photo projects
The Memory Box - Creating a fun and unique collage of your recent vacation or family outing
Text and photos by the “PhotoGuru”, Sean Arbabi / Arbabi Imagery
CREATING A MEMORY BOX is basically organizing an interesting photo collage from your recent vacation - a great way to show family and friends where you went, what you did, and how much fun you had. It’s also makes a wonderful centerpiece in your home for all to see, easy to create and change, and no set method to make. Once you put it together it is uniquely yours, a one-of-a-kind personal creation.
STEP ONE: GATHERING YOUR SUPPLIES
Your can incorporate as much or as little as you wish to your memory box, but you will need the essentials. A shadow box can be purchases at almost any art framing or art supply store, and comes in various colors, sizes, and styles. Pick one you feel would best fit your style to match your home, or a style that may give you a bit of the feel from your vacation.
Here is a list of supplies and ideas of items to use in the creation of your memory box
Shadow Box (1 frame): they come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on where you buy yours. Consider your preferred size of final design as well as the style of your home before you purchase a box frame- it will assist you in how much or little you’ll add, and will also match the feel of your home once complete. We chose a nice medium-color wood shadow box, 14” x 20” and 3” deep for this memory box.
Photos (2-5 prints of various sizes): It’s up to you which photos you will chose for your trip, but selecting a few that tell a story is a great place to start. Maybe a group shot of your family or friends, possibly a grand scene of a location you enjoyed or one that offered a nice memory, and then a detail from the location (such as a close-up shot of coconuts from our Kauai vacation)- selecting a group such as this can give you a vignette of your trip or outing.
Glue: Regular carpenter’s glue such as Elmer’s or Gorilla Glue is preferred.
Glitter Glue: a fun way to spice things up with your design. In our example, I’ve used Glitter Glue to write out a title for the collage “Kauai 2006”, but it can be used in a variety of ways to add color and sparkle to your project.
Tape (double-sided): A utility tool for anything and everything you want to stick down while hiding the tape. I used double-sided tape to stack foamcore pieces together (to rise photos off of the background) and to tape down any scrap pieces that did not have adhesive.
Crate Paper (1-3 sheets): Again, you will be able to find all kinds of colors and styles of craft paper at most arts and craft stores, and even more choices at scrapbook stores. Great to add as a backdrop to your collage, crate paper can add a subtle mood or feel to your design. For our Kauai vacation memory box, I added paper that had a bamboo island feel, at least to me.
Scrapbook items: there are thousands of scrapbook items to choose from and almost every major vacation location around the world, so if you find a good scrapbook store near you or use one of our online recommendations, you should be able to find everything from apples to sailboats, aloha signs to zebras.
Scissors (regular and/or fun style): for general cutting and trimming of your prints- you also have the option of using fun style scrapbooking scissors to create unique edging to your photos (whether sawtooth cut or wave-shaped, scrapbooking scissors come in a variety of styles).
Foamcore: great for stacking and layering items in your frame, foamcore is a type of think white cardboard-like material you can buy at most craft stores. I cut it into small pieces and used it to lift some of my photos off of the background giving a three-dimensional appearance to my collage.
Vacation items: This can include anything you may come across on your trip- sand, some shells, a dried flower or leaf, or anything you may have purchased along the way. Please note regarding natural or environmental items: in many locations and parks around the world, removing and transporting items such as sand, shells, feathers, or any other item from nature is prohibited and can be illegal is some circumstances. An easier method for collecting is purchasing these items from local vendors or markets, or even finding them locally (such as palm leaves at your local nursery).
Optional supplies:
Pins: a fun addition to your design
Photo Corners: giving your design an old-fashioned or retro feel
Stickers: another design touch to add color or more to your theme
STEP TWO: PREPARING YOUR COLLAGE LAYOUT
Before you begin to permanently place photos and items into the shadow box, playing around with the layout of your collage is always a good thing to do. It not only allows you to change and move items around before it’s too late, but it also give you a good idea of your final design. Remember to use small pieces of foam core to layer your design, and to think about which photos you may use. Try a few layouts before deciding on your favorite and you’ll be happier in the end.
STEP THREE: GLUING AND LAYERING
Once you’re pleased with a feel to your layout, you can begin the gluing and layering process. Be aware, you’ll be starting from the bottom up, so consider which items you need to put in place first and double-check your design before gluing or sticking them in for good. Move slow and every once in a while, step back to review your progress.
STEP FOUR: ADDING THE FINAL TOUCHES
The best process I’ve found in building your collage is to glue and set the main items in place, creating a simple design, and allowing you to add little touches here and there as you wish.
GURU’S WRAP UP
Now your Memory Box is complete! Remember, the great aspect of this home project is
you can always change your final design, replace it for a new vacation collage, and/ or
involve the entire family.
Where to buy supplies:
http://www.aaronbros.com (Aaron Bros.- frames & supplies- find a location near you)
http://www.elmers.com/ (Elmer’s website, glue for arts and crafts, fun facts, and info)
http://www.stamperswarehouse.com/
(Stamper’s Warehouse - San Francisco Bay Area scrapbooking store)
http://www.scrapbooksupplystore.com/ (Scrapbook Supple Store - on the web)
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To re-publish this article, please contact Sean Arbabi @ 925 855 8060, or email info@photoguru.tv
Title: The Memory Box
Subtitle: Creating a fun and unique collage of your recent vacation or family outing
Author: Text, photos, copyright by the “PhotoGuru”, Sean Arbabi / Arbabi Imagery
Words: 1000
