In 2007, we had our last Thanksgiving in Utah. By the next year we had moved lock, stock and barrel to the East Coast and away from family. But back in 2007, amid the food, football and family fun I did something for which I am infinitely grateful. I took 20 minutes and made a mini album which was used to record our family's Thanksgiving celebration and what we were thankful for.
I had completely forgotten about this small album until last month, when I unpacked it from a box filled with scrapbooking albums. I eagerly grabbed it and read through it, amazed at how young we looked and remembering how good that Thanksgiving was.
Here are all of the instructions you need to assemble the same mini album for your Thanksgiving feast. Take 20 minutes and assemble it now so it's ready to plug info into by Thursday. Here's what you'll need.
- Downloaded digital pages by Jessica Sprague (my digi hero). Click here.
- One, 4x6" mini photo album. These can be found at Dollar Stores or in WalMart for $1.00
- Photo printer OR access to an online printing site where you can load your pictures and have them printed. WalMart, Sams, Costco and most stores with a photo section have this.
- a razor blade
- One, acid free, permanent marker. Yes, this can be a Sharpie fine point or Sharpie pen.
- Your camera
- If you want the same back cover I used (see below) click here to download. I made this by slightly altering Jessica's design. Save to your computer.
- Upload the files to a photo printing site and print a front and back cover and as many "list" pages as need for each member of your family. Print as 4x6" photos.
- Load cover photo into cover of album. Leave at least two pages after the cover for photos from the actual dinner table, of extended family and of your family together. Load remaining pages and slide back cover into back cover of album.
- Use a razor blade to carefully remove excess pages from your album. You may also choose to skip this step and add to the same album each year until it is filled.
- At Thanksgiving make sure to snap a photo of each individual member of your family and have someone else snap a photo of your family all together. Take enough shots so you know you will have some good ones to work with.
- Either during or after dinner ask each member of your family three or four things they are thankful for. Use your sharpie to list them in the book. If you have small children who cannot yet speak, just write down three or four of their favorite things. A blanket, a sibling, etc.
- As soon as Thanksgiving is over, upload your photos from the event and send them to be printed. Be sure to pick them up on Black Friday or on Saturday. If you wait to do this step, it will get lost in the shuffle of Holiday activities and never get finished.
- Load individual photos into your album with the corresponding thankful list. You're done!
Finished Project
This is what mine looked like in 2007. That year I chose to bind it myself with rings and mount each page on chipboard, but this year I will probably go with the pre-made inexpensive album.
Not sure why the photos I took of the finished album were so crummy, but...you get the idea.
I really hope you get a chance to make this project. It is really a simple one to do and it is priceless. In past years, I have even made one for each family in our extended family attending the same Thanksgiving celebration along with an acid free marker. It's a great gift!
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