Shutterfly Giveaway: 5 Tips for Creating Holiday Photo Cards

by Jen Tilley on November 26th, 2012 | No Comments »

Have you put together your holiday cards yet? From whimsical to funny, from classic to unique — there are tons of options when it comes to making your holiday cards year after year.

5 Tips for Creating Holiday Photo Cards

If you still need to snap photos for your holiday card, be sure to stop by this post and read five tips on how to get a "cardworthy" family photo for your holiday card. When you have your family photos ready, here are five holiday card ideas that will be sure to wish your family and friends the merriest of holidays.

Make Your Card Personal

Instead of sending your family and friends fake smiles on your holiday cards, capture the different personalities and characters of your family members. Just be you and provoke the real moments of your family during your family photo session. The photos that you get from the photo shoot will exude your family's personality, character traits, and style. This will really help to tell your family's story through your holiday photo card.

Find Your Holiday Card Style

Are you whimsy? Do you prefer a classic style? Or, do you prefer a more contemporary look? With all of the programs and companies out there that provide holiday card making programs, you are bound to find a look that captures your style. Shutterfly, for example, has countless card styles that will help capture your family's story and style. Find the photos you love and then find the holiday photo card design you love. Some card designs only allow for one photos while other designs might allow for 2-4 images. It all depends on how many photos you want to feature on your holiday card.

Bring Out the Smiles

Whether you go the route of having a professional photographer take your family photo or you use a photo from a family vacation, one thing is certain — be sure that your photo(s) brings out the smiles from family and friends. Plus, it's always fun to include the family pet in the photo. That will definitely bring the joy, laughter, and "Awww" effect to your holiday card.

Use a Great Holiday Photo Card Program

There are tons of holiday photo card programs available so be sure to use one that works for you. You want to use one that is cost effective, easy to use, and a perfect fit in terms of your style. Companies like Shutterfly offer great products and user-friendly software that will help you create your perfect holiday photo card.

Choose Wording Carefully

Be sure to carefully decide what type of wording you are going to include on your holiday card. Do you want to only include your first name and last name? Do you want to share a little story about your family? Do you want to say "Happy Holidays!" on your holiday card? The possibilities are endless so choose carefully and be sure to triple check your copy.

Shutterfly has all sorts of good tips and tricks on their new site that shares ideas for a Family Photo Day to help you create a great holiday photo card. Once you have your “cardworthy” family photo, be sure to visit their Facebook page from November 12 – December 9. Upload the photo into one of their 2012 holiday cards. This contest will run for four weeks with a new theme every week: Travel, Funny, Pets, and Family Holiday. The grand prize is a dream trip for a family of four (the winner chooses the destination). The 1^st place winner will receive $500 in Shutterfly credit, 2^nd place will receive $250 in Shutterfly credit, and 3^rd place will receive $150 in Shutterfly credit. Here’s a link to the contest: http://on.fb.me/SXfDVI.

Shutterfly Giveaway

Do you still need to create your holiday cards this year? If so, be sure to enter this Shutterfly Giveaway.

The Prizes

This week’s giveaway is all about "cardworthy" family photos. Three lucky winners will receive a $100 promotional code to Shutterfly (ARV: $100).

Terms and Conditions

No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. ET Monday, December 3. See all terms and conditions here. This giveaway is available to U.S. residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Shutterfly. All opinions, tips, ideas, and information are my own.

Jen Tilley has an insatiable appetite for all things related to baking and cooking. She is the author, photographer and recipe developer on How To: Simplify, a blog that shares tips, tricks and recipes to simplify life in the kitchen. She enjoys sharing recipes that require very few ingredients and only a small amount of prep and cook time, all of which make time spent in the kitchen simple and enjoyable. Find her online at How To: Simplify, @HowToSimplify, and Jen Tilley Photography.