There are not many things that an older loved one loves more than looking at family photos. My parents can spend hours looking through the photo albums and act like I’ve given them an awesome gift when I print out the newest pictures of their great-grandkids.
For many years now my daughter has given me personalized calendars with all the faces of my grandkids marking each month. I love these because I can look back at old and new photos and see the changing faces of my sweet grandkids. It’s not too late to give an “after Christmas” gift to your older loved one that they will cherish throughout the year!
Calendars
Personalized photo calendars are not expensive. I was so inspired by my daughter’s that I made one for my best friend’s aunt. It cost around $10 and a little time on the computer. You can download your Facebook photos, photos from your cell phone or use a scanner to import old prints. My scanner isn’t working right now so I just took photos of my photos with my cell to download some of my older prints. Once I placed the order, the calendar was ready the next day.
You can choose from many sized calendars and use your creative juices to choose just one photo per month or a collage of photos. Older eyes will probably enjoy large calendars with just a few photos.
My daughter Tara Marie then adds all the birthdays and special days for every month. My parents really appreciate having all the birthdays displayed since there are now ten grandkids!
The website I used also had blankets, mugs and other items that you could have your photos printed on. I think a coffee mug with the kids’ photo on it will be perfect for my daddy’s birthday. I’m not sure about the blankets. I’m wondering if they can take washing without fading out.
Other Projects
Collages are another way to give your older loved one a treat. I’ve seen many collages in the assisted living apartments and the residents are more than proud to show them off. These are especially good for those who are experiencing dementia. Label each photo with the name of the person and the relationship to your older loved one. Make sure to mount the collage in a place that they can easily see it and get up close to it.
Another way to share photos for your older loved one is to put them under glass on the coffee table or even a kitchen table. I’d use plexiglass for this one to keep it safe. The great thing about displaying photos this way is you can change them so easily.
Digital photo frames are all the rage now. You can load them up with lots of photos for your loved one to enjoy. More can be added and changed as you like. Just be sure to place them at eye level so your loved one will look at them often.
Have you seen the photo books that you can design yourself? I saw one yesterday at a friend’s house. It was all about her granddaughter and had photos of her with all her family members and on special occasions. Her parents added text with the photos and it was so cute! You could do a “This is Your Life” book or “a Family Tree” book. I know any older loved one would treasure such books.
I hope you will all try creating your own masterpieces to share with your family members. You can’t give them anything they will enjoy more!
Resources
Below is a list of some websites you can use to design photo projects:
