17 Best Christmas Card Photo Ideas and How To Guide

Christmas is the season of family get-togethers, holiday lights, and gift-giving. People have a long-standing tradition of creating handmade Christmas cards to send to friends and family. Adding a family photo with the card is a thoughtful way to keep them updated on events in your own life while also celebrating theirs. Now that the holiday season is almost here, it's time to gather everyone, and pose!

Christmas card photos are the most aesthetically pleasing things one will ever see. Just so you know, any picture of a Christmas tree and decorations qualifies as being visually appealing in my book. Genuinely, a fun action photo of your family is all that is required to qualify as a lovely Christmas photo.

It can be difficult to select just one theme or the perfect photo for the greeting card when there are so many options available for Christmas card pictures. So here's a list of Christmas card photo ideas to help you decide. 

1. A Family Portrait

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A family portrait is an obvious choice for your Christmas photos. Put on your best holiday attire and sit at different levels. Shoot a family photo with everyone smiling while your hands are tucked into a suit jacket and clasped hands for the QUEEN mother in your family as a royal family Christmas card idea.

2. A Walk In The Snow

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If you happen to live in an area where it snows during the Christmas season, why not now use the wintry setting for photographs? One of the best traditional family Christmas photo shoot ideas is to take a family portrait in front of a picturesque winter scene with everyone dressed warmly in hats, cozy scarves, gloves, and boots.

3. Ugly Sweaters Family Portrait

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It's time to get creative with family Christmas card picture ideas. Taking photos in hideous outfits has become a tradition. I mean, haven't we all been to at least one ugly sweater party? So the plan is to implement this into Christmas card photos. Get everyone to strike a pose while wearing their obscenely ugly sweaters.

4. Matching Pajama Party

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What could be more festive for Christmas card picture ideas than posing with matching PJs and a Christmas tree? Classic plaid pajamas and snarky gingerbread pajamas both look absolutely adorable. Whatever you decide, make sure everyone's clothes match.

5. Bake And Snap

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If your family has a holiday tradition of baking, now is the time to take pictures for Christmas cards. You can take a picture of your entire family or just your child causing mayhem with flour on the kitchen counter.

6. Gingerbread House

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Speaking of baking, while you're at it, why not make a gingerbread house for the Christmas celebration? Fun photos of everyone working on the gingerbread house are perfect for getting the holiday spirit going in the best way possible.

7. No Match Outfits

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If you're tired of the same old Christmas-themed photos, skip the matching part of your holiday attire. By "not matching," I don't mean that one will be dressed in a suit and the other will be dressed in shorts. I'm talking about matching the theme's style in different shades and textures.

8. Modern Family Portrait

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You don't have to stick to strictly holiday-themed photos just because it's Christmas. If your family has a particular affinity for a color or pattern, wearing casuals can be one of the best-looking not-so-traditional Christmas card picture ideas to create a family portrait. Don't forget to use a simple backdrop when taking photos.

9. Sparkling Holiday Lights

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The sparkling holiday lights that dazzle your house during the holiday can be a great setting as a backdrop. Photos taken in front of the spectacular display only heighten the sense of celebration in the image.

10. Putting The Tree On Display

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If you and your family spend a lot of time decorating the Christmas tree, it might be a better idea to show it off to everyone. There is nothing better than a family portrait in which the Christmas tree is the star. While taking photos, turn off all other lights so that the twinkling lights from the Christmas tree can illuminate the faces of those around it.

11. Couples Decked Out In Christmas Lights

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For a young, newlywed couple, the first Christmas card represents something of a turning point in their lives. A simple prop, like Christmas lights, can create a romantic yet merry atmosphere for a couple's shoot. Choose a favorite photo, or better yet, a series of photos, to feature on the holiday card.

12. Staging Christmas Chaos

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We all know how chaotic children can be when they're having a good time and running around the house. Let your children's antics shine for a day with fun photos of them running around your home and attaching it to a Christmas card.

13. Outdoor Photoshoot

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If you want your Christmas card photos to look professional, plan an outdoor photoshoot. For perfect lighting, the golden hour is the best choice of the day. Since it's just before sunset, the light gives the photos a warm, dewy feel.

14. Kids And Pets Go Together

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You'll need all the patience you can muster for this one. If you genuinely want a nice-looking picture, you must include both your child and the family pet. Your family dog can be the best mate for your camera-shy child, making the photo appear more genuine.

15. A No-human Picture

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The best Christmas card idea for pictures would be ones without people in them, especially if your family's little furry member is the only child in the house. Your pet acting out, with its pink nose prominent, would make the ideal close-up photograph. In my opinion, they are at their cutest when they're sleeping. Simply add an ornament or some glitz to the background and you're done. 

16. The Selfie Issue

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In 2023, we oppose selfie shaming. Who says you can't use selfies in holiday cards? Certainly not me! Selfies are the easiest and fastest way to take a picture, and they also get the job done in the quickest possible way.

17. Take A Ride

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If your family enjoys taking wintertime family outings on bikes, skateboards, or skis, then photos from those locations can serve as the perfect inspiration for a family-themed holiday card. It can be very meaningful for all of the family members to see a playful photo like this one displayed with the greeting card because it honors a memory you all share.

How To Edit Photos Easily

Getting a good shot is just the beginning. Correct editing is the real deal. Enter "photo editors". You can go all out and experiment with all of the available options, such as adjusting white balance and contrast, sharpening and straightening, removing clutter, and adding a vignette, to name a few. However, if you're a beginner, getting everything just right can be overwhelming and time-consuming. So start with the preset options. For a fantastic edit, try the tools listed here.

Adobe Lightroom: Accessible from any browser, Adobe Lightroom is the undisputed leader in the world of photo editors. It has a free trial version as well as a paid feature-rich program. Lightroom is the preferred tool for those who enjoy experimenting and care about producing authentic art.

Canva: Currently, both offline and online, Canvas is the most popular photo editor. It's a whole way of life rather than just an editor. This can be accessed from a laptop and a smartphone and has many categories and filters to suit your needs.

Befunky: If you need to edit a large number of photos, Befunky is an excellent choice. It's a web-based tool that allows you to apply the same effect to hundreds of photos at once.

Luminar: Luminar is a "human-aware" technology product that recognizes people and objects in photos and selects the most appropriate adjustments in a single click. Sliders allow you to fine-tune the effect and filters. Customized instant Looks can be used on any photo.

Snapseed: For more professional editing from your smartphone. With the app's premium filters and editing effects, you can take photos or edit ones that are already in your camera roll right from your Android or iOS.

How To Make Cards Easily

Because of the numerous editing tools available both online and offline, creating personalized holiday cards has become easy. With a variety of templates for different occasions, you can make the ideal customized card. Some of these tools are free.

Adobe Photoshop: This cowboy is still going strong and kicking with all the crazy stuff. Unlike Lightroom, Photoshop allows creators to experiment with 3D designs, illustrations, and graphics. Photoshop can be used to create cards, flyers, posters, banners, website photos, logos, and icons, among other things.

Canva: It is self-evident why Canva has become so popular for all types of creating, editing, and enhancing. All greeting cards, from Valentine's Day cards to thank you cards, can be created using Canva's professionally designed pre-made templates, which you can then customize to your liking.

Etsy Template: Another simple card-making idea is to use an Etsy template. Once you've found the perfect photo for your holiday card, head over to Etsy and look for some cool holiday templates that are also very affordable.

Nothing compares to a handmade card you made for your loved ones. When you add your photo to it, it becomes a priceless memory that they would want to save as a souvenir of love. All that is left is a perfect message!