DIY Photo Collage Card

Before we know it the holidays will be here so I wanted to share with you a way to make your own photo collage cards.  Photo cards are my favorite around the holidays because I’m one of those people that keep them year after year and like to see how my friend’s children age (along with the parents) and grow over the year.  I also have so many best friends back home on the East Coast and I don’t get to see them very often, so it’s always nice to have a recent picture of them.

The example above is a Thank You card I made for my daughter’s birthday party.  There are two things you need to make this DIY Photo Collage Card.  Well, three things because you need to buy envelopes.  OK, four if you want to buy stamps! J The first is a photo editor.  I used a FREE online photo editing program called iPiccy.  You may have noticed the collages I put on my site are similar!  It’s extremely easy to use and it gives you a variety of collage styles and fonts.  I originally found out about this program from a Blogger that I follow.  She has a quick video tutorial that you can watch that will walk you through the basic features of making your own collage.

Tip: If you decide to use this program, make sure to click the “enable local storage” button so that you can import several photos at once. Also there is no registration required! It’s awesome!!

Here is the actual collage I made for this thank you card on iPiccy:

The second thing you need is a good…I mean great photo printer.  Believe it or not I have gone through 4 photo printers in the last 3 years and the Epson Stylus Photo R2000 is BY FAR the BEST.  It’s the first photo printer out of all four that actually prints as if you special ordered large photography prints.

Some key features for the avid crafter of the Epson Stylus Photo R2000 are:

For crafting:

• Professional media versatility — accommodates cut-sheet and roll paper in sizes up to 13″ wide; supports photographic and fine art paper, canvas, 1.3 mm thick board and inkjet printable CD / DVDs.  I can’t wait to try the canvas printing as well as the printable DVD and CD feature.  The canvas prints would make a fantastic DIY project and the CD’s are perfect personalized party favors.

For scrapbooking:

• Optimal black density and superior contrast on glossy, matte or fine art papers from either Matte or Photo Black ink
• Leading-edge image-quality architecture — smooth color transitions and outstanding highlight and shadow detail

I was able to print two 5.25″ collages on one piece of photo paper.  I used a paper cutter to easily cut them out.  Conveniently you can purchase 5″X5″ envelopes at any craft store.  There you have it! I will never have to special order my holiday, thank you cards, or invitations again!