Admit it: you’ve sent store-bought holiday cards before. While the thought is there, the message often falls flat. To lift spirits this year, send a custom Christmas card. It’s not as challenging or as time-consuming as one might think. A reliable camera and a few good Christmas card ideas are all that is required. Below are a dozen cute, festive, and even tasty photo options to spark creativity. Try one or try them all!

Zoom in on the Decorations

There are countless ways to celebrate Christmas, from mistletoe in the doorway to inflatable reindeer in the yard. By focusing on the decorations, you remind people of all the fun of this holiday. Use these Christmas card ideas to spread joy and spark smiles.

The Christmas tree

There are many ways to capture that beautiful Christmas tree. The traditional photo includes the whole tree from the skirted base to the angel’s head. With all the decorative lights on, you don’t need the flash. If you want to try something outside the box, zoom in on the ornaments. The ornaments are what make many Christmas trees unique. Many tell a story, which makes for an extra-special Christmas greeting card.

Lawn decorations and house decorations

You invested a lot of time decking the halls. Show it off. Friends and family would much rather see your home than a stock photo of someone else’s. It’s one more way to close the distance and make it feel like everyone is celebrating together. When taking pictures of lawn decorations outside or the festive touches inside, use the rule of thirds. This composition helps prevent clutter in your photo.

Stockings above the fireplace

If you have a fireplace, this photo op is a must. It’s one of those images that evokes the peace and calm that people need during the holidays. Make sure the fire is inviting, and stockings are hanging neatly. Set the scene as if loved ones were there in person.

A wreath on the door

Is the Christmas greeting card an invitation? A wreath on the door is symbolically a warm welcome. A fresh, live, needled wreath is nice, but not required. A crafty, homemade wreath can be just as photogenic, especially if it has a “Merry Christmas” or “Welcome” sign attached. This Christmas card idea really allows personality to shine through. Friends and family will surely appreciate the familiar message.

Focus on the Family Time You Do Get

There may be limitations to who is available for visiting in person. But there are still plenty of ways to focus on the family at home. Getting everyone to sit still for a photo op is often tricky.

A family portrait in festive colors

The family portrait is worth the effort of getting the kids to wear something nice. Now is an excellent opportunity to try this holiday photo portrait. Have everyone wear festive colors, giving them leeway with patterns and style. Take a family portrait in lively colors outside in front of the house, at the Christmas tree farm, or sitting on the sand if residing near the beach. Natural light is most flattering and helps guarantee a professional-quality photo for the Christmas greeting card.  

Get a picture of the family opening presents

Whether used for custom Christmas cards or not, get a picture of the family opening presents. It’s everyone’s favorite activity and one that extended family will love to see. Taking pictures of gifts that were mailed can be used later in thank you cards to those who couldn’t be there in person. Make them feel that they’re a part of your holiday by capturing expressions of surprise and pure happiness. Tip: When photographing people in a dramatic setting, use Portrait mode on iPhone. It puts the focus on the subject, so those bright eyes and big smiles pop!

Matching Christmas pajamas

Matching Christmas pajamas is a cute family tradition that screams holiday cards. Take the photo with a classic face-the-camera pose. Or, try something playful, like an overhead shot of a pillow fight in bed. Some families even dress up their four-legged friends to make it an all-inclusive photo. No matter how many people or pets are in on the fun, it’s a picture-perfect moment.

Focus on the Season

For a more literal interpretation of “season’s greetings,” focus on the season itself. It may be very cold, but winter has a lot to offer. There’s winter beauty everywhere, from intricate snowflakes stuck on your windows to ruby red cardinals resting on a limb. This natural scenery not only stuns but is also non-denominational. You can send these holiday photo cards to anyone and know it will be well received.  

A winter wonderland

A winter wonderland is one of the most classic holiday card ideas. Imagine either a snow-covered landscape or a twinkling show of lights that a car can drive through. When choosing the latter, adjust camera settings to avoid glare. Alternatively, embrace the light to get a dramatic bokeh effect. For landscape photos, it’s all about composition and finding a subject as a focus-point.

