Hey Everyone,
I hope you’re all doing well! Welcome to Blogmas Day 5! As a blogger, I regularly find myself searching high and low for bits and bobs to help me create the perfect photos all year round, but especially at Christmas! I thought I would share my favourite props to help you capture and create the most festive of photos!
PINE CONES
These are an absolute staple for festive photos! I actually bought a huge bag of these last year from the charity shop that I volunteer in. However, I stumbled across these snow-covered ones this year and I love them! They also have flexible wire attached to them, making them really easy to attach to wreaths and garlands! You can get your hands on packs of pine cones from craft stores and some bargain shops.
CANDY CANES
If you can resist eating them, keep some aside and use them as props! Candy canes are perfect for adding a vibrant pop of colour to your photos. You can probably get all kinds of colour combos so have a browse at your local supermarket and see what’s available. Keep an eye out for chocolate coins too – they also look great in any festive photos!
DRIED ORANGE SLICES & CINNAMON STICKS
Dried oranges are great for adding some festive details to your photos. If you make them yourself, they’re bound to smell incredible too! Of course, you can always purchase them online or in craft stores too. Cinnamon sticks are another great way of adding something extra to your photos. They look so rustic – plus they smell absolutely incredible! Check out the bits I’ve found below:
– Dried Orange Slices, 30g, Hobby Craft, £3
– Cinnamon Sticks, 70g, Hobby Craft, £3.50
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS
I feel like this one goes without saying! You can find all kinds of quirky Christmas decorations these days. You name it, it’s probably out there! I like to use a mixture of tree decorations and homeware in my photos. Go through your bits at home and see what you could use; things that you can lay flat tend to look best (baubles, garlands, tinsel etc.). If you can’t find anything, don’t worry – charity shops are full of decorations at this time of year, why not pay less and still give to a great cause? I also find a lot of stuff in the Boxing Day/New Year sales as everything Christmassy is massively reduced.
BAUBLES
The great thing about baubles is that they come in every colour or style that you can imagine. Try to get a real variety! I find that the sparkly ones are the best when it comes to shooting Christmas content. You don’t have to spend a fortune on them either, you can use your stash at home or you can grab some cheap sets from bargain shops for a couple of pounds. I found mine in Primark last year, they came in packs of 20 for roughly £2 which was such a great deal. They had every colour under the sun so I think I’m covered for every colour scheme possible now! I’ve also found some amazing baubles in charity shops – they often have really quirky ones or brand new sets that people have donated.
CHRISTMAS MUGS
Who would’ve thought that mugs could make great props? You can just use them in the background of your photos or you can go all out and fill them with hot chocolate, marshmallows and all the trimmings for a scrumptious shot! I bought these two from Homesense – the home of all things festive at this time of year!
BELLS
Bells are not only able to take your present wrapping to the next level, they can also jazz up your photos! I like attaching these to garlands or placing them next to some baubles to add some extra sparkle. You can find them in most craft shops, I’ve linked some options below:
– Silver Jingle Bells, 30 Pack, Hobby Craft, £2.20
SCARVES
Scarves don’t just have to be around your neck this Winter! They make for the most festive of backgrounds, particularly if they’re tartan! I like laying products on them or wrapping them around the borders of a shot to fill the gaps. Throws are also great for this and at this time of year you can get some really festive ones!
N xxxx
I feel like even if I gather all the accessories you mention, my photos still won’t be as beautiful as yours… But at least it’s a good starting point!
Nonsense, I’m sure you would ace it! It’s worth having a play around with props just for fun at first, then you can see what styles and shots you like!
Love all of these tips and ideas . I just admit though , the candy cane situation you are right on as I can not resist a hot chocolate finished with a candy cane – yum!
Thank you for reading! Mint chocolate is my favourite combo so candy canes are a must when it comes to hot chocolate!
These are all so gorgeous, I really love the pine cones and the christmassy mugs – they are the perfect props for this time of year
Thank you! I’m going to need a bigger box soon, haha!
I love these – and this year I have SUCH a thing for pin cones – and have collected many throughout the year!
(plus they make great BBQ llighters too! ):)
I love pine cones! They’re also just great around the house to add some festive decor! I would never have thought of that – thank you for sharing that tip!
I don’t have much space for props and things as I’m back at my parents but I want to start collecting things ready for next year x
Love this, I had a little chuckle because I have all of these things specifically for Christmas photos. Haha!
Katie xoxo
My Christmas prop box is overflowing haha!
Wow you have so many festive props! I have a few of these but half the time forget to get them out for use in photos, haha!
I always keep my prop box and my camera together so I can’t forget haha!
These are fab ideas, I do love festive props. I like twinkling lights but they sometimes blur my photos
Sometimes you can play with that blurring as it can look really effective in the background. But I know what you mean, sometimes lights can be difficult to capture!
I have a wreath made from Dried oranges and cinniamon sticks, it smells amazing
That sounds amazing! I bet it looks fabulous! I’m very tempted to make one to make my room smell even more festive…
Your photos are beautiful. I particularly love the dried orange and cinnamon. It’s so festive and easy to arrange.
Thank you so much! Yes they’re very effective!
So many wonderful ideas for Christmas props to be utilised in photos and videos – I never thought about adding scarves especially tartan ones