First of all, I have to credit my mom for this crafty gift idea with a personable touch. She started doing this when my sister and I were little. So thank you mom for this simple yet effective project and handing down your gift-making skills!
The best part about this gift, is that the person receiving the gift thinks it's just a regular book, but when they open it, it's a personalized, one-of-a-kind, heartfelt book!!!
Materials You'll Need:
• A book (preferably with a story that relates to the person you're gifting to)
• Printed Photos (from the store or printed from the computer)
• Scissors
• Glue stick or double stick tape...regular tape will work fine, too.
• Thin Sharpies or colorful markers and pens (optional)
• Stickers (optional)
• Decorative tape or
washi tape (optional)
Production Time:
Approx 1 hour (depending on how much you'd like to get creative with yours, it could take longer.)
Step 1:
Buy a book from the store to give! It can be a favorite book of yours, a special book that has meaning to you, a silly book, one by your favorite author...really any type of book works. I usually choose a children's picture book because it has a lot of cute illustrations that we an relate to. When choosing a book, it's best to keep in mind what type of pictures you have. It'll make it easier for you in the long run.
Step 2:
Go through the book to distinguish what pictures you should print from your photo albums and how big to print them. If you have time and don't mind spending a few bucks, get some 3x5's printed at
Ritz Camera or
Walmart or wherever you get your photos printed. The reason why I suggest 3x5's is because they're one of the smaller size prints. They're also one of the cheapest. You probably won't need larger prints for the books since the illustrations are small. Also, prints from the store look nicer than computer prints, and they'll last longer. Computer prints are cheaper, however they might fade over time. They are also more convenient. I've done both, and either work great, so it's up to you.
Step 3:
Separate and categorize your chosen photos by page. I choose photos that pertain to what's going on in the story. For instance, if the words from the story say, "I gave daddy a hug", then I try to find a picture of my daughter hugging her daddy to place next to that wording. Make sense? Sometimes it's difficult to find the "perfect" picture to go on a particular page, but if it's close enough and it's cute, just go with it!
Step 4:
Simply cut and paste! Treat the book as if it were a photo album or photo collage! You can secure each photo down with a glue stick (which is what I use) or double sticky tape or regular scotch tape. If you want to get crafty, you can use decorative tape on the top, bottom, or the sides for a fun touch! You can cut right along the shape of the people (like a silhouette), or a circular crop or even just a rectangle or square. Whichever you have time for or whichever fits on the page best works fine.
Step 5 (optional):
Embellish your book!! You can use your own creativity to add decorative tape or stickers! Try adding some fun captions. You can use personal jokes or phrases using that person's name or of friends and family. Even drawing some fun doodles to go with your photos is personable, too.
Here are some examples of how we've done it in the past!
You cannot go wrong with this! Actually, this idea can go for anyone...not just dads ;) Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there!! Enjoy your weekend!
