Most of the hundreds (okay, thousands) of images we photo-happy young professionals take will live only on our cell phones and computer screens.
Few will ever see the light of day as we continue to print less and less.
Well, we think that’s kind of sad.
So, here are nine creative things to do with those photographs that go above and beyond the typical photo album or scrapbook.
1. Complete Happy Hour
If custom designed coasters complete with carefully curated pictures don’t make a great housewarming gift, then we don’t know what does. You can never have enough coasters, let alone ones that reflect years of memories. If you’re going the gift route, we recommend opting for black and white to complement any living room décor.
2. Table it
If you want to add a little (ok, a ton) of character to a coffee table, craft a collage of photos under a glass-topped table. Of course, these can be colourful images of friends and family (how wholesome), but for a more sophisticated and classic look, print up black and white images captured from travels to your favourite cities (your camera’s probably full of them, after all).
3. Eat Off of it
Toronto-based young professional Jacqueline Poirier has quickly made a name for herself with her creative hand-painted plates, originally designed for service at Toronto’s Ritz Carlton TOCA restaurant. Whether street signs or portraits, Poirier can recreate your images on plates, making for amazing one-of-a-kind gifts – and ones that have become a quick favourite among visiting celebrities.
4. See it Through a Window
Blow up your favourite shot and frame it with a vintage reclaimed window frame – the more paneling, the better.
5. Put it in the Palm of Your Hand
Ensure you never leave the party with the wrong cell phone with a case that’s customized with all of your best shots (hopefully, not selfies).
6. Jar it
Swap the traditional photo frames for vintage glass Mason jars to display your pictures. All you do is insert your 4×6 picture into the Mason jar and pour enough vegetable oil to cover the image completely, which will suspend the picture. Tighten the lid – it’s that simple. The result is an aged, yellowed look, perfect for black and white shots.
7. Go Big
Channel the film Big and use a bookshelf as a massive photo frame. Blow up some of your favourite shots and size them to fit perfectly in the back of a bookshelf. The more compartments the shelf has of different sizes, the better. Picture a blown-up family wall photo frame.
8. Make it Art
Whether it’s an amazing image of that spectacular sunset on one of your travels, or a shot of your city’s skyline, turn your photo into a large-scale piece of art that makes a statement. Blow them up, print them to canvass, and hang them on your walls.
9. Sleep on it
What cuter gift for your mom or significant other than a pillow filled with memories of the two of you? Stitchtagram allows you to design handcrafted pillows, tote bags, and coin purses using pictures from Instagram.
#NOTABLE
Cover image from: http://beautyandbedlam.com
Image of woman and blown up photo: apieceoftoastblog.com
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