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It’s November… you know what that means! Yep. Time to start preparing for the holidays!  Poor Thanksgiving.  It never gets the attention it deserves.

When Halloween is over and I shift gears, one of the first things I start thinking about is my holiday cards.  I love everything about “card season”–both designing my own cards and receiving them.  There was a time I even made my own cards (I used to have a stationery-design business), but now I usually turn to Tiny Prints to do that for me.  I love their cards, and I use them for almost all my stationery needs these days.  I have also occasionally used Shutterfly for various cards, and I think Minted uses the most beautiful paper ever.  After admiring others’ cards from Minted for several years, I decided to get my holiday cards this year from them.  I must say that I love them so much!!  My little girls say they are our best cards yet.  :)  They even came with these little vellum papers that you insert so that the ink from the pictures on the inside doesn’t transfer to the other side of the card where our names are signed.  Brilliant!

Putting together a card to send out is something I truly enjoy.  But I’m pretty sure that isn’t a universal feeling… so to help you brainstorm, I have compiled 100 photos under various themes to get you thinking.

As you’ll see, some of the pictures are sweet, some are creative, and some are downright hilarious. Getting a photo for your card doesn’t have to be the worst part of Christmas–have fun with it and think outside the box.  The very first picture was sent to me by my friend a few years back.  It was the result of a photo session gone bad.  While that shot wasn’t what they were going for, they certainly succeeded in spreading some holiday cheer with their cards… I remember laughing so hard when we opened it!

So have an open mind, relax, and see how your pictures turn out.  Even if they aren’t “perfect”, they just might be your favorite cards yet!

Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate/referral links. Please click here for further explanation.

* Kudos to all the talented photographers and bloggers from whom I collected these photos.  If you see your photo here and it’s not sourced to you, or if anything should be corrected in any way, please let me know!!  I really want to make sure everything in this post is as accurate as it can be.  I hope this post sends a little traffic your way so others can be impressed by your fine work, too!  :)  Thanks for making this fun post possible!

 

Online Card Companies:  More Details

I wrote a post with 125+ Family and Sibling Photos for Posing Ideas and Inspiration in May 2013 (please reference that for even more photo ideas!), and I thought some information I shared there about the card companies I like to use might be helpful here as well.  I’m pasting in an excerpt from that post below:

WHERE I ORDER MY CARDS

Tiny Prints has been my go-to company (for not only Christmas cards but also for invitations, birth announcements, thank you notes, etc.) for the past five years or so.  One time I wasn’t happy with how they cropped a picture (without my approval) when printing my 225 (!) holiday cards, and they reprinted them and sent them to me overnight, no questions asked.  I received my new 225 cards in about 36 hours.  Pretty impressive.  They also contacted me once when they felt that one of my pictures was slightly blurry (but I couldn’t tell on the computer screen), and so I was able to switch out that photo before printing. They have top-notch service, and I love their designs.  They also have an enormous selection.

Minted is right at the top of my list now as well!  I used them for the first time last year for my holiday cards, and they were my favorite cards yet.  They included vellum paper inserts to be sure that the ink didn’t transfer inside my folded cards when mailed (because that does happen, especially if you have a picture printed on the inside).  Minted also has the best envelopes you’ll find (I love the brown kraft paper myself), and they print on really beautiful paper as well.  If you really have your act together, you can even upload your recipient address list at their site, and they will print the addresses for you on the envelopes for FREE!!!  I am definitely this company’s newest #1 fan!

I have also always loved Shutterfly.  I typically order photo thank you notes there after the holidays so we can send out a little glimpse of how we celebrated, along with our note of gratitude.

CLICK ON THE COLLAGE BELOW FOR EVEN MORE GREAT SITES TO FIND CARDS!  

If a card catches your eye in the collage below, please know that I found each one at Minted

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Our Family’s Recent Holiday Cards

If you’re looking for even more inspiration, don’t miss this post with 125+ Family & Sibling Photos or click on the collage below!

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Finally… on to the photos!!

100 PHOTOS TO INSPIRE YOUR HOLIDAY CARDS

Peace on Earth (and maybe a little in our house, too!)

Wishing you Happy Holidays… right down to our mistletoes!

View this and more pretty pictures on this great photographer’s blog:
See more adorable pictures like this one at the blog below:
View this talented photographer’s work below:
See more from this talented photographer here:

Merry Christmas

I LOVE THIS “MERRY CHRISTMAS” CARD where you can drag around the words so it sits just right on top of your photo.

See more great shots from Roberson Photography here:
See more of Heather C. Johnson’s great work here:
See more from this great photographer below:
The Santa Video

May Your Holidays Be Merry & Bright

FIND THE PERFECT CARD WITH “MAY YOUR HOLIDAYS BE MERRY AND BRIGHT” HERE.

Find more of this talented photographer’s work below:
Amy Tripple, the fantastic photographer who captured the amazing shot below, offers posing guides for purchase.  The Holiday Sweetness Guide can help you with some great shooting tips so you can get a shot of your child like the one you see here! 
See more creative pictures like these below:
Visit the site below for more photos from this talented photographer:
Make the holidays special this year with a personalized children's book or other special gift from I See Me!

