The Spellbinders October 2026 Club Kits celebrate Christmas with nostalgic holiday images, playful humor, and a wonderfully retro style. Named Tinsel & Tidings, this coordinated collection includes snowmen, Christmas trees, festive sweaters, geese in holiday costumes, humorous sentiments, embossing folders, a stencil set, and additional products designed to mix and match. In this overview, I’m sharing the cards I created with the October Clubs, the details that make each kit special, and ideas for combining the products across multiple Christmas projects. You’ll also see how I used die cutting, 2D and 3D embossing, BetterPress plates, opaque white foil, and unexpected holiday characters to create a varied collection of cards with one cohesive look.
Hello, crafty friends! October is here, which means it is time for another Spellbinders Club release. It also means that Christmas crafting is officially taking over my desk!
Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, although I have started appreciating fall more and more. I even decorated my apartment for fall this year with seasonal pillowcases and foliage. That décor will probably only last a few weeks before the Christmas decorations come out, but I am enjoying it while it lasts.
The Spellbinders October Club collection is called Tinsel & Tidings. It combines familiar Christmas traditions with unexpected characters, retro-inspired designs, and a fresh sense of humor. The individual Club products have different focal points, but they share one visual theme and are designed to work together across your holiday cards.
Video Overview
Watch the video for a closer look at the October 2026 Spellbinders Clubs, the cards I created, and the individual dies, stamps, press plates, stencils, and embossing folders included in the Tinsel & Tidings collection.
What Is the Tinsel & Tidings Collection?
Tinsel & Tidings brings together nostalgic Christmas favorites with a fresh sense of humor. The collection moves from classic snowmen and Christmas trees to dressed-up geese, a candy cane-stealing dinosaur, funny sentiments, and a very clever Christmas sweater.
One of the main advantages of a coordinated Club collection is the ability to combine products from different kits. A die-cut focal point from one Club can be paired with a sentiment from another, while an embossing folder or press plate provides the background.
You can subscribe to a single Club based on the techniques and products you use most often, or combine several Clubs for more creative possibilities. The All Clubs Create subscription includes all the monthly Clubs along with additional benefits and exclusive items.
October Small Die of the Month: Playful Snowman Cards
The October Small Die of the Month features an adorable snowman that can be customized with two different facial expressions.
One face has a cheerful, traditional expression, while the second creates a wonderfully goofy snowman with an open mouth and a tongue sticking out. To change the expression, simply remove the face insert, cut the head with the alternate mouth detail, and add the carrot nose and tongue.
The set also includes a hat, scarf, branch arms, mittens, and two small birds. The birds can be added to the snowman scene or used independently on other winter projects.
I created two snowman cards to show how much the expression changes the character. Even when the body and accessories remain similar, a different face gives the finished snowman an entirely new personality.
Designer tip: Before adhering the small facial pieces, arrange all the elements without glue. This makes it easier to adjust the expression and decide exactly where you want the eyes, nose, mouth, and tongue.
Ideas for Customizing the Snowman
- Change the hat, scarf, and mitten colors to create a coordinated card set.
- Add one or both birds to build a small winter scene.
- Use the birds separately on tags, gift card holders, or winter backgrounds.
- Combine the snowman with the October embossed or foiled backgrounds.
- Mix the two facial expressions throughout a set of Christmas cards.
October Clear Stamp & Die of the Month: Humorous Holiday Sentiments
The October Clear Stamp & Die of the Month is a sentiment-focused set created to coordinate with the other Tinsel & Tidings products.
The sentiments refer to the characters and themes found throughout the release, including holiday sweaters, gifts, lights, eggnog, geese, and the Christmas lineup. Some of the phrases shown in the video include:
- The Holiday Spirit Made Me Wear This
- Christmas Called, It Wants Its Sweater Back
- Claus for Celebration
- Display This Immediately
- May Your Holidays Gleam
- Professional Gift Shaker
- The Nog Made Me Do It
- Decked Out and Merry
- Dressed by Elves
- You Light Up the Season
- Ugly Sweater, Check
- Two Front Teeth Wish List
- Santa Saw Nothing
- Merry Goosemas
- Crafted with Cheer
- The Holiday Lineup
The accompanying dies cut many or all of the sentiments, making it easy to add them as separate elements rather than stamping directly onto a finished background.
