Baby’s Christmas Photo: 12 Easy Setup Ideas to Do at Home

Updated October 2026

In short: for a lovely baby Christmas photo at home, all you need is a light-coloured blanket, fairy lights in the background and window light. Shoot without flash, at baby’s eye level, after a nap. And keep one absolute rule: baby is never alone, never up high, with nothing hot or small nearby. Here are 12 easy setups.

What you need

• A recent phone or a camera
• A light-coloured throw or blanket (cream, white, beige)
• LED fairy lights
• A few Christmas props: hat, socks, pyjamas, fir branches, empty parcels
• A room with a large window, during the day

12 baby Christmas photo ideas

1. In a basket, on a blanket. A low, wide basket on the floor, lined with a soft blanket. Stay right beside baby, hand ready.
2. Lying under the tree. Baby on a blanket at the foot of the tree, photographed from above. Remove the lower ornaments first.
3. Blurry lights behind. Place the fairy lights 2 or 3 metres behind baby and focus on the face: the lights turn into soft round blurs.
4. Matching Christmas pyjamas. The whole family in the same pyjamas, on the sofa or in front of the tree.
5. Little feet in Christmas socks. A close-up of the feet: easy even if baby wriggles.
6. The red pompom hat. A classic that always works, face on, in soft light.
7. In arms in front of the tree. A parent holds baby, the lit tree behind: the family photo of the year.
8. With a comforter and a parcel. An empty, light parcel with a big ribbon, next to their comforter.
9. Their first letter to Father Christmas. A sheet with a few scribbles and a handprint in washable paint: a keepsake to store with the photo.
10. Their age on a little slate. “4 months”, “My first Christmas”: handy to remember their exact age.
11. In front of their name poster. Their framed name in the background, like a signature on the photo.
12. All the family’s hands. Baby’s little hand on those of parents, siblings and grandparents.

Getting the shot with a phone

• Window light from the side: the softest. Avoid direct sun and ceiling lights.
• No flash: it dazzles baby and hardens features.
• At baby’s eye level: kneel or lie down.
• Burst mode: it catches the smile that lasts half a second.
• The right moment: after a nap and a feed, when baby is rested and happy.
• Portrait mode, if your phone has it, blurs the background.
• Short sessions: 10 minutes is enough. If baby cries, try again tomorrow.

Safety rules to always follow

• Baby is never alone, not even for a second, and never placed up high (table, furniture, ledge).
• No complicated poses seen online: they are done by professionals, often as several photos combined.
• Fairy lights stay away from baby: never around them or in the basket, and no cords within reach.
• Nothing hot nearby: no lit candles, no hot lamps.
• No small objects they could put in their mouth: baubles, beads, thin ribbons.
• A low, stable basket, on the floor, never on furniture.

What to do with the photos

• The family Christmas card, sent to loved ones.
• A photo calendar for the grandparents: see our Christmas gift ideas for grandparents.
• Their first-year album, with the Christmas photo in the middle.
• A tradition: take the same photo, in the same spot, every year.

For a backdrop that tells the story of their first Christmas, our set of 3 “My First Christmas” posters carries their name and the year. Still choosing a name? Here are our 80 Christmas and winter baby names.

Frequently asked questions

How do I take a baby Christmas photo at home?

Lay baby on a light blanket near a window, place fairy lights far behind them and shoot without flash, at their level, after a nap.

What setup for baby’s first Christmas photo?

The simplest: baby in a low basket on a blanket, lying at the foot of the tree, in a red hat, or in a parent’s arms in front of the lit tree.

How do I get blurry lights in the background?

Place the fairy lights 2 or 3 metres behind baby, focus on the face and use your phone’s portrait mode if it has one.

Can I put fairy lights around my baby?

No. Always keep the lights and their cord away from baby, in the background only.

When is the best time for the photo?

After a nap and a feed, during the day, to make the most of natural light and a happy baby.

Read also: baby’s first Christmas: 12 keepsake gift ideas · how to babyproof your Christmas tree