Family Xmas Photo Ideas: 16 Shots to Try (Plus a Video Version)

A note before the list: we make Tribute, the group video maker, and it's one of the 16 ideas.

What are the best family xmas photo ideas this year?

The family photo is still the face of the holiday card. In Pew Research Center's survey on how Americans celebrate, 65% said they planned to send Christmas or holiday cards, down from 81% who said their family sent them when they were growing up. Fewer cards means the one you send gets noticed.

These family Christmas photo ideas start indoors, move outside, then finish with shots for big groups. Each one works with a phone and a timer.

1. Matching pajamas on the stairs

Line everyone up on the staircase in matching or same-color pajamas, youngest at the bottom. Shoot from below so the stairs fill the frame. Then ask everyone to "look at the person who ate the last cookie" and take the second shot, which will be the one you keep.

• Time needed: 10 minutes
• Cost: $0 if you own pajamas, $15 to $30 per person for new ones

Best for: Families with kids and a staircase.

Why it works: The stairs stack everyone so every face shows.

2. The tree-light glow

Turn off every lamp and let the Christmas tree light the room. Sit close together on the floor in front of it, hold still and use night mode. It's one of the easiest indoor family Christmas photoshoot ideas because the tree does all the lighting.

• Time needed: 10 minutes
• Cost: Nothing

Best for: Small families and couples.

Why it works: Warm light flatters everyone, and the dark hides the mess.

3. The cookie mess

Bake together in aprons and shoot the middle of it: flour on a nose, a toddler eating sprinkles, a parent pretending to be calm. Shoot from above the counter for a flat-lay of hands and cookies, then step back for faces.

• Time needed: 30 minutes, cookies included
• Cost: The cost of the cookies

Best for: Toddlers and families who bake.

Why it works: Everyone is doing something, so nobody has to fake a smile.

4. The video version (a Tribute group video)

A photo can't fit the whole family when the family lives in six cities. So make the card a video.

Start a Tribute, add your favorite family photo, and invite everyone to record a short "merry Christmas" from wherever they are: the cousins in their kitchen, grandpa from his recliner, the sister at the airport gate. Tribute is a group video maker that turns messages from friends and family into one surprise video. It works by inviting everyone to record a short clip from their phone; Tribute compiles the clips, music and photos into a finished video you share or play together.

Send the link to the whole family on Christmas morning, or play it on the TV at the gathering. Unlike a printed card, it has everyone's voice and face, and nobody has to be online at the same time to record. Over 8 million videos have been sent on Tribute, and it holds 4.9 stars from 7,000+ reviews.

• Time needed: About a minute per person; open it 2 to 3 weeks before so people have time to record
• Cost: Free to start a draft; you pay from $35 when you publish and start collecting videos

Best for: Big or scattered families who never fit in one photo.

Why it works: Everyone is in it, even the ones who couldn't fly home.

👉 Start your holiday Tribute

5. Tree farm walk

An outdoor family Christmas photo at a tree farm almost takes itself. Shoot the family walking away down a row, then turning back, then hauling the tree to the car. Go in the late afternoon for soft light.

• Time needed: An hour, including choosing the tree
• Cost: The cost of the tree

Best for: Active families who cut their own tree.

Why it works: Motion makes kids look natural.

6. Snow day

Sleds, red scarves and a snowball fight in progress. Ask someone to throw snow toward the camera (not at it) for a shot full of flakes. Use burst mode and pick the best frame later.

• Time needed: 20 minutes before toes freeze
• Cost: Nothing

Best for: Snowy towns and kids who need to burn energy.

Why it works: Snow is a backdrop you can't buy.

7. Christmas socks by the fire

Everyone in matching Christmas socks, feet up on the hearth or the coffee table, shot from the toes. Add a dog's paws if you can. Family Christmas socks make a good card for anyone who hates being photographed.

• Time needed: 5 minutes
• Cost: $5 to $10 per pair

Best for: Camera-shy teens and grown-ups.

Why it works: No faces, no complaints.

What are good big family Christmas photo ideas?

Ten or more people need a plan, or someone is always blinking. Big family Christmas photo ideas work when you give the group a shape.

8. Porch stair-step

Use the front steps: grandparents seated in the middle, kids in front, tall people in the back. Mount the phone on a tripod at chest height and use a 10-second timer with burst mode. Take 30 frames and one will have every eye open.

• Time needed: 15 minutes
• Cost: A phone tripod, about $20

Best for: Big families and reunions.

Why it works: The steps put every face at a different height.

9. Grandparents in the middle

Seat the grandparents on the couch and pile the family around them: on the arms, on the floor, leaning over the back. Ask the grandkids to look at the grandparents instead of the camera for the second shot.

• Time needed: 10 minutes
• Cost: Nothing

Best for: Multigenerational gatherings.

Why it works: It shows who the family is built around.

10. Throwback recreation

Find an old Christmas photo from 20 years ago and recreate it: same poses, same couch if you still have it, adult kids now on their parents' laps. Print the two side by side for the card.

