2010 Holiday Card Layout

Since 2004 I've taken our holiday cards and created layouts that showcase bits of the images collaged together in a celebration of the season.

It's a fun way to do something with those cards other than storing or recycling.

No journaling, just a bunch of squares and a couple rectangles. I use a square punch (the purple Clever Lever Craft Punch from Marvy is the one I used this year) to get the squares all the same size. This year I also hand cut some images to make them 2x the size of the single square punch.

Last year I did a big post on this topic that included all my holiday card layouts going back to 2004. It's a good read if you're interested in learning more about why I do this and seeing six years of examples.

Here's a look at my 2010 two-page spread:

My friend Bob, the guy in the second row from the bottom with the pretty girl and the dog, wrote me a note with their card this year that they upped the size of their photo so they could take up more real estate on my layout this year. Here you go Bob!

And the other side:

The big photo on this page is my sweet niece Gabrielle. Look at those eyes. Can't wait to see them in March for Spring Break.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Related Posts

Sign in or sign up to comment.

53 thoughts

  1. dawn says…
    01/28/2011

    I love the one with your niece and she is so cute. This is a great idea to use your cards. Thanks for sharing. Happy Weekend!

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. Alida says…
    01/28/2011

    Umm, I'm first? Love this. Just wish I could get my friends to send me photo cards...

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. nerdgrl says…
      01/28/2011

      Alida: You don't really need photo cards. I took Ali's idea a couple of years ago but used squares of the cards themselves. Turned out just fine.

  3. christen says…
    01/28/2011

    i love this! i've doing something similar since you showed it years ago and i love it in our albums.

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. Sarah says…
    01/28/2011

    Love this idea. You are SO CREATIVE!

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. Lisa W. says…
    01/28/2011

    I just did this for 2010 ...was quite fun. I just used the cards with pictures and decided these were SO nice I just could not throw them in a box. So I simply scrapped them in a 8x8 Christmas Album, with very few added embellishments. But your layouts are quite refreshing. Like...thanks Ali

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. Ruth says…
    01/28/2011

    Wow, photos cards are really popular in the US, aren't they? Not so much here in London/UK.

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. Nicky from Canada says…
    01/28/2011

    I have done this every year since 2005 and love it. I take my current year layouts and have them in two frames by our front door. When the year is up, and the next year is in - I take my pages already completed and slip them in my 12 x 12 album. Everyone loves to look at these during the year
    Love looking back on these.
    Your niece is a doll!!

    Reply 2 Replies
    1. Kelly B says…
      01/28/2011

      Ditto Nicky that the framed layouts are a great idea. What a fabulous way to have your friends & family in your home every day.

    2. pidge says…
      01/28/2011

      What a fantastic idea! I always hate to put away the pictures so soon after Christmas!

  8. faerwillow says…
    01/28/2011

    ~this has to be the most creative way to savor those moments given from loved ones near and far...year after year...i am left with what should i do with all these cards and all to soon they are left to be stored along side our holiday decor...you have given us a beautiful way to cherish such cards...thank you so...much love light and blessings be with you and yours~

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. Wynn H says…
    01/28/2011

    I love this idea. Thank you so much for sharing this. I now know what to do with the Chrstimas cards I have been saving for years.

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Angel says…
    01/28/2011

    I also love this idea Ali and will try to do it this year. One other thing - I noticed that where you have the "filed under" part, it looks like you've labelled this "traditional CRAPBOOKING" ...lol. Have we renamed our beloved hobby??? :-)

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. char says…
    01/28/2011

    I do this every year too, but since we don't get too many photo cards here in the UK I punch out part of the actual Christmas card. It works well and goes straight into the December Daily album.

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. julia says…
    01/28/2011

    Ali... I did this last year after reading your post and I love the way it turned out! I just started punching out my cards this week to get this year's layout ready... and I LOVE the idea of doubling the size of a few of the squares (rectangles). I had a small pile of cards that I wasn't quite sure what to do with b/c i really didn't want to cut someone's head in half;) Thanks for sharing!

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. Deirdre says…
    01/28/2011

    SO Funny! I just did this YESTERDAY---I saw Becky Higgins' post about finally throwing away all the saved Christmas cards of other families and I thought---So should I! So I pulled out the 5 bags I had (from 2006-2010), and realized in one night I could make the 5 pages I've wanted to add to our Christmas album.

    I searched your archives and found your old layouts for inspiration--and now I'm done! And then today this post! Life is funny (though I have to say...your margins around the photos are much straighter than mine, even though I drew lines---is that just a gift?!).

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. Dawn says…
    01/28/2011

    Geeat idea - thank you.

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Kerith says…
    01/28/2011

    Wow, that photograph of your niece is spectacular - like a Gap ad! Do you happen to know who the photographer is? Thanks again for sharing.

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Deb J says…
    01/28/2011

    I love this idea. I know you can use regular cards but I love the idea of the pictures. I need to bug people about sending pictures every year. I like seeing the progression.

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. pidge says…
    01/28/2011

    Only YOU can get a large photo of the one person you wouldn't want to cut up ... AND in the picture is a perfect square accent!!! Serioulsy, I think I'm jealous! ha. Maybe I should just say that I'm in awe of your luck and inspired by your eye for design! :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. TracieClaiborne says…
    01/28/2011

    Love it!!!! You're the bomb!

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. elise says…
    01/28/2011

    looks awesome Ali. and I was excited to see Paul and I on there!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. Judy Webb says…
    01/28/2011

    Young families are so fortunate to have you share your creativity with them. This is something I would have loved 48 years ago. I have the cards in the dreaded magnitic books but this is so much better.

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. Jennie says…
    01/28/2011

    i love this idea. i've done it for the last two years and think it's the perfect way to hold on to the cards, without things taking up way too much space. i did the same with my bridal shower cards as well!

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Judy says…
      01/28/2011

      What a great idea to use other occasions as well! Thanks Jennie.

  22. Gina Crowley says…
    01/28/2011

    I did this last year (after I saw yours) and it was one of my favorite layouts of the year. I have my cards in a pile ready to do it again.

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. Maegen Jenne says…
    01/28/2011

    i think i might make this idea an addition to my p365 this year. great idea and i hate just tossing those cards.

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. Heidi says…
    01/28/2011

    I LOVE THE WAY THE WHITE POPS OUT ON YOUR LAYOUTS. WAS THAT ON PURPOSE? YOUR NIECE IS BEAUTIFUL I LOVE YOUR SISTERS CARD.

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. Jackie Bremer says…
    01/28/2011

    I love this! It is so hard to throw away the cards but I never know what to do with them so they just set around!

    Reply 0 Replies

Sign in or sign up to comment.