I so LOVE the Christmas-card-pic...and this one came to me recently, not b/c it's cheap, but b/c it's fun...
Make a large frame...out of wood, cardboard, foam, etc. (The more "rustic" the better for the pic.) Wrap it in a strand of Christmas lights. Have your kids hold it around their faces, slightly skewed...then snap! Everyone will love the creativity AND simplicity!