What do you see when you imagine the perfect family photo? Perhaps all you want is a minor miracle, like seeing everyone smile at the same time. If you’re still working on photo Christmas cards or just want to capture some great holiday family moments, here are seven photo ideas and a few photo props that will delight all your family members and make your family portraits more fun.
1. Christmas lights
A string of Christmas lights can look stunning in photos with a dark background. Just dim the lights, plug in your string lights, and have your kids play with them. You can use multi-color lights for a fun and festive photo, white lights for a more elegant look, or a string of lights of a specific color, such as blue or green. Or simply use what you already have and just have fun with it!
2. Photo ideas just for kids
When you have little ones in the family, Christmas photos are even more magical. Consider one of several options this year. If your little one likes to bake, you could take pictures of them busy in the kitchen with our Lil Baker personalized kids apron and chef hat. You could also use the cookies and milk for Santa personalized plate and mug for a cute picture with the kids and their cookies on Christmas Eve.
3. Santa Claus is coming to town
A fun idea would be to have someone dress up as Santa and take pictures with the kids. Use our Personalized Santa’s Toy Sack as a fun prop. This could be a great idea for families with older kids, where you don’t run the risk of ruining the magic for really little ones. The toy sack can be filled with gifts or coal, depending on the theme of the pictures. Best of all, it can be reused for years to come. Fill it with gifts and place it under the tree each Christmas Eve.
4. Santa hats
For a very classic Christmas photo, choose personalized Santa hats for the whole family. Matching red and white hats are available in both adult and kids sizes. The great thing about using Santa’s hats as a prop is they’re easy to add to the photo and are able to be used again and again over the years.
5. Furry friends
Get your furry friends in on the action and have them pose in your Christmas family photos with you! After all, your pets are part of the family, and they can really make everyone in your Christmas photos come together. Have your cat wear a Santa hat or put a festive holiday bow on your dog, and you’re ready to go.
6. Christmas presents
Wrapped Christmas boxes are such a simple prop but can work so well, in so many ways. Use an oversized box to put your pets or kids in or stack them up high and have your kids stand next to the towers or wrapped presents.
7. Just have fun
If you have tweens or teens, they might enjoy being a little silly in a Christmas photo. You could stage a mock fight or silly sweet hugs to really showcase their personalities!
There’s a ton of other great holiday photo ideas and props that can help your family portraits come to life. Christmas ornaments, stockings, bows and wreaths, mistletoe, and even matching holiday pajamas will liven up any family photo, adding a touch of whimsy. Many of the items can be reused throughout the holiday season and for years to come so you can not only capture the memories today but recreate them each year!
