It's that time of year when you are puzzling over ways to make your greeting cards stand out from everyone else's. Nothing could be more personal than making your own cards. Photo cards are a smart choice because there are a range of options and prices.

Snapshot Photo

When choosing a standard photograph for your holiday greeting card, you have two main options. First, you can scour your digital pictures from throughout the year and choose one that already works well for a card. Look for a picture that tells a story. One of my past favorites was a picture of my girls baking cookies together.
Second, and more fun, stage a picture with family members holding up words on construction paper. Dress them up in their parkas and mittens and have them hold signs that say "Let It Snow." Or take a picture of the family in front of the fireplace holding up cards with the year.

Custom Artwork

Do you have a little one who is a budding artist? Give him crayons, markers, glitter, and colored paper and tell him to draw what the holiday means to him. The less instruction you give, the more likely the picture is to show the holiday through the child's eyes. Take a digital picture of the artwork and add a cute border.

Scrapbook Photo

This is my favorite! Use your holiday card as a chance to show off what your family did this year. Lay out a page like you would if you were scrapbooking--with photos, captions, borders, or knick-knacks. Then snap a picture of your layout. Make sure to add your family name and the year. Get creative!

Making the Cards

To give your cards a professional touch, upload your digital picture to an online store to make your cards. Depending upon the store, you may be able to add borders, text on the inside, and text on the back. You can have them sent to you for addressing and mailing or do all of that online as well.