No snow? No problem.

Snow doesn’t fall in all fifty states. Get creative if there’s no real winter season. That may mean heading to the beach to build a sand-man instead of a snowman. Or writing “Be Merry” in the sand, capturing it from overhead. In the desert? Lie down and create sand angels instead of snow angels. Decorate a cactus with Christmas lights. There are endless alternative options when sending greetings from warmer locals.

Draw a Crowd With Holiday Food

Food photography always draws a crowd – and lots of likes. Being a professional chef or food stylist is helpful, but isn’t a requirement. If zooming in on holiday food, this custom Christmas card is guaranteed to get everyone’s attention.    

Christmas Dinner

Capturing dinner isn’t only a great Thanksgiving photo card idea. Christmas dinner is often equally as extravagant. Use the good china to plate this feast. That makes it a worthy photo-op for custom Christmas cards. When photographing the dinner table, focus on the holiday food or capture place settings before they’re filled with goodness. Stand on a chair to get a clear overhead shot, where plates and bowls overflow the frame.    

Cookies for Santa

When struggling to get the kids involved with Christmas card ideas, tell them to put out cookies for Santa. Cookies make for good motivators when photographing kids. Be sure to turn up the shutter speed or use burst mode to catch them carrying the plate or stealing a bite. Everyone swoons over these sweet pictures.

Toasting marshmallows around a fire

Looking for a unique holiday card? Toasting marshmallows around a fire may not be quintessential Christmas, but it does conjure up warm-and-fuzzy feelings. All that gooey imagery is pure eye candy. Take a photo of the family gathered around the fire or zoom in on the marshmallows melting over the flame. To nail this photo, brush up on some essential night photography tips beforehand.

Print Your Christmas Cards With Motif Photos

If you’re taking the time to make a custom Christmas card, it must be paired with quality printing. Fortunately, that’s what you get when printing Christmas cards with Motif Photos. Motif only uses premium paper with true whiteness, and no image bleed. Even their envelopes are constructed with the utmost care. Rest assured, your favorite Christmas card ideas are in good hands with Motif.

The post 12 Christmas Card Ideas to Close the Distance This Holiday Season appeared first on The Motif Blog.

A large turkey dinner, kids playing football in the backyard, watching a parade on TV. Just a few of your typical family Thanksgiving traditions. This year, consider adopting a new one to spread even more holiday cheer. Photo cards are the easy choice. Anyone can create them. Simply follow one of these custom Thanksgiving photo card ideas and watch the holiday fall right into place.  

Idea #1: Thanksgiving Photo Invitations for Your Special Feast

The idea:

If hosting Thanksgiving dinner, this idea is perfect. Printed Thanksgiving photo invitations are much more personal than a text message or a private Facebook event post. Invitations take a little time and consideration. That level of effort shows how important the day is for the family. It sends the message that Thanksgiving is not just a one-hour dinner. It’s an extraordinary occasion for sharing with the most special people in your life.  

The execution:

When creating a Happy Thanksgiving photo card invitation, a semi-professional looking photo is useful. By no means does it need to be a for-hire portrait. With a few iPhone photography tips, most people can take pics like a pro. Shoot for a well-composed, well-lit image. Here are some Thanksgiving-themed photo ops that are perfect for a dinner invitation:  

• Classic family portrait (don’t forget the fur babies!)
• Dressed up dinner table
• Candid shots of last year’s Thanksgiving
• Fall decorations from around the house – candles, pine cones, pumpkins, etc.
• A wreath-adorned front door
• Wide-angle shot of your house, complete with fall foliage

Can’t decide on just one? Group a handful of pictures into a collage. Be sure there’s a consistent theme among the photos. One particular color tone, filter, or background can tie it all together.

