Somewhere in your house there is a drawing of a snowman with three arms, or a tree with more ornaments than branches, or the whole family standing in a row with the dog the same size as Dad. It is on the fridge right now. It is also the best holiday card you could send this year.
Nobody throws away a card a child drew. Grandparents frame them. Aunts keep them in a drawer for twenty years. A photo card says “here is how we look”. A drawing says “here is how she sees us”, and that is the one people hold onto.
Here is how to turn it into a real printed card without losing what makes it charming.
1. Let them draw it for the card
You can use a drawing you already have, but it is more fun to make it an event. Sit them down with a fresh sheet and a holiday subject: a snowman, the tree, the family, the dog in a hat.
A few things that help it print well:
- Plain white paper. Lined notebook paper and colored construction paper both show through on the card.
- Bold colors. Markers and crayons pressed hard print beautifully. Light pencil can disappear.
- Leave a little space at the edges. The whole drawing will show, so nothing gets cut off, but a margin makes it look like a gallery piece.
- Have them sign it. A wobbly signature in the corner is the best part.
If your child draws on a tablet, even better. Save the drawing at full size and upload it as it is: there is no paper, no shadow, and no photo to take.
2. Photograph it the right way
This is the step that makes the difference between a card that looks homemade and one that looks framed.
- Use daylight. Lay the drawing flat near a window during the day. Lamps turn white paper yellow.
- Shoot from straight above. Hold the phone flat, directly over the paper, so the edges are square and nothing looks tilted.
- No shadow. Stand so your own shadow and the phone’s shadow are not on the paper.
- Or scan it. Most phones can scan a document: in the Notes app on an iPhone, or the camera or Drive app on Android. A scan comes out flat and white with no effort.
Do not worry if it is not perfect. Our team cleans up every drawing before printing: we whiten the paper, take out the shadows and straighten the edges, and then we send you a proof so you can see exactly how it will look.
3. Pick a frame
Our Little Artist cards put the drawing on a white mat inside a thin frame, the way a museum would hang it. Underneath goes a label in handwriting, like the card beside a painting: “Art by Maya, age 6”. Then your greeting and your family name.
There are three to start from:
- Little Artist is quiet and classic, with a fine line around the mat.
- Fridge Gallery adds bright confetti, the way it looks on the fridge door.
- Snow Studio sets the drawing in a gentle snowfall.
Each one comes in several colors, and you can change the greeting, the lettering and the message on the back. The preview updates as you type, with your child’s drawing in it.
4. If it is already a finished card
Some kids (and some grown-ups) design the whole card themselves: front, words and all. For that there is Your Own Design. Upload the front, and a back if you made one, and we print it edge to edge exactly as it is, with nothing of ours added.
For the sharpest print, make the file 5.25 x 7.25 inches at 300 dpi, which is 1575 x 2175 pixels. That is a 5 x 7 card plus a small border that gets trimmed off, so keep names and words a little way in from the edge. The page will warn you if your file is the wrong shape.
5. Order early enough for Christmas
Cards are $49 for 20, with envelopes, and shipping is free anywhere in the US. A person checks every card and sends you a proof before anything prints, with up to five rounds of changes. Order by December 5 for Christmas delivery.
One more idea: order a few extra and frame one. In ten years, the snowman with three arms will be the one you are glad you kept.