This set is especially useful when combined with the other October Clubs because many of the jokes relate directly to the die-cut images. However, several sentiments can also be used with holiday products already in your stash.
October 3D Embossing Folder: A Modern Christmas Tree Background
The October 3D Embossing Folder features rows of Christmas trees placed inside rectangular shapes. The combination of the geometric layout and dimensional tree details creates a modern background with a subtle retro quality.
I used this folder behind one of my snowman cards. The raised texture adds plenty of interest without requiring another ink color or additional embellishment.
Designer tip: A detailed embossing folder can replace patterned paper or a complicated stamped background. Use cardstock in one color to keep the focus on the die-cut character while still adding texture and movement.
October Press & Foil Club: A Subtle Radiating Background
The October Press & Foil Club includes a background plate with a radiating sparkle or light design. I used the plate with matte or opaque white foil on light blue cardstock, creating a subtle background for one of the snowman cards.
The white foil is visible when the light catches it, but it does not compete with the colorful die-cut focal point. This is a useful way to add shine while maintaining a soft and cohesive design.
The Club also includes a sentiment plate with coordinating dies. The three sentiments shown in the video are:
- Glowing with Wonder
- Making Spirits Bright
- May Your Season Sparkle
The radiating background works particularly well with Christmas trees, lights, stars, snowflakes, ornaments, and any project that needs the appearance of a soft glow.
October Large Die of the Month: Retro Christmas Tree
The October Large Die of the Month creates a wonderfully retro Christmas tree with multiple layered sections. Each layer can be cut from a different cardstock color, allowing you to build a multicolored tree with plenty of detail and dimension.
The set includes the tree base, decorative layers, lights, and additional geometric pieces that can be repeated to form a retro wallpaper-style background.
One of the most clever details is the wall outlet, plug, and cord. The tree can be connected visually to the outlet, creating a tiny scene rather than a standalone Christmas tree.
This detail also opens the door to an interactive version. The lights could be paired with an electronic card-lighting system so the recipient can press the card and illuminate the tree. I did not add interactive lights to this card, but the outlet and plug inspired the idea for a future project.
More Ways to Use the Large Die
- Cut the tree layers from several shades of one color for an ombré effect.
- Use traditional red and green or try a pastel retro palette.
- Repeat the geometric accent dies to create custom patterned paper.
- Add an interactive light behind the die-cut Christmas bulbs.
- Use the plug, cord, and outlet with other light-themed dies in your stash.
October Stencil of the Month: Snowflakes and Stripe
The October Stencil of the Month includes designs for creating snowflakes and a stripe pattern. The snowflake stencil would look beautiful with white texture paste, white glitter paste, or clear glitter paste over dark cardstock. This would create a dimensional snowy background suitable for snowmen, winter scenes, or elegant Christmas cards.
I did not have an opportunity to create a card with the stencil before filming this overview, but both designs offer plenty of possibilities for combining color, paste, ink, and sparkle.
October Stitching Die of the Month: Customizable Christmas Sweater
The October Stitching Die of the Month creates a festive sweater that can be stitched, layered, and customized with different images in the center.
The sweater is a flexible foundation because you can place nearly any suitably sized die-cut image in the middle. It can be playful, traditional, elegant, or intentionally ugly depending on the colors and embellishments you choose.
Parts from the Stitching Die were also used to frame the candy cane-stealing dinosaur included as one of the All Clubs Create bonus products.
The set also appears to include a humorous front-teeth detail, which coordinates with one of the sentiments in the Clear Stamp & Die Club.
Designer tip: You do not have to stitch every stitching die. Try backing the pierced openings with contrasting cardstock, adding small gems, or leaving the openings unstitched for a cleaner and faster version.
All Clubs Create Bonus: Christmas Caper Dinosaur
One of the October All Clubs Create bonuses features a dinosaur caught stealing a candy cane. The design is inspired by a Christmas caper and can be used independently or paired with the Christmas sweater.
I placed the dinosaur in the center of the sweater to create an unexpected holiday character. The combination feels playful, slightly mischievous, and different from a traditional Christmas card.
This type of small character die can also be used on gift tags, mini cards, treat packaging, or as part of a larger Christmas scene.
All Clubs Create Bonus: Merry Goosemas
The second exclusive die set shown in the video is Merry Goosemas. It includes a goose and several Christmas costumes that allow you to transform the same character into multiple holiday looks.
