In today’s post: Create a collage of your favorite photos on paper mache letters for a fun Valentine’s Day or anniversary gift idea.
In a few months my husband and I will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary. It’s kind of crazy to realize we’ve been married that long! I spent a few days last week going through old photos of the two of us together – I searched through two computers, a filing cabinet, boxes of old photos and loads of old scrapbook albums to try to find and compile all the pictures we have of the two of us. It was quite a task, and it turns out we don’t have as many pictures together as I wish we did. We got married back before the age of selfies – we didn’t even have a digital camera until a few years in, so some of the earliest pictures of the two of us together are still in the old envelopes, complete with negatives. But once I pulled them all out it was so fun to look through them!
It was also fun to watch my kids try to figure out what negatives are!
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to make an “us” version of the photo collage letters I made last year. I included pictures from when we were first dating up through the most recent photos we have together, and it’s kind of cool to see how we’ve grown up together. We were such babies when we got married!
Making photo collage letters is a fun, easy craft. Even better, it’s a pretty meaningful one! Since I first shared the idea for photo letters, I’ve had readers tell me about the versions they’ve made as gifts for special people in their life – and how the recipients cry with joy when they open them. Here’s the first version I made, with photos from a family photo shoot:
You can use photo collage letters to spell out a name, or any word that’s meaningful to you. If you want to keep the project simple, just do the first letter of your name:
How to make Photo Collage Letters
Gather your supplies:
- Paper mache letters: I used 12 inch letters. You can find them at Jo-Ann, or online at Amazon (affiliate link).
- Mod Podge
- Photos: I used both 4×6 photos and wallet size photos
- Acrylic paint
- Small foam paint brush
- Poly sealant spray (optional)
Watch this video to see how to make the photo letters:
Photo Letters Instructions
For step by step instructions for this project, including my tips and tricks, read through the original Photo Letters post found here.
If you like this project, be sure to visit these posts:
The mega list of photo gifts and photo crafts
20 photo gifts perfect for mother’s day
How to transfer a photo to a wood pallet
Sabine says
Hello! By photo collage you mean just sticking them on with mod podge or a similar glue. Right?
Autumn says
yep!
Mary says
58 years and I don’t believe that we have as many photos as you have on the US collage. I really enjoy your emails. Keep them coming.
Mary says
Oh my goodness..we’ll be celebrating 20 years this year, too! Congrats! This is a great idea to get me to dig out those old albums and photo boxes. You’re right, we don’t have as many photos from the pre- digital age! Thanks for the project 🙂