make gifts from memories

Giving gifts of meaning is always appreciated, and it makes me feel good to do it, too.

A $5 notepad bought because I’d love the picture is a much nicer gift than a $20 impersonal gift voucher in my eyes.

And home-made gifts show love and care as well, so why not make a meaningful gift for someone this Christmas?

Creating memory gifts

I’ve thought of a few ways to collate some memories to share as gifts…

• frame a collection of old kitchen or workshops gadgets – or a photo of them!  Use a deep frame or a shadow box (best for reducing dust collection!) or skip the glass front and attach items onto the backboard of a frame.  It’s a great use of old things not used much but too treasured to throw away.
• put a collection of treasured items inside a glass topped table
  

  Display table {image courtesy of HousingWorksThriftShops (Flick‘r)}

• make a picture out of special cards or tickets – put a few on an interesting background (try scrapbooking paper for inspiration) or overlap a lot of items.
• put some special photos into ornaments that hang on the Christmas tree
• laminate a special or funny photo and put it into a clear containers to fill with soap  as a personal addition to a bathroom or kitchen
• stick photos/collage onto kitchen canisters – it’s a very personalised kitchen, reuses old canisters and displays special memories in a creative way
• use old mirrors (especially those hand held ones that could be a reminder of a grandmother or childhood) as alternative photo frames
• make a picture or a collage of old house and car keys – a great  trip down memory lane! Alternatively, make them into a mobile or windchime.
  

  Mount some old keys to remember their secrets! {Image courtesy of TakiSteve (Flick’r)}

• use an old window frame from a family home to create a shadow box or picture frame so the frame and the contents bring warmth and happiness
• turn old wooden items into Christmas decorations
• make a wreath (of Christmas or perhaps to hang outdoors all year round) out of old tools, garden implements or kitchen gadgets
• make a patchwork quilt or throw rug out of some favourite fabric items like
  • baby clothes and blankets when the youngest child grows out of them
  • old tablecloths, runners and doyleys from your grandparents
  • a few favourite dresses or t-shirts
    

    Is this a colour statement or a collection of memories? {image courtesy of Maleva Apaixonada (flick’r)}

  • tea-towels from various places you’ve visited
• make a hanging rack by sticking objects on a length of wood – you can use cutlery and kitchen tools bent to shape, handles from various tools, door knobs, Lego or wooden blocks, and all sorts of things
• use some old lace and some glue to create a lamp cover or even a decorative bowl
  

  Two bowls made from lace and undiluted glue {image courtesy of Christine Majul (Flick’r)}

• make a snow dome using a laminated photo or some small items, like a toy car, animal or person

Of course, the hard part may be giving up your work when it’s time to hand it over!

Have you ever been given a gift based on memories and treasured items?

* All Flick’r images are used under the creative commons licence.