It is very likely that a handful of old photographs (and if it hasn’t happened to you it will sooner or later).
To those of us who love photography, when this happens to us we don’t know how to give them up, what’s more, it is likely that you were the one who did what caused this to happen. Those photos are so wonderful! They have a special charm, it is like traditional wine, it seems that the more years in the barrel the better it tastes, because something similar happens with the photos. You may not even know who are those who appear in them, or you do, and that is why they are even more special. And you may not know what to do with them, you simply have them stored in a box in some corner of the shelf or closet, taking on even more tradition. But, those photographs still have a soul and it is a pity that they do not see the light, that no one can admire and contemplate them.
If you are looking for how to digitize these old photos, here I tell you how to scan your photos or how to make photos of photos. In today’s article, what I will give you are ideas so that those photographs that have so many years, history and charm have a second chance and can be enjoyed again. Take advantage of what vintage it’s fashionable 😉
- Make a family history album.
- Decorate the walls of your house.
- Turn them into coasters.
- Create a family tree.
- Decorate glass jars.
- Make a case for your smartphone.
- Decorate your wedding.
- color them
8 Ways to Resurrect Your Old (and Often Beloved) Photos
1. Album
Yes, exactly, it is a classic option, but the idea is that you go a little further and at the same time that you do a creative exercise, you can also do it from memory and “family history”. On the one hand, you will not deny me that you already make few physical albums, the most you will do is order some digital ones, but hardly any photos are printed on paper and even less are they pasted in albums (a shame, really). . On the other hand, it can be a task to do as a family, collect these photos, arrange them in chronological order and put them in a nice album that you can write on. Why write? Well, so that the names and stories are not forgotten. Make the most of it while there are still those in your family who remember who all the people in the photo are, ask them to tell you a story, an anecdote and write everything you can in the album. If there is an interesting story you can even write it on a separate sheet of paper and stick it in the album. If you do this, the history of your family will be written, as if it were a graphic novel and your children, grandchildren… will be able to read it when no one is there to tell or show it to them. We always like to know details of our ancestors and it is not always possible. Give that opportunity to your descendants 😉 If you want to know a very simple and cheap way to make your own album to place the photos, click here.
2. Decorate the walls of your house
There are those who put paintings, current photographs, already framed prints from IKEA… the possibilities to decorate your walls there are many and all very valid, but if you want to put an original touch in your home, you can make a little corner in the living room or at the entrance, for example, with all the old photographs you have. To make it more beautiful and not look like your great-grandparents’ house 😉 the ideal is to paint the wall a very bright and cheerful color and put modern frames in different shapes and make a kind of mosaic. Here you have some graphic ideas to place the photographs.
3. Make coasters with your old photos
Yes, yes, you read correctly. It will seem like a crazy idea to you but you will not deny me that it is not original. As I said at the beginning, vintage is in fashion, there is no doubt about that either, if you carry out this idea you will surely surprise your guests 😉 And if you are one of those people who likes decoration and who takes care of all the details of the house, surely you like this option. Take the photos that have less emotional content, that is, the ones you like but don’t mean anything because you don’t even know who the people are. Better if they are similar in size and if you put a piece of cardboard behind them so that they have greater consistency. Once you have them with the cardboard glued from behind, you laminate them. So simple and cheap. If you like the idea, you can also copy it to make individual tablecloths, make a composition of several photographs on A3 cardboard (I would put it black or dark gray, but that’s your choice) and laminate it. Surely nobody has the same coasters or the same tablecloths as you, because even if they have the same idea, the photographs will be different!
4. Create a great family tree
It is another way to decorate one of the walls of your house but in a slightly more complex way. Organize the family tree of your family on paper (to make it easier 😉 ) and once you have it clear (because you probably have to ask a few questions if the photos are very very old), mount the tree on the wall, starting through the old photographs of your ancestors and ending with yours and those of your siblings, partner, children… It is an original idea and also a nice way to keep the whole family well present. And when the little ones in the house start to get confused with uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents… and all those names that seem the most complicated to them, you will have the scheme already done and it will be so easy and beautiful to explain it to them!
5. Decorate glass jars
Another decorative element for the house 😉 It’s very easy, choose the jars that you like the most, select the photos that fit the size of the jars and stick them with a transparent adhesive lining. Another very economical idea, easy to make and very decorative. You can also put the photos inside the jars so that they act as frames. Here They explain how.
6. Create a phone case
Very practical and not at all complicated, although yes, it will take you a little longer than the idea of the jars 😉 but it will surely be worth it. The following video explains it step by step. The only thing is that instead of the cards that she uses, you can put the old photographs that you want to give a second life to. You will have a most vintage, original, beautiful and exclusive cover!
7. Decorate your wedding with old family photos
Are you getting married soon? Or maybe a relative? You can use old family photographs to give a very special and emotional touch to this important event. You can honor your elders and give them a wonderful surprise. in this blog They tell you several ways to do it (which one is more beautiful). And well, who says a wedding, says a baptism or any other self-respecting family celebration 😉
8. Colorize old photos
Another option to give them a second life is to give them the color they never had. If you have a photograph that is more special or that you like very much and that you would have liked to have it in color, you can put it on yourself. Here is a video that explains step by step how to restore and colorize old photos.
Give one of these opportunities to those photographs that one day had their moment of glory and that today only gather dust in the bottom of a drawer or that have not seen the light for years because they are forgotten in a little box.
In time you will be glad that you enjoy them and that others can too.
You can also use any of these ideas to make a gift or share this article if you know someone who treasures old photographs and doesn’t know what to do with them 😉 If you liked it, do it to us know, so we can refine more and more in the topics that interest you 😉 Thank you very much and until next time!