• Time needed: 20 minutes, plus a hunt through old albums
• Cost: Nothing

Best for: Adult kids home for the holidays.

Why it works: The side-by-side tells a story no new photo can.

Which fun Christmas photos break the posed-shot rule?

The best photo of the season is often the one nobody planned. Save room on the card, or the fridge, for these.

11. Pets in the picture

Put a bow on the dog and a treat in your hand above the lens. Shoot fast. If the cat refuses, the photo of the cat refusing is the photo.

• Time needed: 10 minutes
• Cost: A bag of treats

Best for: Families whose pets run the house.

Why it works: Pets bring out real laughs from every person in the frame.

12. Tree on the car roof

Strap the tree on the roof and pose around the car, or shoot the kids peeking out of the windows. Compared to a studio portrait, it captures a real day out.

• Time needed: 5 minutes
• Cost: Nothing beyond the tree

Best for: Families who make a trip of getting the tree.

Why it works: It's a picture of a tradition, not a pose.

13. City lights at night

Stand under a lit-up street, a downtown tree or a neighbor's over-the-top display. Put the family close to the camera with the lights far behind them so they blur into soft circles.

• Time needed: 15 minutes
• Cost: Nothing

Best for: Urban families and lights-tour nights.

Why it works: The blur makes a phone photo look professional.

14. The chalkboard sign

Hold a small chalkboard with the year's big news: "We moved." "Twins!" "Max learned to drive (pray for us)." It doubles as a year-in-review card. If you want to go further, our guide to a year in review shows how to turn the year into a video.

• Time needed: 10 minutes
• Cost: $10 for a chalkboard

Best for: Families with news to share.

Why it works: The card answers "what's new?" before anyone asks.

15. Wrapping paper chaos

On Christmas morning, shoot from the doorway before anyone cleans up: kids buried in paper, a parent half-asleep with coffee, a new toy mid-air. No posing allowed.

• Time needed: 2 minutes
• Cost: Nothing

Best for: Families with young kids.

Why it works: It's what Christmas morning looks like.

16. The blooper

Keep the outtake: the sneeze, the toddler escaping, the dad who missed the timer. Put it on the back of the card, or send it as its own card. Picture your aunt flipping the card over and laughing out loud at the kitchen counter.

• Time needed: No extra time; it happens on its own
• Cost: Nothing

Best for: Families who like to laugh at themselves.

Why it works: People remember the funny card.

What should a family wear for Christmas photos?

Here are Christmas photo clothes ideas that look good on a phone screen and in print:

• Pick a palette, not a uniform. Two or three colors (cream, green and red, or navy and camel) look pulled together without matching.
• Use texture. Knits, flannel and corduroy photograph better than flat cotton.
• Skip small patterns. Tiny checks and stripes can shimmer on camera.
• Match the setting. Plaid for the tree farm, pajamas for the stairs, coats and scarves for the snow.
• Dress the youngest last. That way the sweater is still clean when the timer goes off.

Holiday extras add up: in the National Retail Federation's 2025 holiday survey, shoppers planned to spend $262.56 per person on food, candy, decorations and cards. Pull from closets first and buy one matching piece, like socks or a scarf.

What should you write on a family Christmas photo card?

Short lines win. A good caption is something only your family would say. Try one of these:

• "Same couch, more people."
• "Merry Christmas from all of us, and the dog who ate the bow."
• "This year we learned to share the remote."
• "Home is wherever we're all in the same photo."

Looking for longer quotes on Christmas and family? Pair the card with a favorite carol title or your own family motto. Our Christmas caroling guide lists carols in the public domain you can quote.

How do you get the family Christmas photo done without a fight?

Schedule it like an appointment: 20 minutes, after a snack, before anyone is tired. Set up the tripod and timer first, then call everyone in. Give each kid a job (holding the dog, pressing the remote) and a small reward afterward.

Turn it into a game while you shoot, and the smiles get real. Our Christmas games for family list has quick ones, and the Christmas ideas guide has more for the season.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are easy family Christmas photo ideas at home?

Try matching pajamas on the stairs, the tree-light glow, Christmas socks by the fire or a cookie-baking shot. Each needs only a phone, a timer and 10 minutes.

How do you take a family Christmas photo by yourself?

Mount your phone on a tripod, set a 10-second timer and turn on burst mode. Take 20 to 30 frames and choose the one where everyone looks happy.

What colors look best in Christmas family photos?

Choose two or three colors that go together, such as cream, green and red, or navy and camel. Mixed textures like knits and flannel add depth without clashing.

How do you fit a big family in one Christmas photo?

Use steps or a porch, seat the oldest in the middle and put kids in front. Shoot from a little above eye level so faces in the back aren't hidden.

Can you make a video instead of a family Christmas photo?

Yes. A group video lets every relative record a short greeting from their own phone, and the clips are combined into one video you send on Christmas morning.

When should you take family Christmas photos?

Early to mid-November gives you time to print cards. For a video card, open it 2 to 3 weeks before you want to send it so everyone can record.

👉 Start your holiday Tribute and put the whole family in the picture, even the ones far away.