If the photos are digital, you can organize them in files on your computer. You might organize them by date, theme, or relevance. Or, you can put them on a flash drive and print them out. If the photographs are physical copies, you should scan and digitize them before putting them in a book. This saves the original while giving you plenty of copies to work with. If you do not own a scanner, check out your local public library to see if they offer scanning services. If you are having trouble choosing, you can look for the major milestones of their life: baby pictures, graduations, weddings, award ceremonies, vacations, and other big events. Invite family members and friends to add their photos to the book. You can do this at the funeral service, through letters, or over email.
What is your favorite memory of the deceased? Is there something that the deceased told you that you will always remember? What kinds of traditions did you have with the deceased? How long did you know them for? How did you first meet the deceased?
For example, if your loved one was an artist, you might include a few images of their artwork. If the deceased loved animals, you might include a few pictures of their favorite pets. You might also include things that represent historical events that they witnessed. [2] X Research source For example, you can add news articles of elections or tickets of famous concerts.
For example, you might write, “Dad, I think of you every day. You were such an inspiration in my life, and I still love you so much. While I miss you dearly, I hope that wherever you are, you’re peaceful. ” You can also try writing a letter to the deceased where you tell them things that you never got to say. For example, you might write, “I was always too proud to admit how much I looked up to my big brother, but now I just want to say, you were always my inspiration. ”[4] X Research source Include the obituary and eulogy. If you don’t want to start from scratch with the person’s life story, you can take the obituary and eulogy from their funeral. These can be copied and pasted into your book. [5] X Research source
”Unable are the loved to die for love is immortality. ” –Emily Dickinson “The song is ended, but the melody lingers on. ” –Irving Berlin “It is not length of life, but depth of life. ” –Emerson Ralph Waldo
If you are arranging sections chronologically, make sure to include the dates that are associated with each picture and story. You can have different sections marked by different titles. For example, “Love of Her Life” can be the title for a section on your loved one’s marriage. “Never forgotten” can be the title of a section on their funeral. [7] X Research source
If you want a service that will give you premade templates and print the book for you, Shutterfly, Snapfish, and Bookify offer basic layouts. Photo editing programs such as Adobe InDesign, Lightroom, and iPhoto can be used to make more advanced, personalized pages. You can then upload these files to a self-publishing service such as Blurb to have them printed. [8] X Trustworthy Source Consumer Reports Nonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testing Go to source
An eight by eight book will have no more than six to eight pictures per two pages, while a twelve by twelve book can have up to ten or twelve. [9] X Research source Most photo books will start at about twenty pages per book, regardless of size, although you may be able to pay for extra pages. Photo book services tend to start at around fifteen to twenty dollars for a basic eight by eight book, whereas a twelve by twelve book can start at around sixty dollars. Extra pages, special bindings, and shipping can add to the price.
Consider how you are breaking up your book into sections. How many pictures do you have for each section? Roughly how many pictures do you need per page? Choose a variety of layouts that include different photo numbers and sizes so that your book has a different layout on each page. [10] X Research source
You may want to keep these memories and stories brief to allow for more room for images.
If you used your own photo editing program, simply find a self-publishing program that will let you upload and publish your book. Blurb offers options for this. Some services may take a few days to produce your book, even if you select rush shipping. Research your service ahead of time to make sure that you can get your book when you need it. [12] X Trustworthy Source Consumer Reports Nonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testing Go to source
You can buy scrapbooks at art stores or stationery stores. [13] X Research source Most scrapbooks will come with properly sized sleeves and paper pages. You can also buy additional sleeves or pages. Photo albums are different from scrapbooks in that they have individual sleeves for each photograph. Photo albums do not typically have space for other documents. If you want to use a photo album, you can hand write your memories on the back of the photograph.
If you print the photographs yourself, you can find glossy photo paper at an office supply store. Be careful while cutting out the images to make sure that your lines are straight.
Be careful with originals as you may not have a copy if you make a mistake or tear it. Make sure that this memorabilia is flat so that you can fit in the scrapbook. [14] X Research source You can also include items that represent their life. For example, if your loved one was a gardener, you might include a pressed flower. Or if your loved one taught gymnastics, you might include a pamphlet from their gym.
If you are handwriting messages or dates, you can use brightly colored pens. Gel pens, permanent markers, and fountain pens are a great way to add a personal touch to the scrapbook.
If your scrapbook came with page protectors, slide the page out of the sleeve before adhering your items to the page. Allow the glue to dry before sliding it back in.
Letter stickers can be used to spell out titles for each section. [15] X Research source If your loved one had a favorite color, you can find that color in card stock. Use the card stock to frame or outline photographs. To do this, trace the photograph on the card stock, and then create a border of about half an inch outside of that. Cut out the card stock, and paste the photograph to it before putting it in the scrapbook. If your loved one traveled frequently, you can find stickers of different flags and places to put next to their travel pictures. While your scrapbook probably came with plain paper pages, you can also buy colorful pages or pages with print designs.
