Remember when you were at the beach last summer? There was your hubby, buried to his neck in the sand, with the kids smiling and dumping water on his head. You probably snapped a great photo.
But what if, in your beach bag, you just happened to have some Santa hats? You’d have a Christmas card photo no one would forget! Here are some terrific, memorable ways to create Christmas cards for 2006 that will cry out for a space in the scrap book:
When those first bright green sprouts of grass pop up in the front yard, grab the family, the camera, and a washable marker, and get ready to make a memory. With the grass as a backdrop, line everyone’s bare feet in a row. Now, with the washable marker, write “Merry Christmas from the Jones Family” (or whatever)–a few letters or words on everyone’s feet, and snap some shots. On a red piece of card stock paper, those pictures become really cool Christmas cards everyone will love!
What’s your state flower? If you send Christmas cards to friends and family outside your state, plan to take some family photos in front of the state flower when it blooms. “Christmas greetings from (your state here)” makes a great card and a perfect family photo for framing.
Does your family garden? Have the family gather in the family garden and hold up a few sugar snap peas. Your caption can read “Peas on Earth”. If you don’t garden, visit a farm or orchard as a family outing, take some pictures, and make up your own captions.
A trip to the zoo provides a wonderful opportunity for photos. Your family can “adopt” an animal by donating money for it’s care, then take a photo with your new “adopted” family member, use it for your Christmas cards, and announce your new addition.
When your family goes camping, traveling, or on vacation this year, take a snapshot in front of a landmark or sign (like at state park entrances). Use these in scrapbook-style formatting and make a year-long collage of where you’ve been to use as a Christmas card.
During 2006, as you go through the year with the ones you love most, take the camera along, think about what kinds of photos would make good Christmas cards, and capture memories in print. Then, next November, your family can spend an evening assembling homemade cards for friends and family. Not only will you add a personal, and fun, touch to your holiday greetings, but the kids will love to help!