Is it ever acceptable to use your 8 year old's artwork on a Christmas card?

[HuntedForest]

Have to send cards to the extended family, parents' friends and I usually send a couple to old school friends. Despite my mum telling me to use a picture of the DC, I'm well aware that they are my DC and therefore not interesting to other people nor do they want to be on a card. So, is it acceptable to use a Christmas themed picture my DC8 drew for me?

We need to see the rainbow farting reindeer!

I think Christmas cards of pictures children have done are lovely! Completely different to sending photos and I think no one would mind getting one over a shop bought one!

What pp said about schools doing it.

It's fine, why wouldn't it be.

DS's school is printing them so we will be sending out his Christmas masterpiece.... a picture of Santa with a jumper that has a stegosaurus and a triceratops on it (the picture might need captioning though.... he is only 4).

we are

I would like it.

Let's face it, Christmas cards can be very boring - soft focus bauble, robin on a branch, "humorous" Santa? They all end up in recycling. Some art work from a child I was fond of would be something I would keep. Even if I wasn't fond I wouldn't be offended and it would just go in recycling with the rest.

@MrsD28

DS's school is printing them so we will be sending out his Christmas masterpiece.... a picture of Santa with a jumper that has a stegosaurus and a triceratops on it (the picture might need captioning though.... he is only 4).

I think that sounds very sophisticated! I remember the one DS made when he was four and in Reception, mostly because Santa (in thick, dark green crayon) looked like the Creature from the Black Lagoon holding a present.

I dont buy the cards, but do buy gift tags of the same picture. Then they only go to people very close to us, or with similar aged kids.
School still the money!

@SlightDrizzle

But no one's expecting you to keep a child's artwork Christmas card, any more than they expect you to keep the generic robin on a postbox/snow scene/Victorian carol singers/surfing Santa, surely?

We'll be using our eight year old's annual surrealistic school production for family a clean-shaven Santa with an abnormally large head parachuting down onto a roof with the toys in a backpack, looking like something out of the SAS, but for some reason holding a giant candy cane but it wouldn't occur to me that anyone wouldn't chuck it in the recycling at New Year, same as all the other cards.

No, that's true. But it would just smack of 'my child's wonderful art' whereas in reality the parent might know it's wonky. Actually turning it into christmas cards seems a bit show off?

We tend to just send cards to close friends and family who we don't see very often and have on occasions taken a family photo and added snow and holly etc to make it a bit silly. I love getting cards like this as I can see how everyone is growing up etc and can magnet photo to fridge for a few months!! Maybe I am just weird!😂

My dc's primary had a scheme that makes children's artworks into Christmas card every year. For someone who really don't care, it's just a card, but for people who appreciate them, it's a wonderful thing to receive.

meant to add that when we do not do a photo, we hand make with kids help so either ok

I like receiving the homemade / photos / school artwork cards. I've kept them over the years so have a little collection that come out most years. What I really don't like is the bragging "family newsletter" type inserts that sometimes come in Christmas cards.

Should be ok

@PigsInHeaven What more could Christmas need? A reindeer that farts rainbows sounds fabulous! Definitely one to keep for his memory box- he'll look back at that as a 30yo and howl with laughter

We mostly get the "family picture" cards from DH's American friends so I had assumed it was an American tradition. I use the ones my kids draw at school and so does everyone else judging by the cards I receive back! . This year's offering appears to be a couple of mutant penguins being run over by a penis-shaped sleigh.

We got one photo Christmas card years ago from a pretty unbearably smug couple we knew in the US. It was their children on a mountain wearing matching Lederhosen. They did not look very happy.

We got one photo Christmas card years ago from a pretty unbearably smug couple we knew in the US. It was their children on a mountain wearing matching Lederhosen. They did not look very happy.

Yes, I suspect the annual Christmas family photograph on a card is an American tradition, as I've had it from American friends too in the past (usually nothing so cringe-making though!).

Fine maybe for close family but TBH I can't stand it when I get someone's Grandchild's drawing .

Of course! And I don't agree about pix of kids - surely you are sending cards to people who care about you and your family. I really enjoy getting them and seeing how kids have grown - way better than yet another robin on a snowy branch!

We’re doing this this year - all children at my daughter’s school were asked to draw a Christmas themed picture and parent’s given the chance to buy Christmas cards with their child’s design on. They’re doing it to raise money for the PTA as they’re, obviously, not doing the usual Christmas Fair fundraiser.

This year's offering appears to be a couple of mutant penguins being run over by a penis-shaped sleigh.

Right, you can't dangle delights like this without a picture.

No, that's true. But it would just smack of 'my child's wonderful art' whereas in reality the parent might know it's wonky. Actually turning it into christmas cards seems a bit show off?
I disagree. Let's be honest most parents don't think their child's drawings are the best thing to have happened to the world of art.

Unless someone was the sort of parent who was an insatiable brag that drones on and on about how excellent their child is in every way then I'd see a child drawn card as a lovely alternative to shop bought ones.

@emmathedilemma

I like receiving the homemade / photos / school artwork cards. I've kept them over the years so have a little collection that come out most years. What I really don't like is the bragging "family newsletter" type inserts that sometimes come in Christmas cards.

In fairness, they can be pretty (unintentionally) funny, especially if you know what actually happened in the year in question and can see them skating tactfully over Uncle Thomas's brush with the law and Joshua's decision to drop out of his architecture degree to be a surf bum with lots of bright stories about the eight year old doing grade 35 in oboe and them all doing the Three Peaks Challenge.

If you really want to go down a (very amusing) rabbit hole re family portraits on Christmas cards, I give you - Awkward Family Photos - The Christmas Edition.

awkwardfamilyphotos.com/category/photos/christmas-2/

But it would just smack of 'my child's wonderful art' whereas in reality the parent might know it's wonky. Actually turning it into christmas cards seems a bit show off?

always sound more like the parents found the kids something useful to do on a rainy day

I am sure not everyone is interested in family photos, or kids arts, but I don't know anyone interested in any of the shop bought cards anyway.

No one is expecting the receiver to frame the bloody thing and treasure it for years, they'll be in the bin within 2 or 3 weeks in most houses. Or possibly cut down to gift tags for next year.

I must be weird, but I do like the family newsletter - for most of them, I've at least vaguely followed the last year on facebook or other, but it's nice to read the update.

Maybe I am just missing good old fashion letters when you're lucky to have even an email these days.