Gosh. If youโre anything like me you have hundreds if not thousands of photos cramming your phone, computer and/or tablet. Every now and again we find ourselves compelled to clear up memory space by committing digital genocide, erasing and losing them forever. You also might have photo prints you meant to put in a scrapbook but just haven’t gotten around to it.
So next time youโre about to annihilate all those precious memories and declutter your closet or your hard drive, stop and think โ maybe there is a better way? Weโve compiled some ideas on how to give those old photos a new life and turn redundant pixels into precious keepsakes.
Turn your photos into magnets!
Photo magnets are awesome, and you can put them anywhere: on your fridge, on your locker on a metal filing cabinet or window frame in your office. There are plenty of services out there that can help you easily and quickly turn your digital photo files into magnets. Snapfish.com is one of them, google can lead you to many more.
Turn your photos into a calendar!
Hereโs a thought: why not use last yearโs photos as this yearโs calendar?! You can pick a photo from each month, preferably one that has something to do with an event or holiday taking place in that month. This way youโll be able to remember all the fun you had last year and be constantly challenged to have more fun this year!
Create a slideshow!
A slideshow is basically a short video made of still photos. To create one, all you need to do is go online and find a slideshow maker. A particularly convenient one is Smilebox.com, simply browse through their ridiculously large selection of designs, pick one you like, upload all your photos and add music. You can either use the selection of tunes they provide or upload whatever music youโd like.
Print your photos on fabric!
Give your old photos a new lease on life as articles of clothing: t-shirts, hats and hoodies! Download your photo files and have them printed on any fabric either at your local print shop or through one of tons of online platforms that provide this service. You can even go DIY, all you need is your home printer and some transfer paper.
Turn your photos into custom coasters
Imagine having friends over for coffee and using coasters that have those friendsโ photos on them! Creepy? Maybe! But also cool. Again, the internet will provide you with a plethora of online services that can put those coasters under your cups in a matter of days. BTW โ you can put the photos on your cups as well for the full effect.
Turn your photos into artwork
This oneโs a no-brainer. Take a tiny little photo from your cellphone โ and turn it into a large print to hang you can hang on your walls. Again you can either help out a local business and go to a physical print shop that can print on canvas or you can use one of many online services that specialize in this particular craft. This is a great idea for those family photos.
Sell Your Old Photos On eBay
Nope, I’m not kidding. People actually buy and sell old photographs on eBay. My mom and I have discussed this odd phenomenon and have no idea what people use them for, but you can get anywhere from $2 to $25 for an old photograph! You’d be inclined to think that nobody has any use for your old photos but you, but a quick search on eBay tells a different story.
