How to Set Up a Christmas Photo Booth: 10 Creative Ideas

Photo booths are fun attractions that are popular at holiday events. But the photo booth offers more than just fun. Among all of the gift-giving during the holiday season, one of the best gifts we can ever have is the memory of a wonderful Christmas. A photo booth picture is the perfect way to capture a memory that can be shared with friends, relatives, or coworkers for years to come.

Read on to discover 10 imaginative ideas for the ultimate Christmas photo booth that will have guests jumping at the chance to capture the moment at your booth.

Location: Finding the Perfect Spot for the Photo Booth

Set the photo booth up in a location that’s easy for guests to reach, but not in the way of the event. Generally, your best options will either be a wide hallway that won’t see much traffic or a cozy corner. Make sure the space you choose can get enough light for pictures that turn out well, whether that comes from natural light streaming in from windows, or from having enough room for a sufficient lighting kit.

10 Creative Ideas for Your Christmas Photo Booth

Snowflakes and Snowmen

This idea features easy-to-make DIY decorations, so it’s budget-friendly. Use a white or blue backdrop to represent the sky and cut snowflakes out of white paper. Hang the flakes in a decorative line on a string, or suspend each from its own string for a snowfall look. Invite a snowman or two by cutting round circles from white cardstock paper to build the body of the snowman. Use appropriately colored paper to cut other pieces such the arms, nose, and hat. For brilliant decorations that accentuate the shape of the snowman, decorate with LED spheres or foldable LED 3D spheres.

Fairy Light Fun

Cover the scene in the comforting glow of LED fairy lights matched up with fairy light trees for a cozy display that’s surprisingly easy to put together. We recommend a white or cream backdrop if you’re using fairy lights in a warm tone. Set up fairy light trees on the sides of the booth, either on the floor or pedestals. Line furnishings such as a wooden arch or room divider with fairy light strings. Put some fairy lights inside of glass jars, and place the jars on a table or bench for an enchanting effect.

Brightness Against the Backdrop

Looking for a photo booth idea that can be put together and taken down quickly? Look no further: icicle lights or curtain lights against a soft-spoken backdrop are simple yet elegant, giving your booth a magical glimmer. Provide some eye-catching detail in the background by sticking ornaments or cutout shapes between light drops.

A Christmas Classic

Let your booth transport subjects and viewers alike to a living room full of joy where the Christmas tree is at the center of holiday harmony. Set up an indoor Christmas tree and decorate it to impress. Encircle the bottom of the tree with prop gift boxes to paint a picture of holiday giving. While the tree is the focus for this booth idea, you can expand on the idea and round out the “home” look with decorative furniture such as a rocking chair, sofa, and coffee table.

Gingerbread House

Show your taste with a photo booth fashioned after Christmas’s most delectable dwelling. Use brown kraft paper to create the front of the house. Make the door frame sides with large decorative candy canes, white and red striped tubes, or paper that’s cut in the same pattern. Line the perimeter from top to bottom with “frosting” made of artificial snow or cotton filling, make the windows from blue, white, or yellow paper, and put up decorations resembling candies like gumdrops and peppermints on the walls for a sweet-looking display! Take this gingerbread booth to the next level with a fiberglass gingerbread man and woman.

Greenery Galore

This idea makes Christmas greenery a theme all its own with a repertoire of garland, sprays, and wreathes. Garland complements a number of photo booth furnishings, such as arches, frames, and pedestals. You can decorate the top of your backdrop with garland too by securing it with zip ties. Let some slack hang between connection points for greater visibility in photos. Add in sprays alongside the garland, or put up the sprays on photo booth furnishings like lamp posts or a wooden arch. Hang a Christmas wreath in the center of the backdrop and add red bows to the rest of the greenery for bright pops of color.

Mistletoe for Two

Put star-crossed lovers in focus under a mistletoe, and your booth will be an essential stop for couples at your event. The major focus on the couple and the mistletoe means that this photo booth idea stays simple and clean. Hang the mistletoe from an arch or pergola, or suspend it from garland. Brighten the booth with icicle lights against the backdrop or string lights wrapped around the arch or pergola.

Colorful Christmas Icons and Greetings

Have guests pose in front of striking dynamic lighting that you can decorate into favorite holiday shapes and energetic season’s greetings. Use Twinkly Dots and adhesive pads to place the lights on a hard backdrop of a solid neutral color. Shape the lights into outlines of recognizable holiday icons, such as bells, candy canes, or snowflakes. And use Twinkly Dots to spell a holiday greeting or brand message that you can show off in a remarkable range of colors with the Twinkly app.

Winter Wonderland

At this booth, guests will enjoy a slice of a winter wonderland without having to endure the bitter cold. Use a white backdrop and set the floor with artificial snow in the form of snow blankets or flurries, and a touch of silver tinsel. Bring in the nature look with large branches and mini trees. Liven up the background with cool-toned icicle or curtain lights. Enchant the plants by wrapping fairy light strings around branches and trees. And add bold bursts of wintry wonder with hanging snowflake decorations.

Ready-made Lighting Revolution — Twinkly LightWall

Your backdrop is what you make it with Twinkly LightWall! The Twinkly app puts total freedom in your hands to display custom patterns and shapes. And the myriad lights in LightWall can be dimmed for fine-tuning the brightness in your photos. The size and brightness of LightWall will have this photo booth turning heads and driving foot traffic your way.

LightWall comes with everything you need for set up. You’ll find many special Christmas animations in the menu, and you can even draw your own shapes or images using the FX Wizard. In the Twinkly app, simply go to “Gallery” and click the top left wand icon to create your own designs.

Essential Tips for Setting Up Your Booth

Lighting

Lighting makes all the difference in pictures. Consider using a professional lighting kit to put guests in their best light, or use strategically placed string lights.

Props

Photos can be a lot more fun when guests have items to interact with. Guests will enjoy a prop station that includes items like festive hats, antlers, and signs that encourage guests to engage with your booth.

Camera Setup

Maintain a consistent perspective and your photo booth will deliver great-looking pictures. A tripod is key to achieving a uniform look in every photo for every guest. For hands-free picture-taking, use a camera that has a remote shutter release feature.

Marking the Floor

This tip is the other half to achieving consistency in photos. Mark the floor with painter’s tape so that guests know where to stand for just the right framing in their photos.

Why Choose Christmas Designers for Your Holiday Decor?

It’s easy to elevate your Christmas photo booth when you choose Christmas Designers for your lights and decorations. Find decorations from our huge selection of pro-grade Christmas lights and decorations that will have your photo booth become the highlight of the event.

If you need help putting together your own Christmas photo booth or have other holiday decorating questions, get expert level-support today: our service and experience comes from over five decades in the Christmas industry, helping thousands of decorators like you nationwide. Reach out to our email at [email protected] or call 1-800-391-5280 and speak with one of our qualified Christmas Designers today!