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An Extended Christmas Animation
According to the blog entitled “Animation” which was posted by Neil last December 2, 2004 at www.eightlines.com, someone spent way too long on a Christmas Flash animation. You can actually view the animation at...
Are You A Victim Of Your Own Christmas?
We’re coming down to the wire. How’s it feeling to you? Why do I ask that? Well, whatever you’re celebrating, and whatever your religious orientation, Christmas is a celebration, a celebration that for many has a spiritual basis to it. That is,...
Christmas After Credit Cards
A crucial time of year is approaching for families trying to reduce debt. The holidays are always difficult to get through without increasing debt. I've found this to be especially true with my own family. Reflecting on previous years it's hard to...
Christmas Gifts Kids Can Make
Christmas is a time of giving and receiving. Even kids would want to get into the picture. Giving gifts to their friends and loved ones. Now what gifts can kids give that do not look tacky? I mean, kids generally do not have much income. It kind...
Fly Fishing Gifts For Christmas
Christmas is a wonderful time of the year unless you’re having problems coming up with gift ideas. Here are a few fly fishing gift ideas. Okay, I’ll be the first one to admit publicly that buying gifts for the holidays can be a pain in derriere....
Have a Christmas Party- a planning guide
This is a favorite time of the year for many people. Why not
take one night in December and set up a nice holiday
party. Plan a small get together with family and friends.
It is a great excuse to get together. Plan it early in
December so...
It Wouldn't Be Christmas Without A Pantomime
A visit to the Pantomime is a longstanding Christmas tradition. Children and grown-ups alike love it, this peculiarly British way to celebrate the festive season. When else would you take the kids to see a woman playing a man, a man playing a woman...
That's the Christmas Spirit
Last Christmas, Uncle Albert promised his neighbor, Wilson, to find a way to keep the Christmas spirit alive all year. You know, just like Wilson and everybody else wishes people each year. Yesterday I was checking my calendar. "Holy...
The Truth About Christmas
Every year, as Christmas approaches, you hear Christmas carols everywhere. Sometimes to the point where another Silent Night would make you want to silent the sound system. Everyone is scrambling to buy Christmas gifts for everyone in a list that...
Travel Gift Ideas – Christmas Presents
Looking for travel gift ideas? Here are a few that make great Christmas presents or just good old travel gifts. Travel Gift Ideas Whether for work or fun, people that travel a lot are easy to buy for. There are simply a ton of gadgets and...
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Use Your Photographs to Create Unique Christmas Gifts
Having a tough time coming up with creative Christmas gifts this year? The answer might be right in front of you – in your photograph albums, boxes, or file folders. Don’t just give the traditional framed photo though. Instead, give your recipients thoughtful, personalized gifts that are also functional. Here are my five favorite photograph gift ideas:
1. Photo transfer coasters: You can transfer photos onto many mediums, from fabric to wood. T-shirts and tote bags are popular, but why not try something really different? Purchase a set of stone coasters (You know, the super-absorbent kind with cork on the bottom.) Then, buy some photo transfer sheets at any craft store. Some transfer sheets allow you to print your digital photos directly onto the sheets, while others allow you to photocopy a printed photo.
2. Photo Mouse pad: This is an excellent, useful gift idea for all of the techies in your life. Many photo development stores (online and off) offer mouse pads printed with your favorite photograph. Another option is to buy mouse pads with an opening to add your own photo. These are nice because you can change out the picture over time and they generally look as good as or even better than the printed ones.
3. Photo Calendars: Photo development stores offer a variety of calendar designs where you specify your 12, or sometimes more, photos and they print and bind the calendars for you. However, these are some of the easiest gifts to make yourself if you have a computer and a photo quality printer. Most greeting card software offers calendar templates or you can purchase specific calendar-creating software. These make great gifts that your family will ask for year-after-year.
4. Photo Magnets: This is one of the easiest photo craft gifts to make and you can be fairly certain your recipients will have a place to put these. The easiest way to make photo magnets is to purchase small magnet frames from a craft store and add your own photos. A slightly more unique approach is to purchase magnet photo paper, print your photos directly onto the magnet paper, and cut them out.
We like to recycle all of those magnet advertisements we get all year by gluing photographs
directly to the front and cutting around the magnet’s shape. This gives you a nice assortment of shapes and sizes and generally looks a little nicer than the printable magnet sheets.
Our favorite photo magnet gift is to glue very small printed photos to the back of flattened clear glass beads. The glass beads found in craft stores for flower arranging work best and, if you’re lucky, you can even find some that are about an inch across instead of the more common half inch size. Glue the picture to the back of the bead, with clear-drying glue, on the printed side of your photo. Once it dries, glue a small magnet to the back. Small, very strong magnets can also be found at most craft stores. These gifts look especially nice wrapped inside a small tin.
5. Photo Soap: “Consumable” gifts are in this year! Everyone’s house is cluttered and gifts that don’t need a permanent home are well appreciated. Imbed some photos into homemade soaps, and encourage your friends and family to actually use the soap, promising more next year. It’s easier than you might think. First, you’ll want to buy some melt and pour soap and some soap molds (plain rectangles or ovals work best.) Cut and laminate some photos so that they are slightly smaller than your soap molds. Melt a small amount of clear soap and pour into the bottom (which will end up being the top) of a mold. Once it dries, place your laminated photo on top (face down) and pour some more clear soap to cover. If you want, you can add a third, colorful soap layer behind that one, adding a framed look to your photograph.
These are just a few ideas of how to use your photos to make unique Christmas gifts this year. For detailed instructions on these and more ideas, feel free to visit the photograph gift page of our website, www.photo-opps.com/photograph-gifts.html.
About the Author
Author Kelly Mann is a digital camera and computer enthusiast who offers ideas and tips on ways to share your photographs, from e-mail and screensavers to gifts and crafts, on her website, www.Photo-Opps.com .
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