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‘Tis the season for holiday cards, right?! Did you get family photos taken this fall? We didn’t get them done for the first time ever due to just feeling busy. And because I want to enjoy December this year, I chose to do a little photo shoot with the boys on my own instead. This allowed me to make our cards quickly and inexpensively. Today I’m sharing how I photographed the boys plus our sweet holiday cards that are perfect for putting a smile on Grandpa’s face!
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How to photograph your children for holiday cards:
- Create a simple backdrop. If your home is dark, stick with white or a light color. I love using bulletin board paper from your local craft store ($6-$8 for a huge roll). You can also put our kids a few feet in front of the Christmas tree or hang twinkle lights on your wall. Keep it super simple!
- Get proper lighting. I always have my boys face our huge south facing windows at a time of day when we don’t have direct sunlight. This allows us to get crisp, bright, fresh looking photos. Be sure to turn off all of your overhead lights and lamps.
- Add fun props. We used hot cocoa with whip cream and sprinkles plus some ornaments. You can use their favorite toy, blanket or book!
- Let them be silly. I often do photography for friends and clients. I know parents love the perfect smiling photo of their kids, but goodness gracious do I LOVE it when kids are just being themselves. I want to remember my boys just as they are/were. You’ll see several imperfect photos on our card that are exactly my boys’ personalities! I love that. Let your kids be themselves.
- Bribe if you have to! I bribed with the hot cocoa so we took those photos last. :)
- Make ’em laugh! My friend Gina Zeidler teaches a class on getting your photography subjects comfortable. I learned some fun tricks from her when she photographed our family years ago. I always jump up and down in the air and use hand puppets. :)
- Photograph every moment! You never know which photos will be your favorites. Don’t wait for that perfect moment. Just keep taking photos!
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For our holiday cards this year, I knew I wanted a bunch of images that capture my kids’ personalities. I LOVE this one from Tiny Prints as it allowed us to include silly faces, smiles and close up shots of their little hands. I know my grandpa, grandma, brother, mom and others will smile the moment they open their cards and honestly, I smile every time I look at it on our pin board in our kitchen.
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We love to start the holiday season by decorating our home. We follow decorating closely with sending out our cards. The boys often write (or scribble) a little note to throw inside. I love getting our cards out extra early and hearing from our family members who receive them. Our GG and Grandpa both love getting the cards in the mail. My grandma (GG) keeps the cards in her kitchen and she enjoys sharing them with her friends when they come over for coffee. I like knowing our little card made someone just a touch happier or gave them an extra moment of joy. :)
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This year we chose a gorgeous Foil-Stamped card from Tiny Prints with red foil on a mint card. We used a mint striped envelope liner, simple yet stunning envelopes and fun customized stamps using a photo of Ezra’s little hands holding a peace mug filled with hot cocoa. The stamp gives a great first impression for those we send to with the word “Merry” on it! I love that the Foil-Stamped cards come in four elegant colors-gold, silver, rose gold and red. They make such a luxe statement in the mailbox, right?!
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I also had my eye on their amazing Glitter cards, which offer glamorous dazzling gold or silver and the best part is that they don’t leave a pesky glitter trail. We opted for foil this year because we loved this particular card design.
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This year, holiday cards are a breeze. Are you feeling too busy to send out some holiday cheer? Tiny Prints is proud to introduce FREE recipient addressing on any custom envelope! Say goodbye to hand cramps and let Tiny Prints do the hard work of addressing your holiday cards. All you have to do is stuff and send. Easy peasy!
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The holiday season is so special. I love using photo cards to connect with our family and loved ones across the distance.
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Tiny Prints commitment to children
Tiny Prints is passionate about helping parents celebrate their children as they grow. That’s why, for the past three years, they’ve partnered with Baby2Baby, an organization that provides low-income children with the necessities they deserve. For every birth announcement purchased, they donate a portion of the proceeds to Baby2Baby. They’ve also designed an exclusive holiday card collection and holiday ornaments to honor their incredible mission. I’m so grateful that Tiny Prints works with Baby2Baby in this way.
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GIVEAWAY time!
One lucky reader will win a $100 TinyPrints.com site credit! Be sure to enter by Friday, Dec. 2 at midnight pacific time.
Winners will be randomly selected and notified by CLEVER by Friday, December 16, 2016. Age 18+ US resident only. Only one winner per household.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
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