A last-minute Santa letter you can print on Christmas Eve

How to write it

Skip anything that ships

Look for a letter that is ready as a page or PDF the moment it is written.

Print on whatever paper you have

Plain paper is fine. Roll it and tie it with ribbon or kitchen string, and it looks like it came down the chimney.

No printer? Save the PDF

Read it aloud from a tablet at breakfast, or print it at a library or shop after the holiday as a keepsake.

Put it where they will find it

On the plate where the cookies were, or tucked into the tree.

An example

Dear Mia, I am writing this in a hurry because the sleigh is nearly packed. I could not leave without telling you how proud I am of the way you read to your brother this year.

Another way to say it

Dear Leo, the reindeer are stamping their feet, so this will be short. Thank you for being so helpful with the decorations this year. I saw the star you made for the top of the tree, and I think it is the best one on your street.

These are examples we wrote to show the tone. They are not customers’ letters.

Print a free fill-in-the-name version No sign-up. Write your child’s name on the line.

Questions parents ask

Is it too late to get a Santa letter on Christmas Eve?

Not for a printable one. Letters that are mailed usually need to be ordered by early or mid December, but a letter delivered as a page or PDF can be printed the same night.

What paper should I print a Santa letter on?

Ordinary printer paper works. Cream or ivory paper looks a little more special, and turning on "background graphics" in the print window keeps the colors.

Want one written for your child?

Tell us a first name and a few true things about their year. A letter from Santa Claus with a matching certificate is ready to print in a minute or two. From $3.99, nothing to mail.

Write a letter See a full sample