How to Make Placemats With Family Photos
Photos for placemat
Making placemats
Every year I try to come up with a unique gift for my family and one that will be of interest to all members of our family. One year I thought I had the perfect idea, and it did seem to be a welcome and useful gift--placemats with pictures of homes of family members on one side and articles or pictures of interest from newspapers or school articles or home pictures on the other side. My digital camera has been a source of great joy for me--even though I still have not become proficient in its use. Whenever our family gets together, or even just some members, I take lots of photos. This particular year I compiled pictures of every family member's home. Then I printed them out with my great Photosmart printer, either from my computer or from my camera. If I didn't have a picture of one of our children's homes, I asked them to send me one and I could scan it and print it from that. Once I had them all together, I placed them on 11"x17" paper, using many different layouts before I came up with the one I liked best. We had seven children and with the pictures of their homes and our own, that left a space in the middle of the placemat empty. It just so happened that a grandson of our had written a poem for his English class when he was in ninth grade that won a prize and it was the perfect fit for the center of my placemat. What luck!! The title of his poem was "HOME IS" and it was a lovely addition to my design. Also in one small area, I inserted a small heart hanging from a floral rope that said "Home is Where You Hang Your Heart." Under each picture, I added a banner with the name of the people who lived in that particular home. So that completed one side of my placemat.
The other side of the placemat used pictures, or newspaper articles, about members of the family who had special talents or areas of interest; and, of course, pictures of our cute grandchildren. In the center of that side I inserted five yellow stars, and in the middle of them, I printed "SCHLEISMAN STARS SHINE BRIGHTLY." Most of our grandchildren are athletic minded so sports dominate the pictures.
After compiling the pictures, articles, etc., I took the finished product to a printing company and had them copy and laminate the placemats for me. These placemats are still in excellent condition after ten plus years. This idea could be used for many family celebrations--weddings, Christmas, vacations, family reunions, etc.
©joaniebaby - 3-1-12
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