Tips For Your Best Holiday Card Yet

It is already that time of year to start thinking about Christmas cards. I can’t believe it! I am a huge fan of holiday cards and I just might take them a little too seriously. But this is your chance to have fun, get creative, and show off your family to everyone (and their mom). Here is everything I have learned about perfecting holiday cards over the years and I hope it helps you to have your best card yet!

 

Family Photo

Let’s start here.. I think the best holiday cards are those with a photo! Plan to take this farther in advance then you might expect (we take ours early November). Often photographers can take a few weeks to get the final images back to you and the closer to the holidays we get, the busier family photographers are. These family photo sessions are not only great for your holiday card, but are also an annual keepsake to watch your family grow. I look forward to them for this reason.

The next thing you have to think about is if you want Christmas themed outfits or regular outfits? I typically go for a more casual look with a coordinating color scheme so the photos can be displayed year round in our home. Last year we had the girls change into Christmas PJ’s for the last few minutes of our shoot, which was super cute, but to be honest I never had any of those photos printed or framed.

 

Where To Order

Once you get your family photos back it’s time to choose your card layout! This is the perfect time to make it a little more holiday themed if you chose to wear regular clothes in your photos. Add a fun holiday border, holiday themed colors and fonts, etc.. The following are my favorite online places to order cards from:

Minted – Minted has by far the most exquisite holiday card templates. However, they do come with the highest price tag. If you are looking for quality and want to make a statement, this is the place to do that.

Tiny Prints – This is where I have ordered from for the last few years. They have some beautiful templates and are always running sales. If you order early enough you can usually score up to 40% off.

Shutterfly – Shutterfly actually owns Tiny Prints but they also have their own line of more affordable holiday cards. They are the most basic on this list, but still a great option!

I also wanted to mention, that when designing the card online, I always like to leave the back of the card blank (or even a solid color).  That way, you have the option to write something personal to the recipient.

 

Addressing and Etiquette

All of the places above offer envelope printing or return address labels. I highly recommend choosing one of these options or keeping a personalized return address stamp on hand to streamline the process. As far as addressing them to the recipient, I usually just write it in. I know calligraphy looks beautiful but the envelope gets thrown away so I don’t like to spend any extra time on it.

Keep in mind that mail takes longer this time of year because post office is so busy. Plan to send your cards out 2-3 weeks before Christmas. Also, a holiday postage stamp would make a great addition!

 

I would love to see your completed holiday card! If you don’t physically mail me one (although I wish everyone would) then tag or DM me on Instagram.

Stay tuned for more holiday content over the next few weeks. You can read my hostess gift guide here, it’s great for Thanksgiving parties too!