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    Home » Blog » Gift Ideas

    7 Unique Photo Book Ideas

    Published: Jul 16, 2012 · Modified: Dec 2, 2022 by Tiffany Dahle · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Looking for unique photo book ideas to make a special gift for grandparents or for loved family members for the holidays? This list of clever photo ideas is a great place to get inspired.

    A DIY photobook is on a coffee table.

    Do you have a mountain of digital photos on your hard drive?

    Do you ever do anything off screen with them or are they hiding in the dark reaches of your computer?

    I love to print enlargements for a wall gallery I keep above our fireplace but otherwise generally forget to make prints for myself and for family.

    The hardest part of knowing where to even begin with my photo book was deciding which photos I wanted to include and what the theme of the book should be!

    I'm too Type A to just toss a bunch of recent ones in and call it good.

    If I'm going to take the time to design it and print it out, it needs to be a "project"!

    As I looked through my photo library, I found several clusters of photos that would make super fun themes.

    If you're looking for your own inspiration, you could start with one of these suggestions.

    Photo Book Ideas for Personalized Gifts

    1. A Year of Holidays & Special Occasions

    Skip the everyday and just showcase all the festivities from a calendar year.

    Be sure to include the silly little "Hallmark holidays," too.

    This is an especially popular theme for grandma.

    Also makes a cute book to teach seasons to your little ones.

    • A Christmas light display at night in front of the family home.
      25 Joyful Family Christmas Picture Ideas
    • A young girl opens a gift in front of the Christmas tree on Christmas morning.
      How to Take the Best Pictures of Christmas Morning
    • Two young girls wearing Valentine's Day shirts in front of a red and white polka dot background.
      DIY Valentine's Day Photos of Kids
    • How to take better Easter morning photos of your kids: sisters wearing bunny ears and pastel pajamas sit together on a piano bench.
      25 Easter Picture Ideas {FREE Printable}

    2. Personality Profiles

    Gather photos of your kid in all their may moods:

    Happy, silly, sad, sleeping, tantrum-ing, laughing.

    I love my book like this from the toddler years when they are truly little characters.

    3. Sibling love

    Gather all your best photos of the kiddos in family clusters.

    I easily could have made an album filled with photos of my girls cuddling, playing together, goofing off together, etc. Showcase their relationship over time.

    4. Summer List

    Is your family working through a summer bucket list?

    Document the fun with photos to put in a season-end summary book.

    Check out my tips on summer family photography here.

    • Two girls look at the photo on the back of a digital camera.
      100 Days of Summer Family Photos Challenge

    5. Family Favorites

    An adorable snapshot in time of your family could include shots of your favorite:

    • places to go
    • things to do
    • foods to eat
    • go-to outfits & accessories
    • important friends
    • anything and everything that is most important to your family right now

    6. Photos of Mom

    Moms have such a hard time getting in the family photos. Dig through your photo library and pull up all the best photos you can find and make an entire album just for her.

    Guaranteed waterworks when she opens that thoughtful gift.

    • A photo collage shows a mom through the years.
      100 Photos Every Mom Needs Before Her 40th Birthday

    7. Everyday Family Photos

    Family photo books don't need to just capture the best of the best highlight reel moments.

    A photo album of your everyday moments can be even more priceless down the road.

    Why not do a Day in the Life photography project and make an album for each year?

    • Photo collage of everyday life photos from a photo challenge.
      53 Photo Prompts for a Day in the Life Photo Project

    More Great Gift Ideas

    • A photo collage shows 4 different covers of cookbooks for kids
      The Best Cookbooks for Kids 2023
    • A collage of different coloring books for Christians.
      14 Creative Christian Coloring Books
    • A photo collage of popular gifts for kid bakers
      Gifts for Kid Cooks: The Ultimate List
    • A black air fryer has just finished baking frozen french fries.
      Best Kitchen Appliances for Real Family Dinners

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Candice Tibbs

      April 17, 2015 at 8:02 am

      Excellent article! We will be linking to this great article on our site. Keep up the good writing.

      Reply
    2. Cody

      October 08, 2014 at 4:24 pm

      Great ideas. A child's artwork and stories make great photo books and wonderful keepsakes as well

      Reply
    3. Debra @A Frugal Friend

      August 23, 2014 at 11:02 pm

      I love the idea about personality profiles! Definitely doing it!

      Reply
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    1. 3 Beautiful Ways To Preserve Your Summer Memories - Intentional By Grace says:
      August 26, 2014 at 6:01 am

      […] 5 Unique Photo Book Ideas - Some more creative inspiration for you. […]

      Reply

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