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Tips for the Perfect Holiday Photo Cards This Christmas and Hanukkah Season

Baby Lifestyles | Oct 20, 2009 | Comments 1

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It’s that time of year again. The mad rush to get all of your holiday cards out on time and with the perfect photo. Holiday photo cards are a great way to make your Christmas or Hanukkah greetings personal. It allows each family to represent their personalities and involves the whole family in the process of creating the card.

What’s the problem with holiday photos? All too often, they fail to capture the feeling of the season. Most holiday pictures look interchangeable. Your photos of family members lined up and smiling look the same as those of every other family.

Here are a few tips to get your creative juices flowing and help you make a wonderful, one-of-a-kind holiday card.

The Photo Makes or Breaks the Card
The image that graces your card can make it spectacular or just middle of the road. When sending cards to family or close friends, there is a good chance they will keep it beyond the holidays if it includes a great photo of your kids or family and if the theme is not to holiday heavy.

Plan ahead
The classic problem with holiday photos is that they have to be taken weeks in advance so you can send out cards and mailings beforehand. Some decorations like live trees aren’t available, and you might not want to take the menorah or other holiday items out of storage so far in advance.

If you’re like us, you’re surprised by the sight of holiday decorations at the mall when most people are still complaining about the Indian Summer. It seems too early to drag out once-a-year decorations just so you can take a holiday photo before the snow flies. But it’s never too early to think about the perfect image to accompany the annual “year in review” letter that describes your nearly perfect family.

To Theme Or Not To Theme
When choosing the visual theme of the card, think about the message as well. Try to create a message that compliments the photo on the card. You might even want to use a famous quote that works well with your image. Some of the more involved themes with bright colors and a lot of graphic elements can actually take away from the photo itself. Use the “Keep It Simple” rule when making your choice.

Winter Delight

Snowy Wonderland

Elegant Paisley

Enchanting Snowflakes

Just Can’t Decide On One Photo
One of the options you now have it to use more than one photo and create a collage of images on the card. You can use a few from a series of photos, or use images from throughout the year. It’s a nice way to catch everyone up on all the highlights from your year.

Can’t Get the Right Photo
When a photo is just not an option, a great alternative is to take a picture or scan your child’s favorite artwork and turn that into a beautiful holiday card. Kids think it’s really special seeing their artwork as real printed art. Once you have the digital image, just use it like any digital photo and create the cards from there.