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Tips for creating a killer holiday card; use these online holiday card specials to create yours
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Christmas is just around the corner and as we roll into December, mailboxes will start to fill up with the joyous and eagerly anticipated holiday cards of family and friends from near and far. The photo card, seemingly the most popular choice, provides a stylish and affordable way to show off your kids and reconnect with loved ones. Kids photos on the cards we’ve received over the years have ranged from Sears family portrait-style to completely candid shots. As a former professional photographer, I personally prefer simple close-up candid photos and think they provide a more natural and reflective style of showcasing your family. Whichever style of photo you select is your choice, but in terms of the card design itself, I offer the following tips to maximize the aesthetic of the card:
- Keep it consistent: stick to either black and white or color photos in a multiple photo layout, don’t mix between the two styles
- Use photos that “match” and pick a theme: if you have a photo of your kids from the summer at the beach, don’t pair it with your kids building a snowman – it seems incongruous
- Keep it simple: some design layouts offer up to nine photos, but it is more pleasing to the eye to use fewer images especially if the card is sized as a 4x8” layout
- Be creative: whether you dress the kids up, have them spell something out, or use the card to announce something (a friend of mine proposed to his girlfriend through a Christmas card – he held a sign up asking her to marry him in the photo), use your creativity and/or Photoshop(!) to make a statement
- Not everyone celebrates Christmas: it’s safer to write a “Happy Holidays” greeting than a “Merry Christmas” one
- Read and re-read your message! We’ve actually gotten holiday cards with misspellings – oh the horror
There are a handful of photo card sites online that offer easy uploads and plenty of design choices to suit a wide range of tastes. Usually with a simple drag-and-drop process, photo cards can be created in a matter of minutes – assuming you have the pictures for the card themselves! Check out the specials currently being offered at each of the following popular card creation sites:
Shutterfly: free shipping on orders of $25 or more until Dec. 3 (enter SHIP25 at checkout); also when you buy 50 cards, you get 25 more free
Kodak Gallery: free shipping on orders over $50 until Dec. 8 (enter code HOLIDAYSHIP); 20% off when you spend $30 or more until Dec. 24 (enter code HOLIDAYGREEN)
Expressionery: 40% off your order until Dec. 31 (enter SUPER40)
Tiny Prints: 10% off your order of $99 or more (enter code 10THANKS); 15% off your order of $149 or more (enter code 15THANKS)
PearTree Greetings: Christmas cards start at $0.40 each
Regardless of the photos you use, the design you pick and the message you create, the most important part of the holiday card is sending your love to the people you care about. Using these tips and these great sites, you can now click and point your way to a great holiday card this year!
Have you received or made any really creative/funny/inspirational holiday cards this year or in years past? If so, send them to amIdoingthisright@live.com and it could be featured in a future article on Examiner.com!
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