• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Cocktails
  • Dessert
  • Appetizers
  • Parties
  • Shop

Cupcakes and Cutlery logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cocktails
  • Entertaining
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cocktails
    • Entertaining
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Entertaining » Holidays » Super Cute Holiday Photo Garland DIY Gift Idea

    Published: Oct 15, 2022 · Updated: Oct 15, 2022 by Sharon Garofalow | This post may contain affiliate links. See the privacy policy linked in my footer.

    Super Cute Holiday Photo Garland DIY Gift Idea

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Photos of kids strung as a garland hanging from a mantle for the holidays.

    Create an original and unique holiday photo garland DIY this Christmas using pictures of your kids! It's a beautiful (and simple) way to show off your darling family.

    DIY holiday garland made with kids' photos hung from a mantle.

    This homemade photo banner DIY is a super cute Christmas decoration and makes a great gift idea for family members!

    Homemade gifts are so fun to give this time of year. And personalizing them with photos makes them extra special. This is one of my favorite picture gift ideas!

    Jump to:
    • Why This Craft Works
    • Supplies
    • How to Make a Photo Garland
    • A DIY Photo Gift For Any Holiday
    • Related Posts
    • Photo Garland DIY

    Why This Craft Works

    I live for crafts that are easy and can be used as a decoration and a gift idea.

    Photo gifts are always a great idea, especially at the holidays! And this photo banner is such a fun way to dress up any space for the holidays. 

    I gave these to the grandmothers a few years ago and it's so much fun to see them hanging in their homes every holiday. 

    Garlands, in general, are a simple way to decorate, no matter what time of year.

    So turning one into a personalized gift, with photos of your kids, is such a great sentimental gift idea. Pair it with a winter garland for a cool look that you can reuse year after year.

    The best part about this DIY photo garland is that you can easily make several of them at once!

    Just grab your supplies, print out your photos, and string them together! 

    Plus it's even easier to make than Photo Balloons!

    An overhead shot of pine branches and a package with a printable sheet on top of it next to text.

    Hang them in your house, next to some snowflake balloons and you're house will feel super festive!

    And all of this can be done while watching Hallmark movies. If you're into that kind of thing. And I totally am.

    Supplies

    Printed photos on a table next to string and a hole punch.

    To make this easy do-it-yourself photo gift, you just need to take photos of your kids with letters (I'll tell you how to do this below!) and get them printed.

    Once you have those ready, you need a hole punch, some sting and scissors.

    Washi or paper tape makes attaching it to a wall really easy.

    How to Make a Photo Garland

    There are two ways to make this. The first way is if you have a little bit of photo editing background. My skills are minimal at best so I tried to keep this as easy as possible.

    But there is an alternate method, using a free Canva photo garland template I made. Use which method you feel most comfortable with!

    1. Take the Photos

    To make the photos perfect for the DIY holiday garland, there are a few things to keep in mind.

    If you can, try to use natural lighting. It is so flattering on the face and will mean you have to do less editing. 

    Turn off overhead lights which tend to cast a yellowish glow. And if you can at all help it, DON'T USE THE FLASH!

    Using a flash will add more shadows on the backdrop and make everything look stark. 

    Create a photo backdrop

    I used red and white striped wrapping paper and taped it to a wall in our house. I love stripes and thought it would work well. 

    Or, use a plain white wall and dress your kids in a striped t-shirt.

    You can also invest in a more expensive vinyl background but I discovered the wrapping paper works really well. 

    The pattern doesn't have to be striped but it keeps the photos looking really colorful and crisp. A holiday pattern might get lost and look busy.

    Dress the Kids

    I picked up plain, long sleeve green and white T-shirts for the boys to wear. I wanted something plain so the letters would show up really well. 

    If you are looking for something more formal, you could try a polo shirt or even a plain button-up shirt. 

    Especially if you use a busy background, you'll want the shirts to be basic. 

    Use a Tripod

    I set my camera up on a tripod to keep the photos consistent.

    If you don't have a big fancy camera, your phone will work fine. This is the tripod I use with my phone. 

    I framed the photo making sure that you couldn't see the edges of the paper backdrop.

    I set the camera, based on one kid at a time, and then shot all their images back to back. That keeps everything the framing uniform. I took tons of photos to ensure I had enough to choose from before moving on to the next kid.

    I just had to move the tripod a little for him, but everything stayed in focus and still with the tripod. 

    The holiday picture garland idea looks the best when it feels organized. I left a little extra space above their heads in the photos to allow for room for the string and holes.

    Encourage the Fun

    Let the kids go to town with cute smiles and funny faces.

    Ask them to do silly poses, serious poses, and anything that brings out their personality!

    One child gave a good face for the camera. The other barely allowed me to photograph him. Isn't that always the way?

    If you don't have the time or energy to do a photoshoot, you can use any photos you may already have of your kids.

    Close up of a personalized photo garland with kids and letters.

    2. Edit the Photos

    Even if you aren't a professional photographer, it's easy to make photos look their best.

    Use a program (on your phone or desktop) to make a few small tweaks.

    If you have a Mac, you can edit right in Photos. Or use a free editing app on your phone (I like Snapsneed). 

