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Tis the season for funny Christmas cards. Do you have your design for 2022 picked out yet?
Here are some Christmas card templates to help kick start your planning process, plus some ideas on funny poses and messages to make this year’s snail mail the silliest yet.
Funny Christmas Photo Ideas
A picture is worth a thousand words, so it makes sense that a fair amount of funny Christmas card ideas start with a picture. From silly candids to posed photos that include Fido and Fluffy, here are some setups and suggestions that will help you generate great content and plenty of laughs from your friends and family.
Funny Family Christmas Photos
Planning funny Christmas card photos featuring family members? Hilarity starts at home, but you can also take your camera and family on the road for photos that will be treasured (and giggled over) for years to come.
1. The Family that Stole Christmas
Feeling a bit bah humbug? Or maybe your family members are just top fans of anything Grinch. Whether you’re Seuss devotees or just love the sing-song atmosphere of good old Whoville, you can use your funny photoshoot as an opportunity to pay tribute to the big green guy. Have someone dress up as the Grinch, give the family dog a pair of antlers to represent Max, and everyone else can be funny-haired Whos.
2. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Time to bring a classic song to life! Dress Dad up as Santa and have him “steal” a smooch from Mommy while the kids look around the corner in faux shock. Extra points if you can get the littlest kiddos to giggle, and even more points if you use your fully decorated tree and a stuffed Santa bag as your backdrop for your funny Christmas photo.
3. Christmas at the Beach
If you live in a warmer climate where the holidays come with sand castles and suntans instead of snowstorms and icicles, use the beach as your funny photo inspiration.
Take the kids to the beach and bury them up to their ears. Other options include the kids burying the parents, or the whole family stretched out on towels while wearing arm floaties, white zinc sunblock on their noses, and other silly beach accessories.
4. Elf on the Shelf Mayhem
The Elf on the Shelf is a relatively recent phenomenon that sees parents buying an unruly elf and posing the little imp in various funny and compromising situations. One day he might be using a tiny fishing pole to catch mini marshmallows in a hot cocoa pond. The next day your elf might be “caught” wearing a slice of leftover pizza as a dress.
Choose a funny scene starring your elf, then pose your family picture as everybody discovering the elf at the same time. Make sure there’s a variety of expressions ranging from amused to shocked, just to amp up the funny factor.
5. Daddy the Beleaguered Christmas Light Wrangler
Every year, at least one parent gets tangled up in the lights they’re supposed to be unpacking and hanging up. Capture that funny family moment on film (or recreate it just for the laughs), and maybe add in a couple carefully hung ornaments and gift tags just because.
6. Family Baking Day Gone Wrong
Put everyone into the kitchen with aprons on and whisks in their hands. Then let the flour fly. No, really. Cover the countertop or kitchen island in flour, sprinkles, icing, eggshells, and whatever other baking debris you can conjure up.
Keep the poses lighthearted — no scolding whoever flung the flour first — and it’s perfectly okay to taste test any icing still left in the bowl.
7. The Last Time You all Skated
Is it true that the family that celebrates their non-athletic nature together will stay together? Not everyone is cut out for life on the ice. Stage a photo that sees the whole family sprawled out on the ice rink after an apparent (but totally risk-free) spin out.
You can tweak the same idea to work around a ski trip, too. Set yourselves up at the ski lodge, with your equipment perfectly clean and piled up next to you as the family skips the exertion and fills up on hot cider and freshly baked cookies instead.
8. Embrace the Cheese Factor
There’s something brilliantly cheesy about Christmas photos that riff off the too-perfect, too-poised family photos of yore. Put your family in matching preppy outfits (think big bow ties, pearls over turtleneck sweaters, and extra fluffy hair), and be sure to dress up your pets too. Try to use a Glamour Shots-style background with bright colors and paste on your biggest, goofiest smile. Perfection!
Funny Couples Christmas Photos
Looking specifically for funny Christmas cards for 2022 that center on you and your partner? These ideas are just about the two of you — and maybe a few goofy props.
1. What if Santa and Mrs. Claus Went to Prom?
Dress up as Santa and Mrs. Claus, stand in front of a roaring fireplace or glitzy Christmas tree, and assume the corny-yet-sweet prom pose. You know the one: Face each other, hands on your partner’s shoulders or hips, then angle yourselves slightly toward the camera. Big, cheesy smiles required.
2. Pseudo-Spontaneous Snowball Fight
Make the most of the winter weather and have yourselves a snowball fight. Your attire can be anything from jeans and festive sweaters to ski suits — the more over the top you are, the more hilarious the resulting pictures will be.
If you have real snow, just head outside with your photographer and let the icy projectiles fly. If you’re in a warmer area, you can order faux snow online and create your own North Pole-inspired wonderland.
3. Ugly Sweaters for Two
Step one: Make or buy two ugly Christmas sweaters. They’re fairly easy to DIY using cheap sweaters or sweatshirts (thrift stores are perfect for this) decorated with glitter, ornaments, and other tidbits sourced from the dollar store or your own craft closet.
