue and silverDusty blue glass, silver cap, off-white snow flock, faded red ribbon, sage green branch tip.
Glass pinecone: copper and old goldCopper glass, old gold cap, off-white frosting, cocoa brown twine, moss green needles.
Indent ball: rose pink and old goldRose pink glass, old gold indent, silver cap, aqua ring, holly green branch.
Striped ball: berry red and off-whiteBerry red glass, off-white stripes, silver cap, old gold hook, pine green branch.
Treetop spire: cranberry and silverCranberry glass, silver bands, aqua middle, old gold tip, parchment box.
Candy cane 12
Candy cane heart: cranberry and rose pinkOff-white canes, cranberry stripes, rose pink bow, holly green sprig, parchment card.
Candy stick jar: brick red and candy pinkCream sticks, brick red stripes, candy pink stripes, aqua glass jar, pewter gray lid.
Cane on the tree: cranberry and pine greenOff-white cane, cranberry stripe, pine green branch, old gold tinsel, butter yellow light.
Classic cane: faded red and berry redOff-white cane, faded red wide stripe, berry red thin stripe, powder blue wrapper shine, holly green bow.
Cookie house: faded red and ginger brownOff-white icing, faded red cane stripes, ginger brown wall, candy pink gumdrop, mint green gumdrop.
Crossed canes: faded red and holly greenIvory canes, faded red stripes, holly green ribbon, old gold bell, parchment card.
Mint-stripe cane: faded red and mint greenOff-white cane, faded red stripe, mint green stripe, jade green bow, kraft tan tag.
Peppermint round: berry red and rose pinkIvory candy, berry red swirl, rose pink shine, powder blue wrapper, buff dish.
Pinwheel pop: berry red and mint greenIvory swirl, berry red swirl, mint green swirl, butter yellow bow, buff stick.
Ribbon candy: berry red and candy pinkOff-white candy, berry red stripe, candy pink stripe, mint green stripe, silver dish.
Stocking top: faded red and cranberryOff-white cane, faded red stripe, cranberry stocking, sage green cuff, caramel bear paw.
Sweet shop bag: brick red and candy pinkCream bag, brick red stripes, candy pink sticks, kraft tan twine, dusty blue counter.
Hot cocoa 12
Chocolate bar: silver and chocolate brownSilver foil, chocolate brown bar, milk chocolate broken square, cream wrapper, old gold band.
Cinnamon stirrer: ivory and cinnamonIvory cup, cinnamon stick, milk chocolate cocoa, chocolate brown saucer, old gold rim.
Cocoa scoop: cocoa brown and pewter grayCocoa brown powder, pewter gray scoop, parchment paper bag, caramel counter, chocolate brown spill.
Cocoa tin: cranberry and creamCranberry tin, cream label, cocoa brown lettering, old gold lid, chocolate brown shadow.
Cream swirl: cream and milk chocolateCream swirl, milk chocolate cocoa, cinnamon dusting, faded red mug, chocolate brown table.
Iced cookie: ginger brown and off-whiteGinger brown cookie, off-white icing, cocoa brown mug, rose pink plate, sage green napkin.
Jade mug: jade green and milk chocolateJade green mug, milk chocolate cocoa, off-white marshmallows, cocoa brown rim shadow, buff saucer.
Rink-side flask: pewter gray and cranberryPewter gray flask, cranberry cup, milk chocolate cocoa, off-white steam, cocoa brown bench.
Snowman mug: mint green and off-whiteMint green mug, off-white marshmallow snowman, milk chocolate cocoa, chocolate brown eyes, faded orange nose.
Speckled pot: dusty blue and off-whiteDusty blue pot, off-white speckles, chocolate brown cocoa, caramel wooden handle, charcoal stove.
Stovetop pan: copper and milk chocolateCopper pan, milk chocolate cocoa, cream milk swirl, cocoa brown spoon, soft black burner.
Window mug: powder blue and off-whitePowder blue pane, off-white snow, milk chocolate cocoa, berry red mug, cocoa brown sill.
Wrapping paper 8
Bell print: ivory on old goldOld gold paper, ivory bells, berry red bows, pine green sprigs, plum ribbon.
Holly print: holly green on creamCream paper, holly green leaves, berry red berries, old gold outline, faded red ribbon.
Leaping deer: cocoa brown on parchmentParchment paper, cocoa brown deer, faded red harness, sage green trees, copper ribbon.
Paper parcel: holly green on kraft tanKraft tan paper, holly green sprig, faded red seal, soft black lettering, off-white string.