Dear Santa… I can Explain

THIS CARD WITH “DEAR SANTA, DEFINE NICE” would also work well with photos like these below… cute!

See more pictures of these cuties at this fun blog below:
This creative photo is credited to the fun blog below:

Jump for Joy–It’s the Holidays!

THIS CARD WITH “YAY FOR CHRISTMAS” would also work well with fun photos like these below.

via:  http://digital-photography-school.com

Oh, What Fun It Is!

THIS  VERTICAL CARD WITH “OH WHAT FUN!” or THIS HORIZONTAL CARD WITH “OH WHAT FUN!” would be perfect for any picture with some silliness involved.

See more incredible pictures below at this amazing photographer’s website:
See more pictures from this happy photo shoot at the site below:

I finally discovered the source for the classic photo below!  Thanks, Tim, for contacting me!  Tim just so happens to be a very talented photographer.  You can find his site here:  Tim Wheaton Photography.

See more of this family’s amazing Christmas photos each year below:

Let it Snow!

THIS CARD OR THIS CARD, BOTH WITH “LET IT SNOW”, would be perfect for any wintery photo outdoors!

See more creative shots from this talented photographer below:
See more of this talented photographer’s work below:

I have tried like crazy to find the original source for this photo. The genius behind this one needs credit! Please contact me if this is yours! :)

Hark, the Herald Angels Sing…

You could also do a play on words and use “BARK!  THE HERALD ANGELS SING” AS FOUND IN THIS CARD and feature a picture with your dog!  Love it!

See more from this talented photographer here:
Visit Goodger Photography here to view more adorable photos:

Naughty or Nice?

FIND A CARD HERE WITH “NAUGHY OR NICE” where you can make it look like there’s a halo over one person (or pet!) and horns over the other… too funny!  You could also choose to just use the sentiment without the sketch drawings on the photo.

FIND ANOTHER CUTE CARD HERE WITH “NAUGHTY OR NICE.”

See more from this great photographer below:
See more cute shots from Melanie Painter here:

Peace

I LOVE THIS “PEACE ON EARTH” CARD which would be perfect for any photo similar to those shown below.

THIS “PEACE” CARD DOUBLES AS AN ORNAMENT… neat idea!

via:  http://www.flickr.com

See more of this talented photographer’s work below:
Visit the site below to see more of this talented photographer’s work:

May the Beauty of the Season be Yours

See more beautiful pictures like this one at the site below:

Joy to the World

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS SIMPLE “JOY TO THE WORLD” CARD where you can drag the words around to sit just right on top of your photo.

THIS SWEET CARD WITH “JOY” is also adorable!  I am a sucker for a heart over any letter!  :)

These photos are credited to the wonderful photographer below:
Visit the BMC Report below to see more of this sweet family:
See more from this talented photographer below:

Warm Hugs

Visit this talented photographer’s site below for more pictures of this beautiful family:
See more of Sydney Middleton’s work here:
See more from this talented photographer here:
See more from this talented photographer here:
See more of this talented photographer’s work below:

Love is All You Need

FIND THE PERFECT “LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED” CARD HERE.

This photo is credited to the talented photographer below:
See this and other cool “heart” photos here:
See more of this talented photographer’s work below:
This photo is credited to the talented photographer below:
This photo is credited to the talented photographer below:
You Go I Go Couple Tees

Best Gift of All

FIND A CARD HERE WITH “BEST GIFT EVER” that would be perfect for any family who welcomed a new baby this year!

YOU CAN ALSO FIND AN ENTIRE SELECTION OF BABY’S FIRST CHRISTMAS CARDS HERE.  So many fun wordings and cute styles!!

See the original picture here on this talented photographer’s site:
This photo is credited to this talented photographer below:
See this adorable photo and other great shots below:

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

FIND A BEAUTIFUL CARD WITH “HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS” HERE that is actually adorned with real foil to give it a shimmer!

Visit this photographer’s site below for more fun photos:
This photo is credited to the talented photographer below:

O Christmas Tree

See this shot and more amazing photos below:
See more from this amazing photo shoot at the talented photographer’s site below:
See this shot and more cute photos at the site below:
The amazing photographer credited for this shot is listed below:
This super cute photo is credited to the fun blog below:

The Wonder of Christmas

FIND A CARD HERE WITH “WONDER” across the top… a great, simple card!

FIND A CARD WITH “IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR” HERE.  This card is stamped with real foil to give it a unique shimmer.

This photo is credited to the talented photographer below:
Visit Heather C. Johnson’s site for more sweet photos:

via:  http://www.the-essential-infant-resource-for-moms.com.  (photo by Funkeemonkeeland)

Frosty the Snowman

FIND A SIMPLE SNOWMAN CARD HERE.

See this photo and other amazing shots at this photographer’s blog below:
Find this sweet tutu dress at the Etsy site below.
Laurie, the owner of the shop, took this adorable photo herself. Love it!

