A “first Christmas” card is a dated portrait with a bit of story attached: two people under one roof, a front door that is finally yours, a baby being held by someone who cannot quite believe it. On Ottermagic you upload a photo from that chapter, run Style Swap, Face Swap, or Pet Swap, preview until it looks like the year you are actually in, then order a printed A5 card or download the e-card. Printed cards are 148×210mm folded, 330gsm gloss, envelope included and made to order in the UK: the UK shop posts them with Royal Mail in around 3–5 working days, and the US shop sends them by airmail to US addresses in around 2–3 weeks. The same artwork can be a poster or canvas if you want a keepsake on the wall; check Ottermagic.com for live details.
Baby’s first Christmas and first Christmas married live in family, pet, baby’s first Christmas and married cards. This page splits three adult milestones so you can pick a photo and a style without mixing them up.
First Christmas together
You do not need a posed engagement-style shot. The useful pictures are usually ordinary: coats on a walk, a slightly too-small tree, cooking in a rented kitchen, the cat who now has two laps.
Photobooth suits a close-up grin, the kind you would have taken in a bar if the machine still existed. Watercolour is the quieter keepable version, good for parents you are posting to. Face Swap can drop you both into a finished festive scene if you have clear, face-on faces; Style Swap of the real photo is simpler when you only have one decent frame of the two of you.
Pet Swap if the relationship came with a dog. Text Swap if you want names on a designed front and every photo this month is a blur. If a picture exists, use it.
Message ideas
- “Our first Christmas in the same postcode. Love from us (and the kettle we now share).”
- “We bought a tree that does not quite fit. We fit, mostly.”
- “Happy Christmas from the two of us, still slightly surprised this is allowed.”
US relatives: a printed A5 to their US address if Christmas is about three weeks or more away, otherwise the e-card. Personalized spelling if that is how they write.
First Christmas in a new home
The star can be the people or the door. Brick and Pixel Art are unexpectedly good at buildings: a front door, a terrace, a shared hallway with too many shoes. Watercolour and Sketch suit a softer “we live here now” portrait in the window. Photobooth if the only good photo is the two of you on moving day, dusty and pleased.
Take the picture in daylight if you can. Fairy lights in the glass look lovely in person and muddy in a restyle. Include enough of the house that someone who has not visited would still get it, without turning the people into specks.
Message ideas
- “First Christmas at [number]. The boxes are still here. So are we.”
- “New kitchen, old gravy boat, same noisy guests (please come).”
- “We have a letterbox of our own. This is us using it.”
You can Style Swap the house without inventing a neighbourhood. Use the photo you took on the step. Ottermagic restyles that frame; it does not build a street of houses you do not own.
A Brick or Pixel Art of the door also makes a decent poster. Confirm wall-art options on the site.
First Christmas as grandparents
The brief is tenderness with a bit of pride, not a joke at anyone’s expense. A clear photo of grandparent and baby (or toddler) is the whole game. Faces large, eyes open, no Santa beard covering a mouth unless they really wear one.
Royal Portrait is the affectionate, slightly ceremonial look: they have waited for this. Sketch is quieter and often ages well on a mantel. Watercolour sits between the two. Classic Cartoon if you want everyone immediately recognisable for the wider family list. Chibi if the card is mainly for the child’s other grandparents to laugh at together.
Skip Caricature of the baby. Skip Bobblehead unless they have asked for something silly.
Face Swap can put a grandparent into a gentle scene; it is optional. Pet Swap if the old dog has just acquired a small human and you want both on a card (two photos, two paths, or one photo where both faces are clear).
Message ideas
- “First Christmas as grandparents. We have already bought too many books.”
- “He has our nose and none of our patience. Happy Christmas from the new committee.”
- “We waited a long time to write this line. Love from Nan and Grandad, and the small one who is in charge.”
If you are sending to the new grandparents rather than from them, keep the inside about them, not about your own feelings as the parent. A Watercolour of their hands holding the baby is often enough.
Styles by milestone
| Milestone | First styles to try | Photo to hunt for |
|---|---|---|
| First Christmas together | Photobooth, Watercolour | A close, ordinary picture of the two of you |
| New home | Brick, Pixel Art, Sketch | Daylight on the front door, people still readable |
| First Christmas as grandparents | Royal Portrait, Sketch, Watercolour | Grandparent and baby, faces large |
Anime, Clay 3D, Classic Cartoon, and Photobooth remain useful extras. Match the recipient list. The card to university friends can be louder than the card to a hospice-visiting aunt.
For posting, Christmas posting deadlines. For photo craft, how to choose a photo.
Formats
Printed A5: 330gsm gloss, envelope, blank inside or printed message, recyclable stock, water-based inks. Royal Mail around 3–5 working days in the UK; airmail around 2–3 weeks to US addresses. Not same-day.
E-card: hi-res, watermark-free download after payment. The practical path for anyone already late, and for family far away who should see it today.
Posters and canvas: available as a keepsake of the same first-Christmas portrait. Check Ottermagic.com.
Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day). Prices are in pounds in the UK shop and dollars in the US shop.
Ready when you are
Mark the year you are actually in. Upload a photo of the two of you, the new door, or the new grandparent and baby, try the styles above, and order when the preview feels like a keepsake. Print an A5 card (148×210mm, 330gsm gloss, envelope, posted to a UK or US address), take a poster or canvas, or download the e-card. Start at Ottermagic.com.
FAQ
What is the best style for a first Christmas together card?
Photobooth if you have a close, happy photo. Watercolour if you want something they might keep in a drawer for years. Preview both.
Can I make a card of our new front door?
Yes. Brick and Pixel Art are strong on buildings. Keep a person in the frame if you want it to stay a greeting card rather than only a house portrait.
What should I put on a first Christmas as grandparents card?
Their faces with the baby, in Royal Portrait, Sketch, or Watercolour, and a short line that names the new role. Avoid teasing the baby.
Do US relatives get a posted card?
Yes. Order from the US shop and the printed A5 goes by airmail to their US address in around 2–3 weeks. If Christmas is closer than that, use the e-card and print or send the file locally.
Can we hang the same design?
Yes. Posters and canvas are available. Confirm live sizes and options on Ottermagic.com.
What if we have no photo together yet?
Text Swap can carry names and “our first Christmas”. As soon as you have a picture, Style Swap or Face Swap will usually make a stronger keepable front.
