Photography, possibly the greatest invention ever made for the purpose of recalling that certain time in your life, the”That will never happen again” moment, or that feeling you got when… No matter what the reason is, a photo is the best way to remember. So wouldn’t a special photograph be a wonderful gift for someone you love?
Here are 8 terrific DIY gifts you could give using your photographs:
- One of the coolest things I have seen my girlfriend create was a decoupage bowl that she made for aunt on Christmas a few years back. It was super easy and fast, and turned out to be the biggest hit at the gift exchange.
All you do is first find a bowl big enough to accommodate couple of your favorite photos. My girlfriend used a big wooden bowl we found at a thrift store. Then make some photocopies in different sizes to be sure you’ll be able to arrange them fit properly. Next, make a mixture of Modge Podge and water in a separate bowl. Cut out your pictures to fit, line the bowl with a little bit of the mixture, dip each photo in mix and place inside of the bowl. Then finish with a layer of mixture, let dry and your done.
- Use a photo to personalize a clock. Affix a photo to a board of the same size. You can find the clock mechanism at a craft store, or do what I would do and take one from some old clock you probably have somewhere in your house anyways. Drill a hole in the center of the wood and install the mechanism, and your done.
- One of my favorite things to do for people is a collage. all you have to do is pick your favorite pics, stick them on a board or anything you think would be awesome. You can use a mixture of Modge Podge and water, or simply glue them on the board and your done.
- Photo pillow. So cool and easy to make. You can find inkjet fabric sheets at Amazon or local craft store. Then print out the photo of your choice onto fabric sheet. Get a piece of fabric for the backing. sew together right sides facing in, leaving a small gap. Turn pillow right side out, stuff with fill and hand sew the gap closed and your finished.
- A cute idea is to glue a tiny photo inside of a bottle/beer cap and hot glue a magnet to the back and that’s it. Your done. Sweet.
- Polaroid coasters are a nice gift for anyone. All you need is a few 4×4″ tiles that you can find at any hardware store. Print outs of any photographs you choose. And Modge Podge. Make a mixture of the Modge Podge and water. dip the photos in the mix and apply to the tiles, let dry. Then you can spray a clear lacquer over the top for extra sealant. Let dry and your done.
- A really neat idea I’ve seen recently is a photo lamp shade. There are a few ways to do this. And i haven’t had a chance to make one yet, so you should definitely check out what style you like the best and follow the directions they provide.
- For those of you that might not be the most “crafty”, you can always send your photographs in and get things like coffee mugs, puzzles, T-shirts and all kinds of really cool items you might not even have thought of but would be perfect for you.
If you are in need of a little inspiration, check out Ismail Sirdah. He is the kind of artist that feels like no matter what, he can improve. He started taking pictures in middle school on his mothers camera. He fell in love with photography and never stopped chasing his passion.
Photographs are our windows to the past. They can freeze time. Take us to a place we’ve never been before. Photos never forget.
