Let’s face it: if you have a big, needy family, there may very well be mutiny among your public (aka: big needy family) if you send out birth announcements that feature fewer than six photos. If you try to get away with sending a single portrait, before long the paparazzi (who in your case look a lot like your mom, aunt, mother-in-law, and all their sisters) will be poised outside your door and it might seriously mess with naptime. In the same way that Beyoncé and Jay-Z welcomed all of us to share in their joy over the birth of Blue Ivy, you owe it to your biggest fans to sneak a peek of swaddled sweetness. They’re waiting with bated breath, so have your baby’s publicist (aka: you) compile a beautifully edited sampling of photos, send them on their way, then promptly take a nap.
The most important aspect of a collage composition is keeping to one unifying visual element. It’s just more soothing for the eye to look at a series of photos that complement one another rather than fight for attention. I’ve gathered a few ideas for creating a series of adorable shots that capture your baby in all manner of cuteness.
black-and-white photos It may be a somewhat common route to go, but you can’t go wrong with an artful series of your sweet baby asleep, awake, and attempting to smile, plus a few gorgeous close-ups of tiny fingers, toes, ears and nose. Showcasing your photos in black and white will add that unifying element that will make your birth announcements artful and composed. Make your collage of black and white photos unique by adding folded paper (place cards work well) with handwritten captions that say things like “I came home from the hospital today!” or “my grandma knit me this hat!”
vision in white Another fun way to create a simply gorgeous photo collage is to put your child in very simple all-white attire on a neutral background for each portrait. Snap one photo of your baby in a white onesie, another in a white dress (or pants and shirt), another swaddled in a white blankie, and yet another sporting white sneaks or sandals. The result is fresh, clean – and hip too! – just like your baby (whaddya know!). You can also pull off this idea by carrying any color or even pattern theme through to each photo (vision in pink…vision in gingham…etc.), but I’m partial to the minimalism of simple white to stand in stark contrast to the maximalism of your baby’s cuteness.
cozy snuggles This baby announcement photo collage idea pretty much just taps into what everyone wants to do with a sweet little baby. Snuggle! Pull on a few heartstrings with some good snuggling moments captured on film. Just find a way (it probably won’t be hard) to coax every living creature in the house to sidle up to baby. Aside from a family member or two who still believes that cats have it out for babies, friends and family members will love to see the way your child has been brought into the family fold. There’s just nothing more adorable than every loved one – sister and brother, cat and dog, mom and dad – gathering around the newest member of the family.
parade of hats If you’ve gotten some over-the-top cute hats as shower gifts – or if you’re just obsessed with the ridiculously cute baby hats from etsy, consider a little photo shoot featuring your baby in the most radical of millinery fashions (aka: hats that look like Princess Leia buns, hats that look like alien antennae, or hats that resemble kitty cat ears – and more! Oh so much more…). Just line up your hats and prepare to giggle for days at how unbelievably fun it is to be a parent at moments like this. Friends and family will love receiving your baby-in-hats collage – especially if they were the ones to gift you that unbelievable crochet octopus beanie. #iwantonetoo
light of our life Babies of a certain age gravitate to pretty much anything that’s hazardous, right? Tiny little light bulbs strung onto wires coursing with electricity are no exception. If you’re married to captain safety, this idea won’t fly. But if you can monitor your child closely for long enough to snap a few pictures, you’ll love the angelic light they cast on your little angel’s skin. Take one photo of your child holding up the strand, one with the strand draped on toes, one close-up of hands clenching the strand, and one of your baby asleep near the twinkling light. A photo collage like this is lovely any time of year, but it’s particularly festive at Christmas.
View more unique ideas for your birth announcements here!
Happy Mixbooking! Have fun with that sweet little bundle of joy!
