DIY Baby Christmas Pictures at Home: Props, Tips and Examples

How to do Your Own Baby Christmas Photoshoot

Can you DIY your own baby Christmas photoshoot?

Absolutely!

So you want to capture the perfect Christmas photos of your baby that you can proudly share on social media, use for Christmas cards and many other custom creations?

We can never have too many pictures of our baby, right?!

In this diy at home baby Christmas photoshoot tutorial, you’re going to find simple tips to help you easily capture the most magical baby Christmas pictures you’ll want to display in every room of your house!

This post may contain affiliate links. Full disclosures here.

How to Get the Lighting Right

Lighting is the first topic we should cover in this DIY baby Christmas photoshoot tutorial.

The right lighting plays a very (if not most) important roll to how successful the end result of your at home photoshoot with baby will be.

With that being said, pay special attention to the lighting in the room when assessing where to set up your DIY photoshoot.

Take Note: Natural light is always best.

With this in mind, try and choose an indoor space where there is plenty of soft, natural light. Avoid harsh beams and sun streaks if possible.

Simple Photo-Taking Tips for best lighting:

Turn baby into the light for a well lit front-facing photo. You will see this example in the first picture idea below.
Have the light angle down your baby’s face at a 45 degree angle (never up).
Place the light source behind your baby if you want a more dramatic and under-exposed feel to the photo. You will see this tip at work in the “Christmas lights” photo below.

If you really get into DIY home photoshoots with your little ones (like I have) and you want to upgrade the process, I recommend investing in a ring light, like this one I bought at Amazon.

Use The Bokeh Effect

If you are using an iPhone to capture your baby’s Christmas photos, you will want to take special notes on these next tips.

Portrait setting on the newer versions of iPhones is amazing for helping to make your DIY photos look professional!

The reason I really like portrait mode for iPhone photography is because of the blurred background it creates. This effect is called bokeh and it’s commonly seen in professional photography.

If your cell phone camera does not have an option to achieve bokeh, you can find apps like Bokeh lens that will do the trick for you.

DIY Baby Christmas Pictures Props

Now that we have covered the important tips for baby Christmas photoshoots at home, let’s get a list of what props you need to make the magic happen.

I’ll be linking to some unique and must-have baby Christmas photo props from Amazon and Etsy for your shopping convenience.

It goes without saying, the first must have prop is of course a Santa hat.

If you don’t have one lying around the house, here is a super-soft Santa made just for babies at Amazon.

Here are a few more important props for DIY baby Christmas pictures:

String of Christmas Lights
Beaded Christmas Garland
Wrapped Christmas Gifts
Christmas Ornament
Christmas Trees

Also check out this Etsy link for unique and amazing Christmas photoshoot props, such as wooden slays!

A letter board is also a fun prop option for any DIY photos. You can put baby’s name, age or something silly, sweet or clever.

You might like this rustic farmhouse letter board Amazon carries.

Set Up and Backdrops

Are you wondering how to set up your DIY Christmas photoshoot with baby so you don’t have awkward or distracting backgrounds you will later despise?

One HUGE advantage of doing a photoshoot like this at home, is that you might already have the best backdrop available – a Christmas tree with lights!

However, if you want to switch things up, try these options for backdrops as well:

Hang a sheet, blanket, rug or quilt in the background. Or, have someone hold it up.
Put baby in front of something in your home that is solid wood.
Find a nice white wall and clear it of any decor or furniture you don’t want in the shot.

Maybe you want to start taking ALL of your family’s photos at home. If so, you may want to invest in a backdrop stand, like this one you can snag at Amazon.

Once you have the stand, you can purchase inexpensive backgrounds in any theme or color you can imagine!

I love this one for baby Christmas photos, also available at Amazon.

Baby Christmas Outfits

Here is where the options are endless!

I’m sure you probably don’t need me to tell you what outfit your baby should wear for their Christmas photoshoot. So instead, I’ll be helpful and lead you to some sweet options I found on Etsy.

They even have newborn Christmas outfits that are just too precious! My favorite is the little soft knitted Mrs. Clause outfit!

Speaking of newborns, I also have a DIY newborn photos at home tutorial you might also love!

When it comes to buying on Etsy, here’s a reminder that most things can be embroidered with your little one’s name, I love that touch of personalization.

Amazon also has some Christmas baby outfits as well, here is a link to look at those if you’re interested to see what they have.

Trouble seeing the photos? Try refreshing the page.

DIY Baby Christmas Poses Ideas

Are you ready to see some baby Christmas picture ideas and poses with the props and backdrops we already talked about? They are coming right up!

But first, a quick reminder that the photos you are about to see where all taken with an iPhone 7 plus at my home.

