Now that Jorge and I are parents, the more I think about more family things to do.

The holidays are right around the corner and the question of whether we’re going to get our holiday photo cards done professionally has popped in my head. First off, do we hire a photographer or do we do it ourselves? Then do we go through a professional service to get our photos printed? How much will all of these things cost?

With us in the process of moving and getting our new place furnished, the stress of doing all that is not something I want to go through. Then I thought deep and hard about this, and a light bulb lit up! This may sound a bit contradictory to what I just said about the move, but I think I can really pull this off by doing everything myself! With a little help of course, from my husband, and my trusty friend Polaroid! It really isn’t that hard, and I love that I will be saving a couple hundred bucks! Today, I’ll show you how I did it! #PolaroidPartner

WHAT YOU NEED:

A camera - this doesn’t have to be a DSLR, but if you have one, the better your photos will turn out! Using a 50mm lens will help achieve that beautiful blurred out background.
Polaroid POP Instant Digital Camera- if you don’t have a camera, don’t worry! You can get a Polaroid POP which is a camera and a photo printer in one! This is a great holiday present for yourself and your loved ones who love taking photos for memories!
Holiday themed outfits - Think reds, greens, whites! If you want to be extra cute, try matching Christmas onesies, or matching plaids! Really, whatever you think “holiday” looks like, wear it!
A nice background - For our holiday photos, we opted for a beautiful yet basic green tree from around our neighborhood! I suggest that you try to find a spot before all the leaves fall. Again, think holiday, Christmas, happy, bright, love! Try to find these elements and your background would look amazing! PRO TIP: Try to shoot during golden hour (a few hours before sunset) for that beautiful warm tones!
A tripod - Last but certainly not least, a tripod. If you have nobody else to take your family photos, a tripod will be your best friend.

HOW TO TAKE THE PHOTOS:

Make sure your family is all dressed up for this photoshoot before going to the location. Depending on where you live, taking these photos could be really cold, so dress accordingly especially if you have little ones with you.
Pose yourselves in front of your background, but have someone, preferably the “photographer” in the family, set up the camera and tripod. This person will make sure everyone’s in frame, and that everything looks great for the photo. This person will also be responsible for taking the picture. Doing a self-timed shot is essential so just make sure everyone says cheese during countdown.
For a fun twist, use the Polaroid Pop Digital Camera to take the photos! It can also record videos and create gifs! You can instantly print photos right then and there! You can also add words and cute stickers on the photos to make them even more personal!
Edit photos before printing. I feel like nowadays, anyone can enhance their photos whether through Lightroom, their phone apps, and even through the Polaroid Pop camera! Doing this will help make your photos look extra beautiful and ready for printing!

HOW TO CREATE YOUR HOLIDAY CARDS:

Now that you have all the photos to send to your family and friends, this is the easy part! One easy way to send the cards is to buy a bulk of holiday cards from the store and just slip in your photos printed from your Polaroid Pop. But if you want to make things really personalized, buy some paper and blank cards of your preference from your closest craft store. Write your holiday message and include the beautiful holiday photos you took and printed from your Polaroid Pop.

Here are the features of the Polaroid Pop Digital Camera:

20MP Instant Print Digital Camera Lets You Snap 3.5" x 4.25" Pictures & Print On the Spot with Iconic Polaroid Border

No Printer, Computer or Ink Required
Use the Super Intuitive 3.97" Touchscreen= Display to Frame and Shoot Everything from Fantastical Landscapes to Flattering Selfie
No More Shaking & Flapping Waiting for Faces to Appear! Zero Ink Technology Prints Vibrant Color Photos with Plenty of Room to Get Creative
Unleash Your Imagination & Customize Your Memories with Pretty Filters, Fun Borders, Silly Stickers, Emoji's, Captions & Other Flair
Enjoy All the Perks of a Modern Digital Camera Including 1080p/720p HD Video with Built-In Microphone & Speaker

Using the smartphone app, you’re also able to print out the photos from your phone. You can also download a bunch more stickers through there! If you edit photos on your computer, simply transfer the photos to your phone to print.

PRO TIP:

You can change the colors of the printed photos before printing them, depending on how you want your photos to turn out. I usually like my photos warm, so I messed around with the colors a little. See example above!
You can print more than one photo! To make your life faster, you can easily print several copies of your favorite photo! Pick your best holiday shot, change the number of copies you need, and hit print! It’s super easy!

Thank you so much Polaroid for working with me on this fun project!

I truly enjoyed, and I’m so so excited for more DIYs I can create incorporating my cute Polaroid Pop instant digital camera! What fun ideas do you have using this awesome camera? Let me know your thoughts below!

But, before you go, visit Polaroid’s page for their 12 days of DIY and join the giveaway for over $300 worth of Polaroid goodies!!!

WIN $300 WORTH OF POLAROID GOODIES HERE