How to Create Fun Christmas Photos
Have yourself a Merry little Christmas.
Are you tired of the same ole Christmas photos year after year? A local tree farm, a red truck in the woods, baking cookies in the kitchen, family running along the beach, matching PJs in front of the tree, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I love them all. But, sometimes, it’s fun to switch it up.
I’m going to share with you a simple crafty idea that will have your kids giggling and your teenagers even enjoying a photo session! I knowww!! Crazy times are about to happen.
First things first, contact your photographer far enough in advance. You need enough time to get a session booked, photos taken and edited, then for your cards to arrive for you to send out. Whew!
The holiday season is the busiest time of year for us. Share with your photographer about this silly holiday idea and see what they say. They might love it or dis-love it. (That’s a new word, btw.)
Cardboard box for a fun family photo session.
The Inspiration
I started this year’s holiday card with a box. A big cardboard box. Our dishwasher went to appliance heaven and after we installed it, I was stuck with the box. But then, I had a fun idea! I remembered seeing box photos last year all over Pinterest. I wanted to re-create a box photo for my own family. Cue the Christmas music!
This size box seemed large enough until my 6’3 son tried to squeeze inside. I would say this works best for toddlers up to pre-teens. If mom and dad are flexible and under 5’10 ft, it’ll work as well. But, a bigger box would have been so much nicer! If your refridgerator or washing machine decide to go. Save. That. Box!!
Use what you have on hand.
Pull out your holiday decorations and use what your have on hand. This theme doesn’t take a lot of stuff. The garland I used usually goes around the front porch railing. I hung a few large ornaments that are also for the outdoors. Bigger props make a larger impact. I hung some glittery snowflakes inside the box and set a few out to use for silly photos.
I poked holes in the top of the box using scissors. Then, I popped white lights into the holes to create festive lighting. You can watch my Instagram reel on how I did this part.
The whole project took longer to find the stuff than it took to put it together. Oh, and I added a cute Grinchy tree I bought at Trader Joes.
Garland, ornaments, and lights. Oh my!
First, I hopped inside to see how it all worked and boy was it fun! I took a few test images and then some silly ones. After I got my settings down, I invited my kids (told them to get their booties in there) to get their photos taken for our family card. Some of them had a lot of fun with it. My musican grabbed her flute to “play” and whack someone with. My son adorned his cowboy hat and bandana. We even brought the cat in on the fun, although he didn’t stay long.
If you decide to create these on your own, here’s a few tips:
Use a tripod
A reflector is a must
Photoshop knowledge is good to have- it took me a hot minute to stack and align 8 photos for our family card.
Props always add fun
Use the biggest box you can find
Hire a professional photographer, it’ll be easier, I promise.
Have fun with it! Oh, and headstands earn extra points.
We’ve done more “normal” family photos in the past. But, I think I enjoy the funnier ones more. The kids seem to like them too. Even my husband was surprised at how cute they turned out. That’s a win for me!
So, what do you think? Do you want to take silly holiday photos this year?
Happy holidays!
Annette
My, what sparkly eyes you have.
