3 Steps to Your Best Christmas Card Ever
Okay, so you have your freshly updated, gorgeous family photos and you CAN'T WAIT to share them with your friends and family on your Christmas cards this year!
You fire up Google, excited to see all of the options that the internet has to offer.
And then, somehow, 3 hours, 12 snacks, 2 shots of espresso, and 987 clicks later, you are back at Google wondering how anyone ever finds the right card.
Sound familiar?
Believe it or not, I have been there.
That scenario is a screenshot of my life (except there were probably more snacks and espresso shots involved).
After nearly 2 decades of ordering my family's Christmas card, I want to help you find your perfect card this Christmas season.
Here are the 3 basic steps that I follow when creating a card, plus a few helpful tips to help you level up your cards this year without adding any extra stress.
Step One
The very first action I take is to decide which photos and how many photos I want to include in the card.
I prefer to pick out the card based on my photos, not the other way around.
Whether you are using those stunning new family photos you had done by one of us professional photographers, or, you are simply wanting to share some informal snapshots taken throughout the year, go ahead and pick them out.
Try to keep it under 6 photos. Any more than that and they tend to be too small for a standard card size.
Indecisive? Narrow it down to less than 10. You can always upload a few extra and choose from your top favorites then.
Example: When choosing my family's card, I choose 5 photos: 1 focused on my parents, then, 1 for each of their children with their individual family.
Pro tip: I try to pick photos that will work as portrait or landscape. In other words, photos that aren't too tightly cropped that they will not work both ways.
Step Two
Now that we have chosen our photos, I like to decide on a card shape. This will help eliminate a whole host of options in your search results while still leaving you plenty of designs to choose from.
Last year, I went with a landscape card, but I typically gravitate towards portrait or square.
Pick which one you like best. Try not to overthink it too much. You can always change it later if you need to.
Step Three
Try to coordinate the card colors with your photos.
For example, if you are all wearing pastel colors and the photo is light and bright, you might want to choose a white card with gold accents. This will complement your photos and draw attention to your beautiful faces.
**Now the important part: Use the information you decided on during these 3 steps to filter your search results on your chosen card ordering site.**
You will be tempted to look at every. single. option.
Stay strong.
Lastly, I believe that a simple paper upgrade will do a world of wonders and is worth every penny.
My favorite Christmas card paper is a pearl card stock.
It has a nice weight to it and is the perfect middle man option between glossy and matte.
It is very easy to get distracted by all of the "add on" items that you have to choose from towards the end. Focus on what would be helpful to you. A lot of companies offer envelope addressing. Will this save you time? If so, go for it!
At the end of the day, your cards should bring joy all around, even to you during the creation phase.
Hopefully these steps will help make the process a little more joyful and a little less stressful.
Although I still recommend a snack. & espresso.
What do you think? Did I miss anything?
Come hang out with me!
Instagram: @kristenrosephoto
Facebook: Kristen Rose Photography