You really can’t go wrong with a photo birth announcement. Perfectly funny looking or ridiculously beautiful, every new baby is a sight to behold and a gift to celebrate. Classic birth announcements often feature a photograph of the new baby either sleeping or awake, with a couple offset shots of precious feet and hands. Gorgeous, every one! But since your baby is 100% completely unique, you might not want your birth announcement to blend in with all the rest. Here are eight great ways to introduce your brand-new bundle in one-of-a-kind style.
Birth Announcement Photo Ideas
1. Custom Bodysuit
Pretend that your baby came right off the conveyer belt with a time and date stamp printed directly on her Onesie. Fancy Frugal Life shows how simple it is to create this custom bodysuit—just create a calendar in Excel, print it onto a Quick Fuse Sheet, then iron it on. Grab a Sharpie and circle the big day in red. Snap a shot of your newly minted babe, and save yourself the trouble of listing her birthday on the actual announcement.
2. Fuzzy Wuzzy
Tiny Blue Whale photo birth announcement
Perhaps the only thing cuter than a naked baby is a baby ensconced in fuzz. For a shot like this, dress your babe in nothing but an uber-fuzzy hat, then lay him down on a sheepskin, like in the card above. Wait .02 seconds till he's drifted off, then snap a shot that will slay your friends and family with sweetness.
Chevron Overlay photo birth announcement
3. Many Hands
We love the way Erica Ewing captures a sweet moment with mom, dad, and their brand-new baby in this wonderful photograph. Stage a similar shot by cradling your baby with bare arms. Have your husband stand behind you and reach his hands under the support you’re providing for your child. Have your photographer do a close-up of your child, making sure his or her hands are visible and relaxed. The more simple the background, the better.
4. Hands in a Heart
If your infant is a tummy sleeper, have a photographer or friend sneak a quick shot of mom and dad making a heart out of hands surrounding tiny feet. This is a great shot for the reverse of your birth announcement, since you’ll probably want to include a photograph of your baby’s face on the front. Digital Photography School provides some great tips for getting the shot just right.
5. In & Out Baby
This shot takes a little planning ahead, but it’s easy to pull off. Simply have a close up taken of your hands wrapped around your belly. Make sure you keep the background simple—a white wall and natural light works best—and wear a plain, neutral shirt. When your baby is born, have a photograph taken wearing the same simple top, and hold your baby at the same level. For your birth announcement, simply place the two photos side by side.
6. Lil’ Cowboy
Lil' Cowboy photo birth announcement
If you don’t have the time (or energy) to coordinate a posed shot, consider using a template that brings a unique look to your birth announcement. Mixbook’s Lil’ Cowboy card let’s you customize card that’s a spoof on an old-timey western wanted poster. You can toss a toy pop-gun in your baby’s diaper for extra credit, but this card lets you get creative even if you’re lacking the giddyup you had a few months ago.
7. Hello, Baby!
Hey Cutie photo birth announcement
If you’ve got a shot of your little peach with eyes wide open and looking brighter than bright, lucky you! With a pic like this, we say, work it! Mixbook’s “Hey, Cutie” card is the perfect frame for a photograph that shows your baby sizing up the world—and ready to take it by storm. Since you can customize everything with Mixbook, feel free to change the words to “Hello, Henry!” or “Goodbye, Sleep!”—or whatever is most fitting.
Okay, it might be gratuitous, but there’s nothing more ironic—and funny—than placing your perfectly innocent angel of sweetness in stripes reminiscent of a jailbird jumpsuit. Create a similar shot by swaddling your babe in slammer-style stripes, then printing a crude black-and-white sign with his or her stats: name, birthdate, and weight. Mixbook also makes it simple to place a band across the bottom of the card listing the charge (stealing parents’ hearts) and the plea (guilty, of course).
Do you have any other ideas for unique birth announcement photos? We’d love to hear them!
