Turn Your Keepsakes into Memory Collages

Turning your treasured photos, keepsakes and found objects into art pieces you can be proud to display can be a simple afternoon's project.By incorporating copies of photos, letters, jewelry and other items into your shadow box you can turn any occasion or event into a creative keepsake memory. Keepsake shadow boxes are great to preserve memories of babies and children, a favorite hobby or sport, or a special event in your life, or loved ones who are no longer with you. All things can become keepsakes. The true value of something is only limited by your desire to preserve it and keep the memory alive.

For a baby box you might include rattles, photos, copies of hand/footprint and a copy of birth announcement in the birth of baby theme. Use a snip from her first haircut, a baby bonnet, and baby booties in a baby's first haircut theme.Use miniature toys, baby decorations, scraps of fabric from baby room décor, colored beads for a nursery theme.

For fillers, if you need them, use baby blocks, alphabet buttons, strings of pastel colored beads, or pastel ribbon.

The frame could be a regular shadow box frame painted in pastel colors or stamped with baby themed stamps, like footprints. On the background attach gingham fabric or lace fabric. The background fabric should always be subtle, so as not to overpower the main objects. Another idea for a frame is to use an old animal shaped or baby shaped cake pan. Be sure to attach a picture bracket on the back before starting.

For a Wedding theme, use Dried flowers from the bouquet, ribbon, picture of the couple, scrap of fabric from dress, and an invitation for the ceremony keepsake. A copy of the agenda, handwritten notes from the couple to each other, love letters for the engagement keepsake box. Ribbons and fans, costume jewelry, old perfume bottles, souvenirs from honeymoon, and postcards are great in a honeymoon theme.

For fillers, use ribbon scraps, beads, buttons, coins, slips of words such as hope, dreams, love, cherish and miniature wedding favors work well.An extra large, deep frame with a mat looks especially well with a wedding theme. The frame can be left in natural state, stained, painted in wedding colors or covered in lace.

For a special cat or dog, put an old Collar, name tag, lock of their hair, photos of pet, toys, copy of a paw-print in a bone shaped frame.You can add the date of their birth / death on a small shaped stone glued to the outside. Add chew toys, miniature stuffed toy, and animal shaped buttons to fill in empty areas. If you have an old frame, cover it in antiqued dog biscuit labels.

For a fisherman's hobby, use photo of the big catch, favorite lure, fishing line, snap swivels, miniature fishing rod. For the frame attach fishing lures, labels and coiled fishing line to the outside

If you have a thimble collection, line thimbles in rows attached to your background that is covered in a special fabric, add needles and thread between the thimbles and bits of lace, along with words in different languages for the meaning of thimble or sewing.

For a Label collection, affix labels (or copies of the labels, if you prefer) to cardstock in a coordinating color, attach to a background that has been covered in black felt or velvet. Arrange the labels at different angles, with some overlapping. For fillers, add wine corks or small bottles. The frame can be a small, old crate that has the sides cut down, so the crate has a smaller depth. Try to keep it less than eight inches deep, if it is to be hung on the wall.

How about doing a theme for the kitchen? Put copies of Grandmother's favorite handwritten recipes, old measuring spoons, old utensils, a piece of her favorite apron, a copy of the cover of her favorite cookbook, and your cherished photograph of her. Use magnets, fabric, old spice labels and dried flowers for fillers. For a an extra special touch print out Grandma's favorite saying.

A large casserole pan, a wooden washboard frame or an aged box can be used in the kitchen theme. Cover the frame in old labels or recipes.

No matter the keepsake or the theme, use your imagination to find creative ways to display and cherish. This is uniquely your treasures, so there is no right or wrong way to display.