The costume options shown include:
- A Christmas tree
- Santa
- A reindeer
- An elf
You can also use the goose without a costume.
I arranged the different versions together to create a humorous holiday lineup. The “Merry Goosemas” sentiment from the Clear Stamp & Die Club completes the theme.
The costumes may also work with other suitably sized animal dies already in your collection. Try adapting the hats, antlers, and accessories to bears, cats, dogs, or other critters. This is a useful way to extend the value of a themed die set beyond its original character.
October 2D Embossing Folder
I used the October 2D Embossing Folder as the background for one of the Merry Goosemas cards. The embossed pattern creates interest behind the row of characters while allowing the colorful costumes to remain the focus.
When a card includes several small die-cut elements, a single-color embossed background can help unify the composition. It provides texture without adding more patterns or colors to an already busy design.
Tips for Mixing and Matching Monthly Club Products
- Begin with one main character or focal point, then select a background product and sentiment that support its theme.
- Repeat cardstock colors across several Club products to make the finished card feel cohesive.
- Use textured backgrounds in a single color when the foreground contains many small or colorful pieces.
- Look beyond the intended design. Small birds, costumes, plugs, cords, lights, and sweater decorations can be used independently.
- Pair a large die-cut image with a subtle foiled or embossed background so the two elements do not compete.
- Use the coordinating sentiment collection to connect characters and designs from different Club Kits.
- Store each monthly collection together so it is easy to revisit and combine the products later.
How I Organize My Spellbinders Club Kits
Once I finish creating with a monthly Club collection, I place the dies on a magnetic sheet whenever I have one available. I reinforce the magnetic sheet with chipboard so it remains sturdy.
The dies, stamps, and other coordinating products are then stored together inside a labeled zipper pouch. Keeping each month together makes it easier to find coordinating items and revisit the collection later.
I store the labeled pouches near my work area, which is built around two sturdy IKEA kitchen islands. One serves as my filming and crafting surface, while the other is used for computer work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the Spellbinders Monthly Club products coordinate with one another?
- Yes. The products in a monthly collection share a theme and are designed to mix and match. A focal die from one Club can be combined with a sentiment, embossing folder, stencil, or press plate from another. You can also use each product independently with supplies already in your stash.
Do I need to subscribe to every Club?
- No. You can select the individual Club that best matches your preferred techniques and products. The All Clubs Create option combines the monthly Clubs and includes additional products and benefits. Check the current Spellbinders Club page for availability, pricing, and membership terms.
Can I use the Club products without following the original theme?
- Yes. Many of the individual elements can be separated from the original design. The snowman’s birds, the tree’s lights and electrical plug, the sweater shape, the goose costumes, and the background patterns can all be used with other products and occasions.
Do stitching dies have to be stitched?
- No. You can leave the pierced details unstitched, back them with contrasting cardstock, cover selected openings with embellishments, or use the die-cut shape as a decorative base. Stitching adds texture, but it is not the only way to use the design.
What background works best with detailed die-cut characters?
- A single-color embossed, foiled, or tone-on-tone background adds texture without competing with a detailed focal point. When the character contains several colors and small pieces, keeping the background subtle helps the main image remain easy to see.
More Spellbinders Club Inspiration
- More Spellbinders Monthly Club card ideas – entire playlist on Youtube
- Christmas card ideas using layered dies – Spellbinders Christmas City Holiday
- How to use 3D embossing folders for cardmaking
- Simple Embroidery on Stitching Dies – 3 Ways
Final Thoughts
The October 2026 Tinsel & Tidings Clubs offer a playful, nontraditional approach to Christmas cardmaking. The layered snowman, retro tree, customizable sweater, dressed-up geese, humorous sentiments, and textured backgrounds can all be mixed and matched to create projects filled with personality. My favorite details are the elements that inspire even more ideas, including the tree’s electrical outlet, the interchangeable snowman faces, and the costumes that can be adapted to other characters.
Which October Club is your favorite? Are you drawn to the goofy snowman, the retro Christmas tree, the festive sweater, or the Merry Goosemas characters? Let me know in the comments!
SUPPLIES
I’m listing the products I used below. Click on the links to go directly to the products. Where available, I use compensated affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!
Disclosure: I work for Spellbinders and received the featured Club products at no cost as part of my work. This video and blog post were created for my personal channel and blog because I enjoy the products and wanted to share additional Club inspiration.