    Many of the programs use sliders so it's easy to make changes and see what you are changing as you are doing it. And most programs have an "auto" which may look good.

    Just make sure all the photos look as similar as possible.

    *You could also use the cute holiday pictures you've taken in the past and add letter to them!

    Lighten the Photos

    Usually, adding a little extra brightness really helps a photo to look better.

    Then bring up the shadows. This will help to make everything look more even depending on where your light source was. 

    Do what your eyes like best. If all else fails, you can always reset and leave them as they started.

    And, since you have all these cute photos, why not put a photo on a balloon?!

    Plan the DIY Picture Banner Layout

    Figure out what you want the holiday photo banner to say first.

    Make a note of how many letters are in the words and think about how you will hang the banner.

    Next, look at your photos and plan out the order you want to use. I have two kids so I alternated them. 

    Add the Lettering

    Adding the wording is really easy to do with a free program like Canva or PicMonkey.

    Most of the programs work with layers so you will use the photos as the bottom layer and then add a letter as a layer above.

    You'll work one photo at a time and save it as it's own file when it's done. 

    If you're too nervous to try your hand at editing, you can ask your kids to take pictures holding up each letter in "Happy Holidays". 

    Or you can use stick-on letters to create the wording. 

    3. Print the Photos

    Most people can now print photos right on their home computers. Use a matte photo paper. A matte finish works best and has less reflection from lights.

    I prefer to have them printed for me at a place like Shutterfly.

    I like the weight of the photo paper they use. It will also help to make the photo banner reusable year after year. 

    Walgreens, Costco and Walmart are other places I've printed photos. You will have as many copies printed of each photo as the number of finished banners you want to make.

    A holiday garland made from photos hanging from a mantle.

    Optional: Free Canva Template

    Image showing a free Canva template for making a photo garland.

    In case the idea of editing images freaks you out, I created this quick photo garland template in Canva (you just need a free account to use it!).

    Click here for the Photo Garland Template

    The first page has quick instructions but basically, once you upload photos of your kids, you just drag them and drop them into the garland template. Then just move the letters around to where they fit best in the photo.

    Printing out the images from Canva will use a bit of your printer ink. If you plan on making a few of these, I suggest having the photos printed to save money.

    4. Putting it All Together

    1. I used a hole puncher to make holes in the top two corners of each photo.
    2. Layout the photos on the ground to see what order they need to go in.
    3. Start with the last photo first, and put the end of the string through the first hole and back out the second hole, so the majority of the string will end up behind the photo. (See image above).

    This lets the photos be the star of the holiday garland and not be covered by the extra string. It sounds so much more difficult than it really is!

    The DIY photo garland for holiday is ready to be displayed and gifted! 

    I love this because the kid's personalities really come through in these photos.

    Using the holiday colors makes it festive and perfect for the holiday season. 

    Candy cane martinis on a table with text next to it.

    5. Hang it our Wrap it Up

    You're going to want one of these for yourself so make sure you print several copies of each of the photos. 

    If you're wrapping it up as a gift, carefully string the photos making sure to leave some slack in the string so you can accordion fold the photos together.

    Then put the holiday photo gift in a bag or box and add whatever festive touches you want. 

    A DIY Photo Gift For Any Holiday

    This cute holiday photo garland DIY is a fun decoration and Christmas gift idea for close friends and family. If you're looking for fun photo garland ideas, this one can actually work for any holiday or special occasion.

    If you don't want it to be Christmas-themed, you can change up the colors of the shirts and backdrop.

    You can change up the message in photo editing and even make each recipient's gift different. 

    Need birthday garland ideas? This is a great DIY for that too. And how awesome would this be for a teacher's birthday using pics of the kids in the class?!

    It's also perfect for a baby shower, bridal shower, anniversary, or retirement. It's super versatile and sentimental.

    And if you don't want to make your own, you can buy some cute photo garlands!

    Related Posts

    • Candy Trains for Christmas
    • Homemade Christmas Ornaments
    • Holiday Room Spray with Essential Oils
    • Printable Labels for Holiday Room Spray
    • DIY Balloon Chandlier
    • Photo Booth Props for New Year's Eve

    Photo Garland DIY

    This easy tutorial for making a Photo Garland is fun for the holidays or any other special occasion. Because it uses photos of your kids, it makes it a great gift idea for friends and family. But it's also a cute decoration!
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Course: Craft / DIY
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Photo Printing: 2 days days
    Total Time: 2 days days 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1 photo garland
    Author: Sharon Garofalow

    Equipment

    • 1 Scissors
    • 1 Hole Punch

    Ingredients

    • 14 photos of your kids
    • 3 feet string

    Instructions

    • Decide which method you want to use. Do you want to have photos printed or use my free Canva template that you can download here: Canva Template
    • Take photos of your kids (consider buying a plain t-shirt for them to wear and posing them in front of holiday wrapping paper taped to the wall for an easy backdrop). Try to take them in natural light.
    • Edit the photos. (Add some brightness or use "auto").

