Unique and Classy Ways to Decorate with Family Photos

Family pictures make a house a home. Formal portraits, vacation photos or just individual snapshots bring personality into any room and are a great way to showcase events and keep memories alive. But, you don’t have to settle with pictures framed on walls. Of course, these can be a great part of your home’s decor, but you can also get more creative and use photographs in more artistic, unique ways to bring photographs into your home. Keep in mind that with some of these projects you will likely want to use photocopies of the pictures so that you still have the original intact. Some of these projects will require you to cut, glue or otherwise alter the photo, and you don’t want to lose any originals!

Wooden Photograph Panels To make a statement and create a decorative way to display a family portrait, create a wooden panel. There are several ways to do this, but you’ll need to start with a wood panel cut to size for the picture and wall. Leave it as is for a natural look or sand it with an orbital sander and paint it to match your home. Then, either decoupage a photo to it or simply tack it to the board with a rustic look. Experiment with different kinds of photocopies, like black and white, sepia or other photo editing effects to make this a one-of-a-kind piece of art.

Keepsake Frame and Shadow Box What if you could combine that favourite vacation snapshot with some keepsakes? With this project you can. Use a shadow box, or very deep frame, to frame the photo. Then, add a few keepsakes to the sides so you can create a personalised memento. Things like seashells, pebbles, leaves, bottle caps, keys, souvenir pins, stamps and other small knick-knacks from your trip work well for this project.

Personalised Coasters Instead of opting for ordinary, boring coasters, use family pictures! This project will let you remember anything from family reunions and special events to weekend getaways. Start with a few tiles and use tile cutters or a tile saw to cut them down to size if needed. Then, decoupage the photos to the top of the tiles so they are firmly attached and to protect them from slightly damp glasses. This project also makes a great gift! Think pictures from an event or favourite family snapshots for a grandparent or a housewarming gift.

Interchangeable Line Gallery If you’re the type that is constantly taking pictures and always wanting to display them, this project is for you. Hang a string, wire or other decorative line between two tacks on your wall. Then, use paperclips or clothespins to hang pictures from it. You can use one long line or a few shorter ones on top of each other for a more dramatic look. With this option, changing out the photos you display is easy so you can constantly update the display without reframing photos. This is also a good way to actually look at and display all those digital photos that just stack up on your computer.

Family Monogram Collage Get the entire family together and create a monogram collage you can hang anywhere in your home. Use a piece of foam board or poster board and cut out your family’s last initial in a wide font. Then, paste all kinds of casual family photos to the letter to create a collage. You can do this in any style you want. For example, you can cut the pictures to fit in straight rows across the letter or you can layer and paste the photos at angles for a more collected, casual look. The foam board can be hung or propped up on a mantel on its own. If you use poster board, consider matting and framing the letter to protect it.

Refrigerator Magnets Turn your family photos into magnets! The easiest way to do this is simply attach sticky magnets to the back of photos. You can make magnets that last longer and stand up to wear and tear by laminating them or by putting them in small frames and then adding magnets to the back. You can get really creative with this project and use coloured paper, different shapes, glitter, ribbon and other craft supplies to personalise the magnets. This is also a great project to do with kids who will love decorating their own magnets.

Plate Display Use some transparent plates or fun vintage finds to create a photo plate display. Enlarge and cut photocopies of family pictures to fit the plates. Then, decoupage the photos to the plates. Use a collection of matching plates to display several photos.

You can use plate hangers to arrange these in your kitchen, living room or entryway. Or, use some small easels to prop the plates up on a dresser, hutch, buffet or shelf. Keep in mind that these plates aren’t safe for eating off of and can’t be washed.

Family Tree Gallery For a creative way to display family photos, create a family tree gallery. You can be as creative with this as you want. Collect family photos from each generation. For example, start with your family and then add both sets of grandparents and great grandparents. Hang your family’s picture at the bottom of the display or the far left, and then arrange the others above, or to the right, of it to emulate a tree. You can use wall appliqués to form branches and leaves or you can just hang the frames in a shape that is reminiscent of branches. Your display can grow to include individual children, couples and grandchildren, as your family grows. This is a fun way to display family photos and to highlight pictures and memories in a way that you can see and enjoy them every day. Using family photos as part of your decor is a great way to personalise any room. Photos add something special to a space and make your home feel cozy and welcoming.

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