Crafty Projects To Make From Old Photographs

Just about everybody has extra photos around the house. They might be photos that are duplicates of other photos you used in albums, or perhaps they're photos that just didn't turn out the way you hoped they would. You may even have pictures of people you don't know, particularly if you happened to inherit some old photos from some relatives. If you have some photos that you truly do not need but can't seem to get rid of, why don't you use them to make some fun and intriguing craft projects? When you are all done you will have some great results that you'll be able to use in the decorating of your own house, or maybe even as a gift to someone else.

Placemats Made Out of Photographs

You may use those old pictures to make fantastic placemats to put on your table. Begin by using a previously made placemat to trace the size and shape onto a section of light cardboard or poster board. Then stick the pictures to one of the sides of the shape using some "photo splits" or maybe some glue. You can line them up straight in a grid pattern, or attach them in a unique collage fashion. When you are finished with this stage, seal up the placemat using two pieces of see-through contact paper that are large enough to leave roughly a half of an inch extra on each side of the section of cardboard. Use a piece of the contact paper on both of the sides of the placemat, and be sure that you seal off all of the edges firmly with the paper.

Antique Wall Artwork

If you have got some quaint black and white pictures, you can use them to make vintage art. Simply select a few old photographs that have a lot of visual appeal, and put them in picture frames to hang up in a small collection on your wall. Or you may even scan the photo into a computer and increase the size of it before printing it out so that your piece of artwork will be larger. This is a great way of adding some fantastic vintage art to your home without the need to invest a lot of money.

Photo Storage Box

If your nice photos are stored in boxes, you may wish to decorate those boxes with some old pictures. Glue them onto the box using a collage technique, covering the bottom of the box and then the lid separately. Let the adhesive dry, and you will have photo storage containers pretty enough to display on a shelf.

Art That Shows Your Family Tree

If you're working with photos of family members and relations, you can make a beautiful family tree poster. Start with a ready-made family tree chart, or design your own. Next, fill out the information for each member of the family, and then stick pictures next to the information on each person. This can be a good way to use photos of family groups, since you can just cut a small portrait of every family member out of one photo. When completed, place in a picture frame and hang on your wall.

Decoupage Picture Crafts

You can make some lovely crafts when you mix decoupage and old pictures. The instructions for numerous crafts can be found on the Mod Podge packaging. Before using pictures for decoupage, spray them each with a couple of coats of clear acrylic spray, which will prevent photos from smudging when the Mod Podge is used.

So keep all of those old pictures for a little longer. You're sure to enjoy employing them for these fun crafts.