Tips for Downsizing your Print-Photo Collection!

Printed photos are among our most intimate treasures, which is why it can be so very hard to part with them, and why most of us have boxes – and boxes – of them in our homes. If this sounds like you, and you are trying to downsize, check out the tips below for creative ways to reduce the collection.

Family Tree Inspiration

Inspire your grandchildren to make a photographic family tree by sending them a range of photos depicting family members, old and young (check here for free family tree-making templates). If you have several grandchildren, make up a bundle of photos for each of them – if they don’t use them immediately, they are sure to in the future!

Memory Moments

If you’ve ever been gifted photos, out of blue, reminding you of a happy time spent with friends or family, you’ll be aware of the joy they can bring. For a moment, a day, or a week, you relive the occasion all over again before, most of the time, letting the photos go. Create these happy memories for others by grouping together bundles of photos relevant to them, and posting them off with a brief note. You’re almost certain to receive a grateful communication in return.

Birthday and Anniversary Cards

Choosing greeting cards with meaning can be a struggle, but not when you tailor them specifically to the recipient with a relevant photo. To do this, pick up a pack of blank cards and envelopes. Use double sided tape to mount your photo on the front of the card, or for a more vintage look, try this: Open a card out flat, on a cutting board, and sit your photo squarely on the front of it. Place a small pencil dot on the card to mark each corner of the photo. Take the photo off. Use a craft knife and ruler to make 4 small diagonal slits 1.5cm in from the dots. Slide each corner of your photo into a slot to hold the card in place.

Enjoy!

Ask yourself how often you’ve actually enjoyed looking at the many photos you have stored in boxes, cartons or albums, and the answer is: ‘probably one or twice’ (just after they were developed!). Instead of hiding these memories away for another decade, take out a selection of 8 or 10 at a time and display them in a prominent place. To do this, purchase a length of colourful ribbon, and a packet of mini wooden clothes pegs from you local craft shop. String or pin up the ribbon, and attach a different set of photos to it every few days, using the pegs. Once you’ve enjoyed a round of pics, and are looking forward to the next, you’ll find it’s much easier to discard the last set without heartache!

Update your mugs

Chances are, a good many of the photos in your top draw are of the grandies – but no matter how much you love these snaps, there’s a limit to the number you have space for. Instead of holding on to all the photos, choose one of each grandchild (it doesn’t matter what age it was taken at), and have it professionally transferred to a personalised mug. Take some of the mugs you already have to the op-shop, and replace them with what will become your ‘gorgeous grandies’ collection. (The grandchildren will enjoy drinking out of their ‘own’ mug when they come to visit, too!).

Snap and store

Can’t bear to part with your print photos? You don’t need to if you’re prepared to scan them (or snap them with your mobile phone), and store them on your computer. Photos in digital form can also be stored in a personal ‘digital library’ such as Google Photos (Google Photos provides 15GB of free storage before you need to purchase any more space – that’s a lot of photos stored at no cost). Digitising photos is a great holiday job for an older grandchild who is looking for pocket money!

As you downsize your print photo collection, we hope you enjoy some happy – and moving – memories, along the way.