Set up a photo backdrop to take pictures of family and friends

Last year my husband's Grandmother asked me to take some photos of her with all of her grand and great grand children when we were together for the holidays. She knows that I always have my camera on hand and love to take photos.

We celebrated Grandma's 99th birthday this weekend and I decided to surprise her by setting up a photo backdrop in my kitchen so I could photograph her with everyone at the party.

I knew that the natural light in the kitchen would be the best spot to photograph at the time of day that I would be shooting. I made an assortment of paper and tissue paper elements to hang as a backdrop and hung some paper lanterns. I was going to cover up my vintage sign with a canvas drop sheet but I liked the look of it with the paper decorations and it became part of the set up. 

I used a chair and a small table with Grandma's birthday cake as props. I tested the set up with my daughter before the birthday guests arrived to make sure that back drop was going to work for both sitting and standing.

Grandma loved the photo backdrop and was so happy to have her photo taken with everyone. We had a lot of fun taking the photos and you can tell from all of the smiles when you look at the pictures.

A little later in the day, I surprised Grandma again by presenting her with a gallery frame filled with photos that I had just shot and printed at home. She left the party with not just memories of the day but something that she could hang in her home right away. 

This diy concept is a fun idea for more than just birthday parties! I would do this for a baby or bridal shower, wedding or anniversary party and of course, during the holidays.

The best part for me was being able to print the photos right away so I could frame them and present them as our gift. I really like that my Canon Pixma Pro-100 photo printer can print photos up to 13" x 19" because I can purchase almost any frame that I want and I know that I won't have to worry about the photo size.

Here's a few more of the photos that I shot at the party ...

I posted this collage photo on Instagram after the party was over ... 

and here's a close up of the birthday cake that I decorated and used as a "prop" in some of the photos.

I hope that you have the opportunity to take lots of photos in the next few days with your family and friends.

Smile!

hostess gift idea for the holidays

Our family holiday entertaining plans are underway and I've already started marking dates on the calendar for holiday parties we have been invited to attend. That had me thinking about what to do about hostess gifts. I always try to give something that is practical, reusable and unique. And if time is not an issue, I always try to add something that I've created myself, even if it's just the gift tag!!

Last year I created these adorable hostess gifts and I thought that I'd share them with you for some early holiday gift giving inspiration.

I purchased large glass containers and filled them with beautiful decorated cookies. The containers will look like snow globes when you add a little course sugar to keep the cookies in place. I attached chalkboard tags that I decorated with chalk markers on with twine to the glass lids. 

The cookies can be eaten (right away or saved for another day), the glass containers can be reused, and this gift is sure to make someone smile when you walk in the door. Best part about this hostess gift is that it is so pretty you really don't need to wrap it up which will save you some time. 

If you are a baker and can make your own cookies that's awesome! Or you can do what I did and buy cookies from a local bake shop or custom cookie maker. My cookies were custom made for me by Branded Bites. Branded Bites used some of my illustrations to created my cookies. Just remember if you are looking to have custom cookies created you may need extra time to order them at this time of year.

And here's one of my favourite hostess gift wrapping ideas! Place two stacking boxes on top of a cake stand and tie them all together using a wide ribbon. Add an ornament to finish and you're done. The boxes could be filled with homemade baked goods or whatever you want. 

You can find more of my holiday ideas from last year here.