How to Make Your Own Christmas Cards: 10 Ideas for Families | Phelan Photographer
Smells of cinnamon are wafting, and there’s a chill in the air. Fairy lights are twinkling, and you can hear the crinkles of wrapping paper.
That can only mean one thing: Christmas is tiptoeing closer!
And what better way to spread some holiday cheer than by making your very own Christmas cards—made with love, laughter, and perhaps a dash of glitter? Yes, I’m the 1% who loves glitter!
Whether you’re a family of elves, snow explorers, or pajama-clad cocoa drinkers, you don’t need a fancy camera or an art degree. All you need is your phone, a sprinkle of magic, and the willingness to make a merry mess together.
Let’s unwrap some fun ideas, shall we?
1. Pajama Portraits
Have everyone put on their favorite Christmas jammies. Choose matching, mismatched, or delightfully ridiculous. Snuggle up on the couch with mugs of hot cocoa, put twinkle lights in the background, and don’t forget to include your fur baby.
Pro Tip: Hold your phone slightly above eye level for a flattering angle and use natural window light for that soft, glowing effect. You can use a tripod or prop your phone onto a shelf and set the timer.
Creative Touch: Print your photo with a snowy filter or tiny stars and snowflakes around it when you create your card!
Merry Christmas
2. The Snow Globe Scene
If you’re lucky enough to have snow—Yaaay! Bundle up and head outside. If not, never fear: flour, paper snowflakes, and confetti make for magical stand-ins.
Create a “snow globe” effect by taking a photo through a clear ornament or glass jar. It’ll look like your family has been whisked into a winter wonderland!
DIY Extra: Cut the photo into a circle and glue it onto blue cardstock. Add glitter “snow” around the edges for an extra sparkle.
3. A Christmas Movie Creation
Are you more Elf or Home Alone people? Perhaps The Grinch? We’re huge Christmas Vacation fans! Pick a favorite holiday movie and re-create a scene together! Fun, right?
Have the kids dress up as the characters, use props from around the house, and pose super dramatically.
Quick Tip: Turn your living room into a movie set using a solid colored blanket or sheet as a backdrop.
Bonus: Add a funny movie quote as your card’s caption!
Mr. Whiskers makes a holiday debut
4. The Pet Cameo
Because let’s face it—our pets are the true stars of Christmas morning. Dress them up (comfortably, of course) with a festive bow, tiny hat, or reindeer antlers. But, beware, cats have a mind of their own. Ha!
Snap a picture of your fur baby mid-wiggle or mid-nap, and let them “sign” the card with a paw print.
Caption idea: “Santa Paws is coming to town!”, “Merry Woofmas!”, or “Meowy Christmas!”
5. A Mini Wonderland
Create a tiny world right on your kitchen table. Think: toy Christmas trees, a dusting of flour for snow, and cutouts of your family members (printed photos that are cut out).
Stage them in your own pint-sized winter wonderland and photograph from a low angle to make it look larger than life.
Magic Tip: Shine a small flashlight or string fairy lights behind your scene for a magical, warm glow.
6. “Before & After” The Christmas Chaos
Take two photos:
Before: The living room is neat, the tree is perfect, and everyone is smiling and happy.
After: Wrapping paper is everywhere, toys are open, and Dad’s asleep, wearing a bow on his head, and Mom is frazzled-looking.
Use a split-image design to show both scenes on the front of the card.
Caption idea: “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… chaos!”
Decorating the tree
7. The Storybook
Print a few holiday favorite photos— baking cookies, decorating the tree, or hanging stockings—and turn them into a mini holiday storybook.
Fold cardstock into a booklet and glue each photo with a short caption underneath:
“Once upon a snowflake…”
“The cookies vanished mysteriously…”
“And they all jingled merrily ever after.”
Added Fun: Tie it closed with a ribbon and a tiny jingle bell!
8. The Silly Hat Parade
Collect every festive hat, headband, and reindeer antler you can find, and take a silly hat photo.
Line up the family—shortest to tallest—and strike your best elf pose.
Variation: Use your phone timer, set up a tripod, and try jumping midair for that burst of joy! Bonus points for silly faces.
Decorating Tip: When printing, leave space around the photo so the kids can draw doodles—like candy canes or thought bubbles.
9. The “Flat Lay” Christmas Card
Sometimes the best photo doesn’t have faces at all—it tells a story from above.
Lay out cozy scarves, mugs of cocoa, ornaments, pine cones and branches, and a few of your hands reaching in from the sides holding cookies or gifts.
Take the photo from overhead for a clean, modern look. This works best with larger families— 2 kids or more.
Fun Twist: Use fun wording like “Merry & Bright” or your family’s name right on the photo before printing. If you have a baby or toddler, add your last name using baby blocks.
10. Christmas Tree Silhouette
Turn off all the lights, but keep the Christmas tree glowing.
Have your family stand in front of it while holding hands. Mom and Dad can kiss if you want ;)
This creates a beautiful silhouette full of warmth and light—a timeless, magical image.
Special Touch: Print on matte paper for a dreamy, painterly look, and use a gold pen to add stars.
Printed out photo inside a paper frame
Printing & Creating Your Cards
Once you’ve taken your favorite picture (or two!), it’s time to bring them to life. Here are some simple ways to turn your photos into keepsake cards:
Print-at-home magic: Use thick matte (my favorite) or glossy photo paper. Fold and cut to size, then decorate with ribbons, glitter, and holiday washi tape.
Local print shops: Walgreens and Walmart can print directly onto nice cardstock. They have premade layouts you can choose from.
Online services: Upload your image to a site like Canva, Shutterfly, or Vistaprint—then choose from templates or design your own. It’s super easy!
Don’t forget to sign each one by hand for that extra sprinkle of holiday magic.
Why Homemade Holiday Cards Matter
Sure, you could buy a box of cards from the store—but making your cards transforms a mundane activity into a sweet holiday tradition.
Giggling over cookie crumbs, trying to get the dog to sit still, someone blinking in every photo (it’s usually me), and finally capturing that one perfect image—perfect not because it’s polished, but because it’s your family.
They aren’t just cards. They’re time capsules of the season— sticky fingers, laughter, and precious togetherness.
So, gather your crew, charge the phone, and let the Christmas creativity begin!
Because in the end, the most magical thing you can send isn’t just a card—it’s a piece of your family, wrapped up with love and tied with a bow.
Merry making, merry photo taking,
and the merriest Christmas to you and yours!
Thank you for reading How to Make Your Own Christmas Cards: 10 Ideas for Families | Phelan Photographer. I hope you leave with some creative card-making ideas.
If you want to see my work, here’s my portfolio.
Create your own Christmas magic this year! If you’d like me to take your family photos for your cards this year, book a call with me!
Make it merry, make it yours!
Cheers,
Annette
Merriest of Christmas to you!
