Looking for at home Christmas picture ideas? You’ll love this list of DIY Christmas photo inspiration that you can recreate yourself easily.
Nowadays it seems that the Christmas photo card is an inevitable part of the holiday madness.
And a Christmas baby photo shoot is part of the inevitable milestones that come with having a new baby.
I love receiving cards from family and friends and checking out their cute kids each year and of course, I like showing off mine too!
I love getting professional photos taken every year but they can really get expensive.
That’s why I’ve been holding my own DIY Christmas photoshoot for my holiday cards the past few years.
Not only does it save me money but it has allowed me to take advantage of the offers of free photo cards and coupons that typically come around in October and November.
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Every year I search the web for ideas for photos I can take with the kids that will be great for our cards and calendars.
Thanks to my DIY Christmas pictures, I not only save a lot of money but also the stress of loading the kids up in the car and dealing with the inevitable meltdowns.
To be honest, a huge advantage of a DIY Christmas photoshoot is that it eliminates the stress of them not cooperating and me feeling like I’ve wasted my money.
It can’t only be my children who see a camera and automatically become monsters who won’t look at the lens!.
Before we dive into the DIY Christmas pictures inspiration, here are my top tips for having the perfect Christmas photoshoot with your babies and toddlers:
6 Tips for Taking Photos of Your Kids
Timing is everything
I tend to do my photos either first thing in the morning or right after nap time when they are energized and happy.
Tired children mean stressful photo sessions.
Prep everything in advance
Be ready to just dress them and plop them down as soon as you can.
You don’t want to be faffing around with backdrops once they are in position
Grab a bell or noise-maker
This works to get their attention so that they look at the camera.
Shouting “look, there’s Elsa!” seems to work for us too!
Keep it simple
Don’t be overambitious and try numerous outfit changes or fancy props.
Be quick
Get ready to snap, snap, snap.
Out of 100 photos, I normally get 5-10 that I can use/they are smiling/looking at the camera.
Photoshop is your friend
Remember that you can edit a lot nowadays.
I use the free Lightroom app on my iPhone with some preset filters that I got from Etsy.
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Below you will find some really cute (and easy), at home Christmas picture ideas that you can do yourself.
Just get your children dressed in some cute holiday pjs or a festive outfit and grab a few props.
If your house is super dark and its hard to get good lighting, consider investing in a cheap Ring light.
I got this one from Amazon for less than $50 and it brightens up even the darkest room on a budget.
How To Use These DIY Christmas Pictures
You can copy the ideas in this post or change them up depending on the age or your kids and your supplies.
Where possible, I’ve included links below each image so you can check out the photographer or blogger that shared the idea. there are often tutorials and more great inspirational images.
Santa’s Elf
One of my own photos, cute PJs, a white curtain with twinkly lights and a fluffy blanket is all you need for this cute Christmas photo idea.
My biggest tip for getting cute photos of a baby like this one (she was 9 months old at the time), is to prep everything during nap time then when baby wakes up, quickly get her dressed and start taking photos while she is happy.
I added some Christmas baubles to keep her occupied while I snapped away.
(you can get candy cane pjs for your kids for a great price here)
Up on the rooftop
Some of the best at home Christmas picture ideas require a little bit pf preparation.
I love this cute photo of a little girl popping out of a chimney.
This wonderful DIY chimney prop from pagingfunmoms.com. is simple and cheap to make.
Candy Cane Lane
A white blanket, candy canes, and striped pyjamas are all you need to recreate this DIY Christmas photo.
This photo is perfect for a Christmas card or to put on display and it is so easy to do.
A good preset on the Lightroom app will help to brighten up your photo if it comes out too dark.
The Best Christmas Present
Source: LVandewal/Pinterest
Wrap an empty box with holiday paper, put a cute Santa hat on your baby and you have the most adorable gift this year!
Cookies for Santa
Milk, cookies and holiday pjs make an easy and super cute Christmas photo.
To recreate the background, you can use empty boxes wrapped in holiday paper.
Inspiration from: Rebecca-LynnePhotography.com
Christmas Flurries
Make a simple photo magic with special snow effects that can be done on most photo-editing software. I love the special effects on PicMonkey.
Simple and Sweet
A Santa hat and a candy cane are all you need for a super sweet photo. You can add background effects like bokeh twinkly lights afterward.
Inspiration: Joliemoorephotography.com
Snowy Sweden
You can buy cheap photography backdrops online and create your own scene.
Then all you need are some Christmas boxes and a fuzzy blanket and you are ready for some really fun pictures.
Amazon has some great inexpensive options 
Sparkling Lights
Use fairy lights to light up a dark room and add a Santa Hat for some festive cheer.
Note – although they are really cute, Christmas fairy lights are actually toxic and should not be put into mouths.
Inspiration: Purpplemoments.com
T’was the night before Christmas
Photo Courtesy: Bluebird Imagery
The pjs in bed scene is super easy to recreate and looks so cute!
Use white bedding with a red pillow to recreate the look.
You can buy a cute Silent Night banner from Etsy.
Then give your kids an interesting book to look at while you snap away.
Candy Cane Baby
If it is baby’s first Christmas, then make it special with a really cute photo like this simple one that you can do at home.
All you need are some cute newborn candy cane pjs.
When baby is sleeping, slip a real candy hand in his hands and start taking your cute holiday photos.
Santa’s Sack
For this photo, you can grab a cute Santa sack from the dollar store and then pop baby inside while you take some photos.
This picture has used a premium photo editor to remove the background but you can take the photo against a plain wall or in front of the Christmas tree.
Christmas Teddy
Here is one of the easiest at home Christmas picture ideas.
A cute Christmas toddy bear and an even cuter Christmas hat on your baby and you are good to go!
Elf Hat
To recreate this simple DIY Christmas photoshoot idea, you will need a cute knitted elf hat.
Then just place your baby on a white blanket or rug and put some Christmas ornaments around him.
Santa Baby
A cute baby Santa suit and a red holiday ornament are all you need for this DIY Christmas photoshoot. To make it easier, use white bedding for your background.
More Christmas Ideas:
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Looking for a way to simplify your holiday season this year?
Last year I started using a Christmas Planner and it completely streamlined my holidays and made me so much more organized.
The planner I use has planning pages for Black Friday, Online purchase trackers, Christmas card lists and gift budgets and planners.
It also comes with a 50 page bonus printable Christmas journal for kids which makes a great stocking stuffer that will keep them occupied all holiday long.
Check out the planner and the bonus journal here.
Capture Aloha Photography
Tuesday 7th of November 2017
Yay! Christmas is coming and can't wait for it. That sparking light idea is thus good.