One of my favorite things about Christmas time is getting all those ADORABLE Christmas cards in the mail. The only problem? They can be expensive.
Like, super expensive, expensive.
I know many of my friends use TinyPrints because they have amazing designs. But their photo cards are easily $1.60+...for pretty basic cards!
Each year I try to get pretty creative with how I do my cards. I want them to be quality, unique, and cute...but I need them to be AFFORDABLE because I usually send out between 70-100 cards.
Here's how I got my Christmas Cards for free again this year:
1. Take good family photos
First of all, you MUST start with amazing family photos. And in my opinion, the more the better! I want to see lots of pictures of your family, not just one! So I tend to go overboard and add a bazillion pics on my cards. In order to do that, you must have great pictures to choose from.
This year we used Mal Walker photography again (remember THIS YEAR and my favorite family photo of all time - the elevator shot HERE?). She's incredible. She's also the photographer we used for our Frugality Boot Camp photos last year. She's reasonably priced, and the best part is that you get an entire CD of all your best images! Check out some of the great pics we got this year:
I told her I wanted some fun outdoor shots, so she came up with the idea for us to go to this adorable farm where there were tons of photo opportunities.
It was early and FREEZING out, and my kids were pretty uncooperative, especially Priya. But you wouldn't know it from the pics she captured, huh?
One thing I love about her style is that she snaps away, even if we're not perfectly posed. Funny enough, the candids always end up being my favorites.
And as much as I HAAAATTTTTEEEEE having my picture taken, she took a few for me so I could update my headshot. I have to admit, she made it pretty quick and painless :)
Mal's style of photography is very passive. She doesn't order us around or really tell us what to do much. She quietly observes our family and takes photos when it seems appropriate. She will have us "stand here" or "sit there" but she really lets us direct the shoot, which results in natural photos.
Another thing she does that's pretty cool is Birth Stories. Not many photographers do this, but she LOVES IT. When you're due to have your baby, she will come to your delivery (and sit with you in the hospital - day or night - for as long as it takes for your baby to be born) and will document your entire birth experience through photos. It's pretty incredible. I think it's genius because then Daddy can enjoy the moment and not have to worry about having the camera ready and watching the birth through a lens. She will take the photos so you can simply enjoy your new baby. SO COOL. Info on that HERE.
So really, don't skimp on your family photos. While I love the family vacation snapshot, I believe every family deserves professional photos at least once a year and that the pro pics should be the highlight of your card. Be sure to go with a photographer that will give you lots of photos to choose from so you can get more bang for your buck. If you can't tell, Mal Walker comes highly recommended :)
Ok, moving on...
2. Design the card yourself
After getting the family pictures, I created my own Christmas card using GIMP, which is the free version of Photo Shop. Just make sure your pixels are big enough to print a quality photo:
4x6 photo: 1200x1800 pixels
5x7 photo: 1500x2100 pixels
6x7-1/2: 1800x2250 pixels
8x8: 2400x2400
Here's what I came up with:
side one:
side two:
3. Print them for cheap or free
Once I designed the card how I liked, I simply printed each side as a 4x6 photo from Costco...for free! I do this for EVERYTHING...thank you cards, invitations, etc (Remember like I did for my son's birthday party years ago HERE?).
Remember...if you buy a picture frame from Costco, they always have a "100 free 4x6 prints" coupon inside the frames. That's a $13+ value. Remember last year for Christmas how I made a "100 things I love about you" gifts for my brothers? It was so meaningful, so easy, and so cheap! I made it using Word, printed it out on my computer, put it in Costco frames (2 frames for $14), and saved the free prints coupon to use for this year.
Another option is to sign up for email accounts for companies like Snapfish, Shutterfly, etc. You get free prints often times for just signing up for their emails!
4. Make your own custom card
So I used my 100 free prints from Costco and printed 50 of each photo. I went to my stash of scrapbook paper that I buy with coupons from Joann Fabrics (I tend to like the fat stacks of scrapbook paper rather than buying individual sheets; I feel like it's a much better deal).
My hubby and I put on a movie and I got to work making our own cards!
I trimmed the side of the photos slightly, then laid them side by side on the 12x12 scrapbook paper, so I could fit exactly 6 photos to one sheet of paper. I used my paper cutter to cut them nice and straight.
I REEEEEEEALLY love when people include little letters summarizing their year and telling what's new with their families. I make it a point to do this every year. (A photo just isn't enough for me to know what you're family is up to, people!)
I made it in word and printed it out on my computer, 3 to a sheet.
I inserted our little letter, then simply folded the paper in half. So how we have a little book! When you open the card you see one photo on the left, one on the right, and have our letter in the middle.
Clever, eh?
I didn't have any envelopes that fit the 4x6 size well enough so I simply punched a hole through everything and tied it with a bow so our little letter insert wouldn't fall out.
Since I don't have envelopes I will tape the card shut well, stick a stamp on it, write the address on the outside, and mail it as-is like a postcard for those who live out of town.
Since I don't have envelopes I will tape the card shut well, stick a stamp on it, write the address on the outside, and mail it as-is like a postcard for those who live out of town.
So there you go! I got the prints for free, used scrapbook paper and ribbon we already had on-hand, and printed our letter from home.
Cute, custom, cheap.
Done and done.
The best part is the cute little neighbor gift we made for people this year! EEK it's adorable!...but you'll have to wait for that one until later this week :)
How did you do YOUR Christmas cards this year??
This post brought to you by our friends over at Mal Walker Photography
