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8 Steps to Scoring Big in a Bar
If you’re single, you’ve probably gone to a singles bar at some point in your life, hoping to make a love connection. But what determines whether tonight will be your lucky night? Chance? Kismet? Maybe. But most times it has more to do with...

A Recipe For Romance
So, tonight's the night. You want to have a Romantic evening with your Lady. What's this, hesitation? O.K. your nervous, what if you can't pull this off? Well, let me help! I'll walk you through a complete Romantic Day fit for a Queen. Your sweetie...

Baby Clipart for all your Baby Shower Printing Needs
Baby clipart is the perfect accent to all of your baby shower printing needs. Whether announcements, invitations, thank you notes or stationery. Baby shower clip art can help you design the perfect original card or flyer for any event, but it’s most...

Decorating For the Artist Within
There is an artist lurking within all of us. The creative fire burns in every human, propelling us to create, to express, to shape the world around us. Even though we may be unlearned, or perhaps even unskilled, still the urge to impact our...

The "B" Word
Former students would probably attest to the fact that few things tried my patience as much as did the statement, “This is boring!” As I reflect back on my many years in the classroom, I can’t help but feel a tad bit sorry for the first kid who...

 
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A New Way to Use Old Snapshots


If you're like me, you have hundreds of photographs sitting in envelopes. Pictures from birthday parties, weddings, family gatherings, anniversaries, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas. You have already put the best snapshots into albums and these are leftovers. You don't want to throw them away, but you also don't know what to do with them.

Instead of letting your snapshots take up space and contribute to the clutter in your home, use them to make collages (at a cost of less than $10 each) that you can give as Christmas gifts to family and friends. Here's how:


  1. Assess your collection of pictures. Do you have several dozen of your spouse or significant other? Your parents? Your children? Grandparents? A friend? A beloved pet? Decide which person would like to receive these pictures and divide them into groups accordingly.

  2. Buy a picture frame with glass (either 5x7 or 8x10) for each collage you are going to make. Department stores sometimes have sales on picture frames, and you can often purchase a suitable frame for $5 or less.

  3. Cut a sheet of paper (use cardstock, 24# paper or light cardboard) to match the size of the opening on the picture frame.


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  4. Cut out the background of the pictures, leaving just the people (or pets). Cut out enough pictures to cover the sheet of paper.

  5. Arrange the cut-out pictures on the paper. Mix and match and experiment. Try placing the pictures at different angles.

  6. After you have an idea of how you would like to arrange the pictures, glue them to the paper. (Check the label to make sure that you can use the glue with photographs.) Cover the entire sheet of paper with pictures.

  7. When the glue is dry, insert the paper into the frame.


Collages are not only a good way to use your old snapshots, but the recipients also will cherish them for years to come as a special and thoughtful gift.

© 2003 LeAnn R. Ralph

LeAnn R. Ralph is a freelance writer in Wisconsin, is the editor of the Wisconsin Regional Writer (the quarterly publication of the Wisconsin Regional Writers' Assoc.) and is the author of the book: Christmas In Dairyland (True Stories From a Wisconsin Farm) (August 2003; trade paperback) http://ruralroute2.com


bigpines@ruralroute2.com