Coloring Books vs Coloring Postcards: Which Format Suits Your Mood
By Mary Engelbreit, Licensed Art Studio, St Louis, Missouri | Published: 2026-10-18
Category: Comparisons
Compare the experience of coloring a full book versus coloring postcards and gift tags. See which format fits your mood and how to use each one.
Quick answer
If you want a long, immersive session with classic holiday scenes, choose a coloring book. If you prefer quick, shareable projects that double as gifts or decorations, coloring postcards are the better fit.
Why format matters for your coloring mood
The format of your coloring activity can change how you experience it. A full coloring book invites you to settle in, flip pages, and spend an afternoon with a single theme. Postcards and gift tags offer small, fast projects you can finish in one sitting and then mail, frame, or attach to a present.
Both formats use the same line art and paper quality, so your choice really comes down to how you want to use the finished piece and how much time you have.
What you give up with each option
A coloring book gives you a cohesive collection of images but you cannot easily share a single page without tearing it out. Postcards let you send color to someone else, but you get fewer pages and a smaller canvas. Neither format is better overall—each serves a different mood and purpose.
Trade-offs at a glance
- Time commitment: Coloring book pages take longer to complete but give you a deeper, more immersive experience. Postcards and tags are quick wins you can finish in 15–30 minutes.
- Shareability: Postcards and gift tags are designed to be cut out and sent or displayed. A coloring book page stays in the book unless you tear it out, which may damage the spine. If you want to mail your art, choose the postcard book.
- Creative freedom: Both formats offer the same black-and-white line art. The coloring book gives you more variety in one volume; the postcard book limits you to a single sheet per design but lets you experiment with color combinations on smaller areas.
Product facts
- Color ME Christmas Coloring Book: Color ME Christmas contains Mary Engelbreit’s signature renderings of classic Christmas images like Santa’s workshop and snow-filled nights. This gives you a full storybook of scenes to work through, ideal for a relaxing afternoon or a multi-day project.
Color ME Christmas Coloring Book - Color ME Christmas Book of Postcards: Color ME Christmas Book of Postcards includes 10 postcards, 15 cut-out gift tags, and 10 ornaments to color. You can color one piece, mail it as a card, or hang it as a decoration—turning your art into a gift or holiday decor.
Color ME Christmas Book of Postcards
Which one fits you?
Best for
- Someone who wants a long, relaxing coloring session with a variety of classic holiday scenes
- A person who likes to mail handmade cards or use colored art as gift tags and ornaments
Not for
- Someone who prefers to keep their completed art in a bound book and does not want to cut or mail pages
