How to Create Fun Christmas Photos

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas.

Are you tired of seeing the same old Christmas photos year after year? A local tree farm, a red truck in the woods, baking cookies in the kitchen, family at the beach, matching PJs in front of the tree, etc.

Don’t get me wrong, I love them all. However, sometimes, it’s fun to switch it up.

I want to share a simple crafty idea that will have your kids giggling and your teenagers having fun! I knowww!! Crazy times are about to happen.

First things first.

Book your photographer in advance.

You need time to get a date booked, photos taken and edited, cards ordered, and to arrive, for you to mail out. Whew!

The holiday season is the busiest time of year for all of us. Share this silly holiday idea with your photographer. They might love it or dis-love it. (That’s a new word, btw.) Heck, they might have a huge box already in their arsenal.

Cardboard box for a fun family photo session.

The Inspiration

I started this year’s holiday card theme with a big cardboard box. Our dishwasher went to appliance heaven, and after we installed it, I was stuck with the box. I remembered seeing box photos all over Pinterest last year. I wanted to re-create the 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 through pre-teens. If mom and dad are flexible and under 5’10 ft, it’ll work as well. But a much bigger box would have been so nice! If your refrigerator or washing machine decides to go. Save. That. Box!!

Use what you have on hand. 

Pull out your holiday decorations and use what you have on hand. This Christmas card photo doesn’t take tons of stuff.

• The garland I used usually goes around the front porch railing.

• Large plastic ornaments for the outdoors were great.

• Bigger props make a bigger impact.

• I hung glittery snowflakes inside the box and set a few out to use for silly photo props.

• 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 most time-consuming part was finding stuff— it took longer to look than it took to put it together. Oh, and I added a cute Grinchy tree I bought at Trader Joe’s.

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 camera 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 little musician 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—You need to bounce light into the box

• Photoshop knowledge is good to have- it took me a hot minute to stack and align 8 photos for our family card

• Props add extra 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 enjoy the funny 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!

Want a fun gift to give your kids this year? YES Day would make a great holiday gift. I wrote a blog about it, check it out here.

So, what do you think? Do you want to take silly holiday photos this year?

Happy holidays and good luck!

Annette

My, what sparkly eyes you have.