Couples should strike a typical loved-up pose and let the ugly sweaters be the star of the show. Or you can pair your totally awesome attire with an equally awesome activity, like holiday hula-hooping (wrap the hoops in garland or lights first) or making snow angels.
4. Recreate a Classic Christmas Movie Scene
Attention, cinephiles! This funny Christmas photo idea is for you.
Pick a top scene from one of your famous Christmas movies and recreate it as part of your photoshoot.
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Make the hands-on-face expression Macaulay Culkin made famous in the original Home Alone
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Wear tiny green elf hats and down spaghetti like Will Ferrell in Elf
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Scribble funny notes or quotes on oversized cue cards à la Love Actually and hold your message up as you pose for the camera
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One of you transforms into a Who from Whoville and the other person gets to cover themselves in Grinchy green paint
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Poke fun at time-honored gift-giving tropes by putting a big bow on a vacuum cleaner and having one person look ridiculously proud of this “gift”, while the proposed recipient looks more than a little unimpressed…
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Stage a pretend fight with the two of you playing tug-of-war over the famous A Christmas Story leg lamp
5. Long Distance Love
Being separated by several states or even a whole ocean can be daunting, especially around the holidays. Luckily, there’s a way you and your long-distance love can still costar in a funny Christmas card photo. All you need is the right technology.
Set up a Zoom or FaceTime call and take a screenshot of the screen-in-screen image that shows up while you chat. You can coordinate outfits, share a virtual toast, or make funny faces. Play with different poses to see what makes you laugh the hardest — that’s the image friends and family are most likely to get a kick out of too.
What to Write on a Funny Christmas Card
Now that you’ve got a few silly photos to choose from, it’s time to come up with some funny Christmas card messages for family and friends.
Surprise loved ones with a pun-filled message, Dad joke, or humorous update on a traditional Christmas greeting, poem, or song lyric. Try to match the message to your photo. For instance, the first entry on the list below might work best if your funny couple photo features you and your sweetheart sharing a bottle of Cabernet while attempting to decorate a very gaudy Christmas tree.
Be mindful of who will receive your funny Christmas cards, and adjust your tone and content accordingly.
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It’s the most wine-derful time of the year!
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Nothing’s as cool as a snowball fight during Yule.
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What do you think of our “elfie”?
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He’s making a list, it’s chicken and rice. (for a photo featuring your very food-motivated dog)
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We’re getting in the Christmas spirit. Do you want tequila or whiskey?
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Rudolph’s nose is red, some twinkling lights are blue, we love everything about Christmas, and we also love you!
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All we want for Christmas is… an all-expenses paid trip to Europe. Head’s up, Santa!
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It’s beginning to cost a lot like Christmas (which is why this card is the only present we’re sending out this year!)
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Life is short. Eat all the cookies!
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Santa might not understand you, but you’ll always be on our nice list.
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This card is as “socially interactive” as we’re getting this year.
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Sleighing it! (alongside your best selfie, of course)
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Santa caught us. We’re not sorry.
You can craft Christmas messages that relate to certain situations, too. For instance, “We made a list this year. 1. Make hot cocoa. 2. Wrap presents. 3. Send cards out on time. We’re 2 for 3 (so sorry your card is late!).”
Another idea is to engage in some word play centered on your last name. You can sign your cards “From the Holly Jolly Hendersons” or make an interactive card that asks friends and family to post a version of your funny pose on social media using a family hashtag, like #averyfunnyFarkelsonChristmas.
Where to Buy (and customize) Funny Christmas Cards
From budget friendly Christmas cards to expert-designed holiday greeting cards full of seasonal cheer, Truly Engaging’s Christmas Card collection has a little something for everyone. Search our templates for a design that speaks to you, then customize details like fonts, colors, and photos to create a final product that’s unique to you.
You can even check out our stationery in person before you commit by ordering free samples — shipping included!
Funny Christmas Cards from Truly Engaging
With the right photos and messaging, any Christmas card template can be transformed into something funny. Here are a few of our favorite designs to get you started.
Ivy Blessings: Piggyback on this design’s nostalgic text with a funny photo in black and white.
Big Bold Joy: Put the “O” in “OMG that’s hilarious!” with a funny photo put right in the middle of this card’s central message.
Vibrant Fun: Lots of color, lots of whimsy, and lots of spots to put your funniest family photos.
Colorful Christmas: Another colorful take on Christmas cheer, this card confines the text to the border of the design, leaving plenty of real estate for your uproarious image of choice.
Shining Wishes: Four photo frames equal four opportunities to crack up friends and family.
Customize Your Own Christmas Card & Browse Truly Engaging Products Today
Funny Christmas cards are not only memorable for those lucky enough to receive them, they’re also perfect for saving as a keepsake of your own. Check out Truly Engaging’s Christmas Card collection, customize your card to match your vision, and deliver much-needed laughs to those you hold most dear. It’s that time of year!
