When Dogwood Hill creator Jennifer Hunt married 20 years ago, she absolutely loved sending Christmas cards. In those early years, she was on a mission for their card to be different from everyone else’s. Nothing fancy—just unique, something that felt like them.
Every fall, she would find myself at the local stationery shop, collaborating with the lovely ladies there to create something from scratch. One year, she had this idea for a card with original artwork on it—but no clue how to make that happen. She started describing what she imagined, and one of the women in the shop quickly sketched it out. She fell in love instantly. The woman at the stationery store offered to try to find someone who could paint it, but Jennifer told her, “No, I want this!” She added a little color, and that sketch became the front of that card. That’s the moment Jennifer fell in love with the idea of pairing art and holiday cards.
The only problem? Back then, creating something like that meant hiring an artist—which was expensive and time-consuming—and then finding a graphic designer (if you didn’t have a trusted stationery shop) to turn the art into an actual card. It wasn’t exactly a quick or easy process.
Fast forward to October of 2014: Jennifer reached out to an artist (who was also a designer) to see if she could create their holiday card that year. Not only was Jennifer way too late, but the artist's price was far beyond her budget. So, Jennifer turned to the internet, hoping to find something that felt special and custom—but also quick, affordable, and easy to preview online. After hours of searching, she came up empty-handed.
That’s when the lightbulb went off. What if she created the kind of company she was looking for? One that brought together talented artists, skilled designers, and customers who loved beautiful stationery—but without the long wait or high price tag. She got to work in the spring of 2015, and by October, Dogwood Hill launched its very first holiday card collection.
How has Dogwood Hill grown over the past 10 years?
It’s wild to think how much we’ve grown in ten years! Our very first holiday card collection had about 350 pieces total—that included the cards themselves, matching return address envelopes, and gift tags. At the time, it felt like such a big collection. Fast forward to today, and our holiday collections can easily include a few thousand pieces!
Each year for our holiday collection, we commission original artwork from around 17 incredible artists. Once their paintings come in, our in-house design team works their magic—transforming that art into cards, wrapping paper and tags, envelopes, and all sorts of beautiful products. By the time it’s all said and done, we usually have around 100 different art “suites” for customers to shop each holiday season. And because so many people fall in love with past designs, our most popular cards from earlier collections are still available on our site. I like to think we truly have something for everyone.
And while holiday cards will always have our heart, we’ve expanded far beyond them. We now offer a full lineup of stationery—think notecards, notepads, calling cards—as well as wedding invitations, wrapping paper, gift tags, stickers, and party invitations for every occasion. Most recently, we added our Home Collection, featuring wallpaper and fabric by the yard. It’s been so fun watching Dogwood Hill grow from a handful of Christmas cards to a full lifestyle brand rooted in art.
What is new on the horizon for this holiday season and next year?
I am so excited about a partnership we’ve been working on all year with the WILLIAMSBURG brand—it’s truly a dream come true. I’m a self-described history nerd (from a whole family of history nerds!), and I grew up in a house my parents built that was inspired by the Raleigh Tavern and other historic homes in Williamsburg. My mom had such a gift for decorating for the holidays—always in true Williamsburg fashion, with fresh greenery, citrus, and beautiful sprays over the front door. The holidays in that house were magical, so getting to bring that tradition full circle with this collaboration feels incredibly special.
Our inaugural Williamsburg Collection includes eight patterns—two of them available in two colorways—each one featuring original 18th-century wallpapers and textiles. One suite even features pages from a rare Christmas book from the 1850s; the engravings are breathtaking. Every detail in the collection feels rich with history yet reimagined in a fresh, modern way.
The response from our customers has already been amazing, and we’re thrilled to be continuing the partnership with a 2026 Williamsburg Collection that’s already in the works. This collaboration combines everything I love—art, history, tradition, and the beauty of storytelling through design—and I couldn’t be prouder of how it’s come to life.
How do you keep the designs fresh?
We’re constantly finding inspiration—whether it’s through travel, flipping through vintage stationery, or simply falling in love with something personal that somehow finds its way into a collection. Sometimes our ideas come from curiosity; other times, from a desire to shake things up. Every so often, we just feel ready to turn design on its head and try something completely new.
This year, one thing Lucy Young, our Creative Director, and I really noticed after visiting the Williamsburg archives of wallpaper, textiles, and prints was how the artisans layered art 200 years ago on these pieces that lived in historic homes. We hadn’t quite thought about layering in the same way before, but it influenced this year’s collection—and I love the subtle nod to that rich history woven throughout our designs.
What is your favorite pattern or color schemes to use under your own tree?
Oh, I’m a 100% Christmas color traditionalist! Red and green are my go-to—I love them, and you’ll rarely see me stray from that palette, even when I’m setting the Christmas table. That said, I’ve been known to sneak in a little blue here and there. Blue and green are my favorite colors, so I guess that attachment still pops up for the holidays from time to time!
Any new products being added to the site?
I have boys, so the sorority excitement will pass me by when their college days arrive—but I do have three nieces! Our oldest niece just started her freshman year at my alma mater, The University of Alabama, and she pledged the same sorority my mom, aunt, sister-in-law and I were in. That was such a special moment for all of us! Inspired by her, we’ve created a huge Greek Life Notepad collection that I absolutely love. Every sorority is represented, and these notepads make perfect gifts for the holidays, birthdays, and Bid Day when it rolls around again.
Where do you see Dogwood Hill in 5 years?
I’m so excited to see our Home Division continue to grow! Our inaugural collection featured patterns from our first five years in business. They’re beautiful, and I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out—but we’re just getting started! Next year, we’ll be adding newer patterns, including coordinating pieces designed to create full, cohesive sets. These are some of our best designs yet. I feel confident interior designers will love incorporating these designs into their projects, but the best part is that anyone can shop our wallpaper and fabric directly at our new site: dogwoodhill-home.com.
We’re also launching a Dogwood Hill Business line next year, which will be such a wonderful addition to our offerings. And of course, we’ll continue doing what we love most—creating beautiful holiday cards and all the other products our customers have cherished over the years.
Coolest moment or moments in your business?
There are so many highlights, but one of the most exciting has been partnering with WILLIAMSBURG and traveling there twice already this year—with maybe one more trip before the year ends! Getting to go behind the scenes with curators into the archives, where we viewed hundreds of textiles, rare prints, books, and even wallpaper remnants from houses dating back to 1717, was like being a kid in a candy store. Truly a dream! I feel so lucky to have had such an incredible, behind-the-scenes look at the largest living museum in the world, and I hope everyone gets a chance to plan a trip there to experience it themselves.
Hardest aspect of being an entrepreneur?
If anyone tells you that being an entrepreneur is easy, they probably haven’t done it themselves! It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done—but also one of the most rewarding. This business never stops, never sleeps, and rarely gives me a moment of downtime. But would I trade it? Not for anything. I’ve loved every moment of the last 10+ years, and I hope to love it for many more to come.
What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Every year, we host a Christmas Day brunch for family. It usually includes both sets of grandparents for our boys, along with an aunt and uncle. The table is piled high with delicious brunch food, and it happens after Santa has visited our home that morning with just our little family. This tradition started before we had children, and we’ve kept it going as they’ve grown. There’s something special about gathering everyone together on Christmas Day itself—laughing, sharing stories, and simply enjoying being together.
Three things you would grab in a zombie apocalypse?
Ha! I’d probably grab more than I could carry. Could I have a suitcase? I would stuff it with every photo album I could fit (’90s kid problems: film photos everywhere), a handful of favorite books, and my pillow that’s basically my travel twin.