I hope you get majorly inspired to rock out your own DIY Christmas photoshoot with your baby this year!

Psssst… See an image you love? Save it on Pinterest for later!

Baby in Santa Hat

The above photo is your quintessential baby’s first Christmas photo.

You see the bright pops of red and green, the Santa hat and a glistening Christmas tree in the background. This holiday photo of baby is the perfect way to capture Christmas is one shot!

Give your baby a beaded “necklace” like I did and they’ll be content playing with it for as long as you need!

What you’ll need to pull this photo off:

Christmas Tree
Christmas Throw or Blanket
Santa Hat
String of Beads
A Christmas Outfit for Baby

Are you excited to start some holiday traditions with baby? See this post all about Baby’s first Christmas and how to make it as magical and memorable as possible!

Cropped and Up Close

You can see how I intentionally cropped this photo of my baby with a present to give it a more editorial feel.

Doing this simple technique is often over-looked when taking photos of your baby at home, but it can really add a professional feel.

Plus, taking the pressure off of your baby to perform for every shot you want to get can make the experience much more laid back and fun!

What you need for this cropped and up close Christmas photo:

Christmas Outfit
Big Present
Someone’s help to hold the present for baby outside of the frame.

Baby with Christmas Lights

This DIY baby Christmas picture idea is probably one of my absolute favorites!

My baby loved playing with these lights, it actually ended up being a great sensory activity!

How to pull it off:

Place your baby a few feet in front of a light source, this will achieve the under-exposed effect that will help the lights glow. Or, you can wait until it’s a little darker in the house.

However, I don’t recommend letting your surroundings get too dark to where you need to use the flash.

You can also place baby in front of a lit Christmas tree on a festive blanket or even in a cute basket (if they aren’t quite sitting up on their own yet) and get creative with a hat or bloomers.

Plug in the lights and let your baby be his or her adorable self!

PSSST…Make sure to check the lights after a couple of minutes and regularly incase they start to get hot!

Take Note: You do not have to wait until it is dark outside to achieve this “baby with glowing Christmas lights” photo. This particular shot was taken in the early afternoon and we still managed to get the glowing effect.

Baby Under the Christmas Tree

How adorable and unique is this shot!?

I don’t think your baby will have any opposition to laying under a bright and colorful Christmas tree. However, the family cat will probably be a little envious!

This Christmas baby photo idea took seconds to snap and is one of my favorites! It always works that way doesn’t it?

To recreate this photo, make sure you are standing directly over baby and pay special attention to how the camera is focusing.

Important Tip: They key to recreating this photos – is that you want the focus to be on your baby while the tree is slightly out of focus.

If you like a particular shot, but notice too much of the tree is in focus, use the bokeh app to blur some of it out a bit!

Baby with Christmas Ornaments

One word for this photo, precious.

Sadly, half of the ornament is missing from the shot, but this one was most in focus so I went with it!

Which leads me to the moral of the story, when it comes to DIY baby photography – not every shot will or needs to be perfect.

By the way, if you really love themed baby photoshoots, then you might love the Baby Booth Box subscription.

Every month they send you a different and amazing box full of themed props to do a baby photoshoot with!

Check them out here and take a look at the Harry Potter themed box they offer!

How to Edit Your DIY Baby Christmas Photos

The last step in nailing your DIY baby Christmas photoshoot and making your photos look professional, is the editing.

I like to keep editing fairly simple.

Usually, minimal corrections need to be done in order to make the right enhancements.

When it comes to editing a picture of your baby, having a light hand works best.

The last thing you want to do is wash out your baby’s delicate skin tone or worse yet, make them look harsh.

Best App for Editing Baby Photos

Recently, my go-to editing app has been Adobe Lightroom.

I love this app because you can get professional looking photos very easily.

I typically only need to make a few small adjustments with their settings to get beautifully edited photos. Here is a link for free baby Lightroom presets you might want to give a try.

Do you want to capture your baby’s first fall? See these fall baby picture ideas next!

Let’s Wrap it Up

There you have it, 5 darling DIY baby Christmas picture ideas you can do at home and with your iPhone!

I hope you feel excited about getting creative and capturing some or all of these photo ideas for your baby’s first Christmas!

My Top Baby Photography Tips Recap:

Try the bokeh effect that will set your photo apart from the rest.
Choose the best spot in your house for natural light and always have your baby facing that light.
Avoid bright and sunny spots that will create harsh contrast in your photos.
Edit your photos with a light hand and make small changes that will beautifully enhance them.

You Might Also Love: 10 DIY Maternity Photos You can do with Your iPhone, at Home and Outside