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I spend a lot of time on Cutting for Business telling crafters what they can’t make due to trademark and copyright issues.
Today, I’m spending a few minutes telling you want you can use in your crafts for sale. Specifically, let’s talk about public domain Christmas songs.
When copyrights expire, they enter the public domain. This means that you do not need permission from anyone to use public domain materials and you can freely use public domain materials in your craft business.
When do copyrights expire on music? In general, for 2022, songs that were published (either written down or recorded) before 1926 are now public domain.
20 Public Domain Christmas Songs
Deck the Halls
Silent Night
Joy to the World
Jingle Bells
Go Tell it on the Mountain
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
The First Noel
Away in the Manger
Auld Lang Syne
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
O Little Town of Bethlehem
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
We Three Kings
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
O Christmas Tree
O Come All Ye Faithful
Jolly Old St. Nicholas
Toyland
Up on the Housetop
What Child is This?
Popular Christmas Songs Not in the Public Domain
Unfortunately, these songs are not in the public domain and cannot be freely used.
Feliz Navidad
Jingle Bell Rock
The Little Drummer Boy
Silver Bells
All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth
Frosty the Snowman
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Here Comes Santa Claus
Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
Winter Wonderland
Do You Hear What I Hear
Holly Jolly Christmas
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer
White Christmas
All I Want for Christmas is You
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
Now, get out there and start using the Christmas songs that are in the public domain. Many of the lyrics are would look great on shirts, signs, cards, and more.
Since 2015, Christine Schinagl has been helping crafters start and run craft businesses through her blog, Cutting for Business. As a Silhouette and Cricut crafter herself, she has a unique take on what works and what doesn’t work in the craft business world. She also enjoys teaching other crafters how to create digital SVG designs, available through the Design with Me series.