Children / Crafts:Personalized Storybook

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click on the photo of Goodbye Lie N203 from our own handmade jewelry collection inspired by The Goodbye Lie, a Victorian novel by Jane Marie

click on the photo to enlarge it

You'll need:

• 1 inexpensive photo album from the dollar store that holds 4" x 6" horizontal pictures with one photo sleeve above the other (photo in top sleeve, words/story in bottom sleeve)
• 1 computer for lettering or crayons or makers to write the words in bold print
• Plain or light colored paper on which to write the story
• Scissors
• See through tape in case the torn photos must be put back in the album
• Stickers, rubber stamps for decorating (optional)

Take a dozen or so photos of your child/grandchild during an outing to the zoo, a visit to a dear friend or relative's house, on vacation, at the beach, in the yard or playground or some other adventure. 

Have them developed as 4" x 6" prints or print them on inexpensive copy paper on your computer's printer.  (Remember, younger children may rip the book as they read, so save your pennies and don't use expensive photo paper.)

Put the photos in order to make a simple story.

Entitle your story, e.g., "Fun with Ava!" or  "A Trip to Grammy's House," whatever the adventure may be.

In bold, uppercase lettering, type or write the title on paper and cut the paper to 4" x 6" so it can be slipped into the first sleeve of the photo album.

Decide what caption you want each of your photos to have and type or write the captions out.  Use single, simple words if the child is young.

Turn the first page and insert the first photo in your story on in the top sleeve. Insert the corresponding word in the bottom photo. Turn the page and continue adding photos to the top pages and corresponding words to the bottom.

Example:

Photo of Ava at the playground on top, corresponding word is SWING on bottom.

Photo of Ava looking at pink roses on top, corresponding word is FLOWERS on bottom.

Photo of Ava in her highchair eating on top, corresponding word is FOOD or EAT on bottom.

This homemade gift takes little time to make and is fun for the whole family.  As your child gets older, they can tell you what photos to take or they can take their own.  Once they are printed, you both can make the book.  It will be a fun project, a wonderful memory, and a treasure to keep.

ADULT VERSION

I made an adult version for an older family relative who was down in the dumps.  I went through tons of old pictures, scanned some of my relative with family and friends, all different ages, some in color, some black and white, and in no particular order of event or chronology. 

I put them in 8"x 10" plastic sleeves in a 3 ring binder to I could add more, decorated them with stickers and rubber stamps to make them colorful, and gave them to my relative.  I can't tell you how thrilled and uplifted he was to receive this in the mail!  He liked it so much, he asked me to make another, and I did. 

Remember, the best gifts cost only love to make.  

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