<p>We just moved, and I cleverly put all the family photos – framed, unframed, snapshots, professionally done, my children when they were little, ancestors whom I never knew – into boxes labeled “Family Photos.” Now I’m in the midst of unpacking them and I don’t know what to do with them. Ideally I’d like to display them all – or, at least, many of them – in some wonderful array on a wall (upstairs, near the bedrooms) but as they are all different sizes, shapes and styles, I’m not sure how to do that without spending a fortune on [even cheap] frames.</p>
<p>Well, you could get a iPad scanner (which is a very cool toys I just got myself) and scan them to your iPad and then have them made into several montages via something like Shutterfly.</p>
<p>I just did photobooks that way … and I am predicting an emotional Christmas coming up as the books will be under the tree!</p>
<p>I like the montage idea and then having a couple of huge pix professionally framed with archive quality glass. Years ago, I bought 30 cheap matching frames from Target because I was going to finally put all those pix on one wall. Guess what…the frames are still in the boxes. </p>
<p>My friend made a huge collage out of family photos and it was great–took up most of the wall at the end of a hall. She had hundreds of photos and cut many up to save space but the overall effect was wonderful.</p>
<p>Oh, I love pictures. H is crazy about them too - so we have way too many. Always had the latest pictures up on the wall, but the rest were just stashed away. Last year, I spent some time rearranging my family room. Planned for a pictures collage on one wall. Just put up several frames, different sizes on that wall. Picked out pictures of both kids, the family (both old and recent), pictures with grandparents and the like. The wall was a big hit! Everyone that came over told me they loved it. I just spent an hour yesterday going through and changing some of the pictures on the wall. We’ll see how many of our friends will notice the changes I just love seeing the pictures up - especially the baby/small toddler pictures of both my kids. It seems like such a waste to keep these all boxed away.</p>
<p>I do have most pictures in albums over the years and have made special photo books for occasions/vacations. There are several lazy evenings in which someone will pull out a book or an album and we’ll all look at it and remember the fun times …</p>
<p>I put digital and scanned photos in a collage on a single Word document, printed it on a big sheet of good paper, and then framed that in a standard frame.</p>
<p>If you have a publisher type program, you can take photos and turn them into a poster size collage and have it printed on photo paper. Text can be added also–just save as jpeg (photo file).</p>
<p>It sounds like you want something simple and inexpensive. In general, if you search “collage frames,” you can find a zillion ideas for ways to display photos of varying sizes.</p>
<p>You can get really really cheap frames if you go to garage sales or buy frame collections on line. They don’t have to match. Then buy a can of spray primer and a can of spray paint. You choose the color. Prime then spray paint all the frames. They’ll match now and the different shapes and sizes will add interest while the same color/texture will bring the grouping together. This much I’ve done myself and the groupings looked great. </p>
<p>This part I got instructions for, but haven’t done yet: Lay them all out on a a roll of paper the size of the space to fill. Place the frames where you want them (this step takes the longest!). Once they’re where you want them, outline them on the paper, and put the nail holes in the paper. Then tape the paper on the wall, put the actual nails in where you’ve marked the holes, and lastly, hang the pictures according to where their outlines are. Pull down the paper and you’re done.</p>
<p>Please, please scan the photos and store the originals safely away. Do not write on the backs in ink- it can bleed through over time. Spend the money on real archival boxes, not the acid-free stuff at Target. If you need suggestions, use the Library of Congress site, the site of your state flagship’s library (see special collections) or your state archives or historical society. Interestingly the National Park Service has good info too. I agree photos are meant to be seen and shared. However, your framed one may fade (UV light is not good!) or yellow with age (wood frames and cheap backing board) or someone else may just want copies. Oh- and with any family heirloom, photo or document, when you copy of scan something, do it once with the original and then make additional copies of the copy. Your grandchildren will thank you!
Oh- and avoid doing anything that’s not reversible- which means no tape or glue as a general rule. :)</p>
<p>For display, I made copies of the old pictures and a wall-sized multi picture display in the powder room. it’s fun for guests… they frequently haul me in to explain who is who.
All black frames and white mats. “that’s my great-grandmother on the ship from Norway” "that’s my grandfather’s grandfather on his farm in Texas before it was a state " “that’s me on my second birthday… I sitll have the teddybear”.
Archive the originals, display the copies, make books for sharing the wealth.</p>
<p>Great idea on scanning the originals. My mil’s house was flooded once and she lost all pictures - all pictures of her wedding and the boys when they were little. Since FIL passed away when my H was 3, there are really no pictures of him at all. I only have one pic of my FIL/MIL - and I think I should really scan that and keep it safe :)</p>
<p>With respect to frames, I decided I wanted to go with black frames with white mats. Michaels has a ton of frames and they do offer very good sales. Keep your eye out for these sales - I don’t think I paid over 100$ for all the frames I used on that wall. I did use a method very similar to what hayden mentioned - laid out the frames on the floor in the pattern I wanted and then mounted them on the wall.</p>
<p>Ok, if one isn’t supposed to write on the backs of the pics, then how do we identify (for future generations) who is whom? I have lots of pics from my grandparents of <em>their</em> elders, and would love to document the relationships now, rather than having my kids a) wonder who these people are and/or b) toss the pics.</p>
<p>If I scan the fronts and backs of old pics, there is no guarantee that the notes my grandmother wrote on the back of a pic will ever be associated with the front of the pic.</p>
<p>Because the technology is constantly changing, I am reluctant to commit a lot of time to labeling electronically (i.e., in the comments section).</p>
<p>CD, what I do is keep the original scan untouched, then scan again. On the second scan, I put text right into the photo, in fact on top of or on the body of the person so there is no doubt. I also put the estimated year and/or location on the photo also. I use my photo program to do the text. It’s indelible since the text is now part of the photo.</p>
I just love seeing the pictures up - especially the baby/small toddler pictures of both my kids. It seems like such a waste to keep these all boxed away.</p>