    Method 1: Getting Photos Printed

    • Use a design program to add one letter to each photo.
    • Have the photos printed online or your local photo developing center. This may add a few days onto the total time to create the garland.

    Method 2: Use Canva Template

    • Upload edited images to Canva and drag and drop them onto the template.
    • Move around the letters on the template where they look the best.
    • Print out the banner on cardstock and cut out each image.

    To string the banner

    • Add a punched hole to each top corner.
    • Lace them onto a long piece of string to create a garland.

    Notes

    I like to get the photos printed with a matte finish for a less DIY look. 
    Printing out the images on cardstock will use up a lot of your printer ink. If you plan on making a lot of these, you may want to have the photos printed to save money in the long run. 
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @CupcakesCutlery or tag #cupcakescutlery!

    This post was originally published in December of 2015 and has now been updated with better instructions so you can make these perfectly every time.

    More Holidays

    • Close up of a glass of mulled wine garnished with a orange wheel and a star anise.
      Holiday Spiced Wine Recipe (Mulled Wine)
    • Top down image of a thanksgiving table full of plates, glasses and small pumpkins.
      Friendsgiving Playlist with Cool Vibes
    • Friendsgiving Menu Ideas to Wow Your Guests
    • Collage of party ideas for hosting Friendsgiving.
      Easy Stress Free Friendsgiving Ideas for a Pinterest Worthy Party

    Click to share!

    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Yummly
    • Flipboard
    • Mix

    About Sharon Garofalow

    Sharon lives in Southern California with her adorable family. She loves to share ideas to make mom life easier and encourage busy gals to make time for themselves too! Sharon's "me" time often includes watching Hallmark Channel movies, sipping sauvignon blanc, trying not to eat Salt and Pepper potato chips, and planning girlfriend getaways.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Julie Blanner says

      December 24, 2013 at 10:31 am

      I love this! Pinning to BHG!

      Reply
      • Sharon Garofalow says

        January 02, 2014 at 7:59 am

        Thanks Julie!! Hope you had a great holiday!

        Reply
    2. Kristin says

      December 18, 2013 at 3:34 pm

      OMG love this idea!!

      Reply
    3. Melissa says

      December 16, 2013 at 11:11 am

      This is too cute!!

      Reply
    4. Jill says

      December 11, 2013 at 8:07 am

      I love love love love this. And now I want it too.

      Reply
    5. Tammy Mendoza says

      December 10, 2013 at 8:57 am

      OMG I love this !!! Totally doing it :)

      Reply
      • Sharon Garofalow says

        December 12, 2013 at 1:15 pm

        You should! Your photos would be AMAZING!!!!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Welcome!
    I'm your go-to for easy, no-fuss party recipes. After hosting countless get-togethers and teaching myself to make cocktails at home, I'm sharing my secrets for how to mix drinks with ease (no bartender skills or fancy tools needed!). Plus learn my stress-free party shortcuts and favorite crowd-pleasing recipes. Email me at [email protected]

    More about Sharon →

    Posts about wine, liquor and/or cocktail recipes are expressly for people 21 years of age and older. Drink responsibly.

    It's never too early for Halloween

    • A hand holding a piece of Halloween bark made from white chocolate and red icing to look like blood splatters.
      Bloody Halloween Bark Recipe with White Chocolate
    • Green Halloween cocktail in a mason jar surrounded by plastic spiders.
      Halloween Cocktail Recipe with Tequila (Halloween Margarita)
    • Close up of a black Vodka Punch for Halloween in a glass pitcher.
      Creepy Halloween Vodka Punch Recipe [Alcoholic Black Punch]
    • Halloween dump cake topped with pretzels and candy bars in a glass dish.
      Chocolatey Halloween Dump Cake Recipe With Candy Bars

    Reader Favorites

    • Close up of a bundt cake with powdered sugar on it on a table.
      Easy 2-Ingredient Soda Cake Recipe
    • Close up of frosting in a bowl.
      The Best Quick and Easy Cool Whip Frosting Recipe
    • White baking dish with Strawberry Jello dessert with a small plate holding a serving in front of it on a table.
      Easy Strawberry, Jello and Angel Food Cake Dessert Recipe
    • Close up of dried beef cheese ball next to crackers
      Dried Beef Cheese Ball Recipe For Your Next Party

    Newest Posts

    • Top down image of a pineapple angel food dump cake in a pan, and a slice with fresh strawberries on a plate.
      Absurdly Easy Angel Food Pineapple Dump Cake Recipe
    • Close up of a plate with 4 cookies stacked on top of each other.
      Apple Cookies Recipe with Butterscotch Chips
    • glass of haus spritzer on a serving tray
      Lemon Lavender Spritz Recipe (Haus Spritz)
    • Close up of a bottle on a table with a cocktail served in a wine glass next to it.
      Yummy Strawberry Basil Cocktail with Haus
    Text - Shop Now, Shop my Amazon! with food in serving dishes on a counter in a kitchen.

    Affiliate Link Disclosure

    Cupcakes and Cutlery is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Read my full disclosure policy.

    This site generates income via ads.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Accessibility Policy
    • CCPA
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work With Me

    © 2008-2022 CUPCAKES & CUTLERY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.