Pink tree paper: aqua on rose pinkRose pink paper, aqua trees, silver stars, off-white snow, jade green ribbon.
Plaid wrap: pine green on cranberryCranberry paper, pine green stripes, cream lines, silver thread, old gold ribbon.
Snowflake paper: off-white on dusty blueDusty blue paper, off-white flakes, powder blue dots, silver glints, midnight blue ribbon.
Stripe and star: faded red on off-whiteOff-white paper, faded red stripes, jade green stars, butter yellow dots, berry red ribbon.
How this list was compiled: Own work, written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-16: faded Christmas palettes of five colors, each taken from one old thing, in five kinds (a printed card, glass ornaments, a candy cane, hot cocoa, wrapping paper). Every palette, name, color word, hex code and part is our own choice; nothing is sampled from a real card, tin, catalog or photograph, no brand, shop or maker is named, and no decade is claimed for any palette: that these colors read as vintage is our own reading. How a strip is ordered: each color is named for its part; a Printed card strip starts with the card stock, a Glass ornaments strip with the glass, a Candy cane strip with the sugar white and then the red, a Wrapping paper strip starts with the paper and ends with the ribbon. Our own tests, not a standard: no color has an HSL saturation over 65 percent, none is lighter than 93 percent or darker than 12 (no pure white, no pure black); a card strip starts with a cream, an ivory, a buff or a parchment and holds a red ink (a hue from 340 degrees around to 15); an ornament strip holds a cap metal (silver, old gold, pewter gray or copper) and a branch green or a box paper; in a candy cane strip the first color has a lightness of 85 or more and the second is a red that contrasts with it by 3 to 1 or more (WCAG contrast ratio, the formula at https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/contrast-minimum.html); a cocoa strip holds two or more browns (a hue from 14 to 34 degrees at a lightness of 55 or less) and a cream, an off-white, an ivory or a parchment; a ribbon stands 25 or more from its paper in CIE Lab. The outside facts in the page copy, checked on 2026-10-16 against English Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0): Candy cane, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_cane (the canes are typically white with red stripes and flavoured with peppermint, but also come in a variety of other flavours and colours); Christmas ornament, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_ornament (glass baubles were first made in Lauscha, Germany). The colors given to the ornaments, the canes and the cocoa are ours, not the articles'. Color names are plain English words with no paint maker, pencil brand or color-matching system, and one word is one code everywhere on this list. Checked on 2026-10-16: every code is #RRGGBB, each color word fits the hue and lightness of its code, no palette, name or line repeats, no two palettes share four codes, no two colors of a palette are closer than 8 in CIE Lab, and no palette is on another palette list of this site or of its sister sites. The hex codes are for a screen; with paint, pencils or markers, take the nearest color. Licence: own work
How it works
A vintage Christmas color palette is red, green and gold kept in a box for years: brick for red, pine for green, cream for white. Each strip is one thing: a card, an ornament, a candy cane, a cocoa tin.
Read the full guide
Candy cane color palette
A candy cane is typically white with red stripes, so every strip of this group starts with a sugar white and a red: faded red, berry red, brick red or cranberry. The third color is what changes it: mint green in Mint-stripe cane, candy pink in Ribbon candy, pine green in Cane on the tree.
Cards, ornaments and paper
A Printed card strip starts with the card stock and lists its inks. A Glass ornaments strip starts with the glass and always holds silver or old gold: a cap, a clip or a band. Wrapping paper starts with the paper and ends with the ribbon: Plaid wrap is pine green stripes on cranberry, tied in old gold.
Questions and answers
What are vintage Christmas colors?
On this list: faded red #BE4037, cranberry #822B41, holly green #2C6347 and old gold #C29C3D on cream or ivory, with rose pink, aqua and turquoise for glass ornaments. Nothing is bright and nothing is pure white. That they read as vintage is our own judgment.
What is a hot chocolate color palette?
Two browns and a cream. Cream swirl is a cream swirl on milk chocolate cocoa with a cinnamon dusting, in a faded red mug on a chocolate brown table. Pick Hot cocoa in the menu for more.
What colors are vintage glass ornaments?
Here: turquoise, rose pink, berry red, dusty blue, copper, cranberry, jade green and powder blue glass, each with silver or old gold for its cap, clip or bands. Glass baubles were first made in Lauscha, Germany; the colors on this list are our own choice.
How do I make Christmas colors look vintage?
Pull each one back. Swap bright red for brick red or cranberry, bright green for holly or sage, white for cream or parchment, and yellow gold for old gold #C29C3D. Then keep one paper color under everything, as a printed card does.