The timeline:

Work backwards from the day you need the invitations to create a reasonable photo project timeline. Proper etiquette suggests guests receive their invitations at least two weeks before Thanksgiving Day. That means the timeline should look something like this:

• 24-30 days before Thanksgiving – Create the photo card invitation and place your order.
• 19-23 days before Thanksgiving – Put invitations in the mail.
• Fourteen days before Thanksgiving – Confirm that all guests have received their invitation.
• 5-7 days before Thanksgiving – Tally the RSVPs and finalize the guest list.

Idea #2: Custom Thanksgiving Holiday Cards to Kick Off the Season

The idea:

Around the first of December, holiday photo cards start pouring in. Suddenly, there’s a collage of smiling faces on the refrigerator. Every friend, family member, and newlywed couple appear smiling and happy. Why wait until the final month of the year to spread cheer? Sending custom Thanksgiving holiday cards is an excellent way to kick off the festive season. Everyone could use an early pick-me-up this year. The earlier, the better!

The execution:

Unlike an invitation, people expect cute family photos on a holiday card. Stick with pictures of people and pets for this project. Fall foliage can be the background of your portraits instead of the main focus. If looking for inspiration, there are plenty of ways to create holiday card-worthy family portraits.

Next, choose between a simple layout or a collage. The more straightforward option involves choosing one good photo to fill the entire front of the card. Then, on the inside, add a different portrait and a personalized message.

The collage idea is best used as a year in review. Select several snapshots that capture all the essential highlights – weddings, graduations, baby announcements, championship games, etc. With so many memories to spotlight, filling up both “pages” of the photo card, front and back, should be reasonably easy. Remember to reserve half of one inside page for the holiday greeting and signature.

When finished, leave the printing to an experienced holiday photo card maker, like Motif.

The timeline:

These early holiday cards should arrive on or before Thanksgiving. This allows for a little more leeway than the photo card invitation. Still, be sure the cards get in the mail on time. The following schedule will keep you on track:

• 24-30 days before Thanksgiving – Gather your photos or take new portraits.  
• 21-23 days before Thanksgiving – Order the custom photo cards.
• Seven days before Thanksgiving – Mail the photo cards.   

Idea #3: Personalized Thanksgiving Cards That Show Gratitude

The idea:

Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to express appreciation for the people in your life. Many families go around the dinner table, sharing messages of thanks. But what about friends, teachers, and neighbors? Personalized Thanksgiving cards tell everyone how much they mean to you.

The execution:

Start by making a list of people for whom you are grateful. Let those names inspire you to decide on a theme or a particular photo. Mailing messages from one family to several other families call for group photos. Friend-to-friend Thanksgiving cards might feature more pictures of pets, holiday décor, or fall foliage. Choose photographs that symbolize love and gratitude to drive home the message.  

The actual message matters, too. Write out a few different ideas then choose the most sincere but succinct. Remember, you’re printing a batch of Thanksgiving greeting cards. One message has to make sense for the whole bunch. Here are some examples:

• Thank you for bringing joy and laughter to everyone around you.  
• I’m blessed to have you in my life.
• The world is a better place because of you.
• I’m truly grateful to call you a friend.

Once the cards are printed, add a more personal, handwritten note. Run down the list again and jot down at least one thing you love about that person. Do they make you laugh? Are they a good listener? What do they add to your life? Ponder these questions and use your answers as a guide.

The timeline:

What’s most appealing about this Thanksgiving photo card idea is an absence of a hard deadline. Ideally, these notes of gratitude should arrive around Thanksgiving Day. But there’s no definitive expectation. This is a surprise gesture that will warm hearts no matter what day it lands. That said, try to get it in their mailbox before New Year’s Eve.

No matter which Thanksgiving photo card you create, use Motif’s smart technology and intuitive tools to perfect the project. Motif’s easy-to-use editing software lets you sharpen blurry images, adjust brightness, and play around with different layouts. From start to finish, Motif makes this new Thanksgiving tradition a piece of cake…err, pumpkin pie.

The post Custom Thanksgiving Card Ideas appeared first on The Motif Blog.

