How to Make Photo Christmas Gifts

Photo gifts are unique, thoughtful and sentimental gifts to give. In fact, photo Christmas gifts make perfect holiday gifts for family and friends. Photo Christmas gifts are also great to use as promotional business gifts or as a group gift. They are perfect for a class to give a teacher, a church to give a pastor or a group of employers to give to a boss. From calendars to coffee mugs, there are photo gifts that will really work for everyone. To make a photo Christmas gift, follow these steps.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• High resolution image

1. Decide what you'd like to do with your photo. You can put a photo on almost anything. Mouse pads, calendars, coffee mugs and t-shirts are popular items to have photos transferred onto. You can also place a photo into a Christmas ornament or a frame.

2. Coordinate your photo shoot. You'll want to set a time and place to have your photo taken. Some people prefer to go to a photo studio and get a professional portrait taken while others like to take less formal candid photos. Whichever route you decide to go, be sure that everyone knows the details for the photo shoot and that a good digital camera is used.

3. Choose the photo that you like best. Select the photo that best suits your needs. A clear, crisp photo with an uncluttered background will work best. Be sure your image is high resolution.

4. Secure a digital image of your photo. You'll want to have a file of your photo that you can use for printing or for uploading. You can usually get a copy of your photo stored on a CD which will allow you to upload it to your computer easily.

5. Visit an online retailer or a store to create your gift. Shutterfly and Snapfish are two online retailers that have a wide selection of photo gifts to choose from. You can create an album, t-shirt or coffee mug at either of these sites. Wal-mart, Ritz Photo and other stores that do photo processing also usually have a wide selection of items that you can have your photo transferred onto.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want a less expensive gift, opt for placing your photo in a frame. You can find discount frames or frames on sale at many department stores. You can also purchase specialty paper that will allow you to print your photo and iron it on to a fabric gift.
• Be sure to preview your item before you order. You want to be sure your photo is centered and not cropped.

Resources

• Shutterly Website
• Snapfish Website

[photoflurry]

on 10/29/2009 www.photoflurry.com is a good source for photo mugs.