When you are designing a direct mail piece or sprucing up some letter head, for the Christmas and holiday season that is upon us, it can be tempting to fit as much as possible into the space available, in hopes of really selling the season or an urgency to shop. I mean there are tons of holiday stock photos out there, why not mix several together into a fully loaded creative, complete with all the bells and whistles(or tinsel and chimes)? This though tends to have the same effect as when you squeeze all the shopping, parties and family into you life this December. That is, a sense of being cramped, stressed and overloaded. Not exactly the best environment for merry making, or designing. So what can you do?

First, take a breath. No a deep breath
Second, I highly doubt you have to do much to sell the client/customer on the fact that the Christmas season is upon us so why not give them, and you, some breathing room by incorporating one of the age old rules of design: simple design is better design.

So to that end, here are some great stock photos that can be easily used as holiday accents in the corners of your design pieces (or anywhere you like, you’re the designer) to keep your creative both seasonally relevant, and at the same time simple and elegant.