Gone are the days when drawings of Santa or Rudolph graced Christmas cards. Today’s holiday cards are one-of-a-kind works of art designed to showcase your family at your best. But don’t get stressed out. By following a few simple tips, you can easily create a holiday card family portrait worthy of display year-round.

1. Choose the right location for your family’s personality.

Get creative when it comes to choosing the right location for your family portrait—and remember what’s “right” for your family will probably be different than what’s right for the family down the street. Start by thinking about the tone you want for your card. If you want a fall family portrait, a field or park at sunset might be just right. But if your family is more offbeat and urban, think about settings like stairsteps outside a building downtown, a rotunda at a government building, etc.

2. Schedule your portrait session at the right time of day—and for the right length of time.

Photographers call it the “Golden Hour” for good reason. The hour just after sunrise and the hour just before sunset are known for warm, diffused light that creates appealing shadows. Whether you’ve hired a professional photographer or you’re taking the DIY approach, you’ll love the way the light of the Golden Hour adds interest and appeal to family photos shot outside.

When planning your photo session, keep in mind the age and attention span of your children. Unless your kids are unusually patient, 20 minutes is about as long as you can reasonably expect them to sit still. Plan carefully so everything moves quickly once the photo shoot starts.

3. Consider an action shot for your family portrait.

Your family might feel more comfortable with an action shot rather than a posed portrait. Maybe you’re baking holiday cookies in the kitchen or decorating the Christmas tree. Particularly, if you’ve hired a professional photographer, a documentary-style approach might be an appealing option—or a nice compliment to the family portrait at the center of your holiday card.

4. Think carefully about your background.

Without some consideration, the background of your photograph can easily become distracting. Remember: this is a family portrait, not a postcard. Choose a background that’s interesting and appealing but not overpowering. Even if you’re shooting the photo at home, you might consider temporarily redecorating the wall behind you. You want your card recipients to notice the people in the photograph, not the framed school photos hanging on the wall.

5. Choose the right wardrobe for your photo.

Again, the name of the game here is engaging, not overwhelming. You don’t have to dress everyone in white shirts and blue jeans. Think about both the look and feel you want for your photograph and your family’s personality. If you want a true holiday look, by all means go for festive sweaters. But if you want the photo to have a little more shelf life, choose coordinating clothing that isn’t too matchy but is definitely cohesive. It’s best to shy away from prints and focus on solids. Layers photograph well, too.

6. Use a tripod and a remote.

If you’re taking the DIY approach, do yourself a favor and invest in a tripod and a remote. You really don’t want to injure yourself tripping over the coffee table or (even worse) the Christmas tree when you’re dashing into a photo. At the very least, take the time to practice using the camera’s self-timer when you’re not under pressure. The kids (and your spouse) will get extra-squirmy if you’re trying to learn on location. Tip: place a stuffed toy on top of your camera and instruct the kids to look at said toy during the photo shoot.

7. Try out interesting poses.

The rule of thirds takes a ho-hum photo to the next level. Your family doesn’t necessarily need to be dead-center in the frame. Nor do you want everyone’s head on the same level. Consider staggering levels, having your family seated on the ground, placing the camera at a lower level, shooting from above, etc. Simply taking a different angle will give your family portrait added personality.

8. Take lots—and lots—of shots.

When it comes to family portraits, more is definitely more. Blow it up! Keep your finger on the shutter button. That squirmy moment just before or after the pose might contain the most charming expressions and capture your family’s personality perfectly. You want to give yourself plenty of options. Scroll through your photos before you declare your shoot over, make sure you have some good images, and be sure to zoom in on your LED screen and confirm that everyone’s eyes are open.

No matter which location you choose and whether or not your theme is full-on festive, the No. 1 way to ensure you capture a holiday card-worthy photo is to have fun with the process. When you’re relaxed and having a good time, your kids will be more relaxed, too, resulting in the kind of natural expressions that turn your family photo card into a treasured keepsake.

The post 8 Holiday Family Photo Ideas appeared first on The Motif Blog.