This photo was uploaded to Pinterest by Michelle McClendon.

She’s a fabulous art teacher and a creative genius, in my opinion! I love this shot!!

Silent Night

I LOVE THIS CARD WITH “SILENT NIGHT” where it then says in small print, “Everyone can wish for a Christmas miracle, right?”  So cute!

This photo found on Pinterest with only google.com listed.

Exact source unknown. Please contact me if this image is yours so I can credit properly.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

THIS IS A FUN CARD WHERE IT LOOKS AS IF YOUR DOG HAS REINDEER ANTLERS!

Check out this talented photographer’s work at the site below… she does amazing things with props! So cute.
This cute photo was found on Etsy (I love Etsy!!) where you can purchase this fun hat.
The photographer who took this super sweet photo can be found below:

Happy Ho-Ho-Holidays!

THIS CARD WITH “HO HO HO, Y’ALL” would be perfect for all of you living in the South!  :)

I *believe* the site listed below is the original source for this photo. Please contact me if this is your fun picture and I haven’t given proper credit!

The original source for this photo seems to be “uploaded by user” on Pinterest.

If this photo is yours, please contact me so I can source back to you!

Candy Canes

THIS IS SUCH A CUTE CARD WITH A HEART MADE FROM CANDY CANES!  It has a chalkboard style to it… love!  :)

See more from this super cute photo shoot below:
This fun photo is credited to the photographer below:

Santa Baby

THIS IS AN ADORABLE FIRST CHRISTMAS CARD!  Perfect for a new baby.

YOU CAN ALSO FIND AN ENTIRE SELECTION OF BABY’S FIRST CHRISTMAS CARDS HERE.  So many fun wordings and cute styles!!

I found this adorable photo on Etsy (I love Etsy!), but the photographer credited with the image is listed below:
View more of this talented photographer’s work below:
See more of this talented photographer’s work below:

Happy Paw-lidays!

THIS CARD WITH “PAWS TO ENJOY THE SEASON” would be perfect for a dog photo like this!

via:  gjphotos.com

See more cute photos below:

Jingle Bells

THIS CUTE CARD WITH “JINGLE ALL THE WAY” would be perfect for a picture similar to the ones below.

I found this photo on Etsy where you can get this really cute banner. The photographer behind this adorable shot is listed below:

I *believe* the original source for this photo is listed below where you can get directions on how to make these fun hats.

via:  www.favecrafts.com

Under the Mistletoe

THIS SIMPLE “UNDER THE MISTLETOE” CARD would be perfect for any kissing photo!

This photo is credited to the talented photographer below:
See more from this cute photo shoot at the site below:

See more photos of this super cute family at the blog below:

Laughing All the Way

LOVE THIS “LAUGHING ALL THE WAY” CARD!  I actually just ordered my mom’s cards for her (uploading a photo and working through that on the computer is probably her worst nightmare!), and this is the one she chose.  We used a picture of the grandkids holding hands, laughing, and running toward the camera.  I think it would make anyone smile when they opened that envelope!  :)

See more of this talented photographer’s work below:

See more of this talented photographer’s work below:

via:  www.recherche-photography.com

Visit this talented photographer’s blog below:

Family Christmas Ornaments

WISHing you Happy Holidays!

I LOVE THIS COLLAGE-STYLE CARD WITH “WARMEST WISHES.”  

View more from this wonderful photographer here:

Christmas Wreath

THIS A BEAUTIFUL, CLASSIC CARD ADORNED WITH A WREATH.

Visit this talented photographer’s site below for more great photos:

Star of Wonder

This cool photo is from Gap’s holiday campaign in 2009. See the source below:
View the work of JLH Photography here:

This photo is credited to J. Crew Kids. Photo source below:

This is the best we could do… Happy Holidays!

THIS “ALL IS CALM-ISH AND BRIGHT” CARD would be perfect for a photo similar to those below.  You can even make it look like there is a halo over each person’s head.

And when all else fails, just find a little humor in the situation!  Chances are, you’ll look back on the less-than-perfect photos with a laugh one day, and they will always remind you of that crazy stage in life when getting a nice family photo was next to impossible!  Someday when your family pictures are full of cooperative smiles and people looking at the camera, you will miss this stage when you never knew what you were going to get!!  :)

View more entertaining shots like this one here:
Buy from a large selection of Premium Papers, Luxury Brands & Exquisite Styles of stationery and supplies only at FineStationery.com! -300x250

For even more inspiration, don’t miss this post with 30 Photos with Wording Ideas to Inspire Your Holiday Cards.   Each photo also links back to a card with that sentiment to help you find your perfect card this year!

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Whew!  I hope these 100 photos have helped you come up with some ideas for your cards this year. Happy Holidays everybody!  :)  Enjoy the special season ahead.

What photo ideas do you have?

If you’d like to keep up with me and my blog (I’d love that!), please follow along via Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, or Google+.

HH Signature Thanks

 

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