From infancy to adolescence and eventually, adulthood, as we navigate life, we are constantly creating memories. Unfortunately, many of these treasured moments lack physicality, so we must use our minds to re-live these memories.
Or, providing that we’ve managed to capture the moment, we may also use our smartphones or other devices to reminisce over days past. However, all too often, our smartphones become a prison for our photographed memories, and they sit around until they become a nuisance by filling all the available space on our devices.
Especially in our modern era, it’s become almost archaic to print photos for display purposes. Long gone are the days in which we’d dread seeing the family photo album getting passed around as children, having been replaced by our iPhones.
Many modern generations seem pleased with this new way of displaying and sharing our memories. However, if you’re old-fashioned like us and prefer to engage with your memories physically, it can be challenging to find new, different ways to showcase them. If this struggle sounds familiar, here are some clever, alternate ways to display your memories and get them off your phone.
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Clear Glass-Topped Coffee Table
Why not customise your living space and display your memories simultaneously by using a clear glass-topped coffee table as a means of creating a photo collage. Most glass-topped coffee tables don’t take much manoeuvring to put photos underneath them as they are usually held down by gravity, or minor, circular pieces of silicone cement, which is relatively easy to remove.
Once you’ve removed the glass, you can then organise your photos the way you want, then replace the top when you’ve finished. You can achieve this either by purchasing a glass-topped coffee table or customising your existing coffee table by placing a piece of glass that’s been cut down to size over it and layering your photos underneath.
If you find that your table doesn’t have a base underneath its glass top, you may want to consider adding a backer before arranging your photos so that they are well-protected. The best thing with this suggestion is that you’re not limited to displaying just photographs either. This is because you could show any other physical memories such as plane tickets, concert tickets and foreign currency, which makes it perfect for displaying your memories.
Printing Photos Onto Objects
Another popular choice for individuals searching for alternate ways to display their memories is getting photos printed onto objects such as mugs, calendars, fridge magnets etc. Getting photos printed is a great way to not only show them but to free up storage space on your smartphone and other devices.
It’s also a little more interesting than the traditional methods of displaying memories such as photo frames or picture albums and allows homeowners more creativity when decorating their home. Enlist the services of companies such as Photobox to help you achieve this display method for your memories. From photo books to wall art, they can print your photos to scale so that it meets your design requirements perfectly.
Use Shadow Boxes
Unlike traditional picture frames, shadow boxes present an attractive alternative way for individuals to showcase their fond moments. Also known as box frames or deep box frames, shadow boxes are characterised as enclosed picture frames with glass fronts that are deeply set, which makes them a suitable candidate for displaying a multitude of items.
Unlike traditional methods of displaying photos, shadow boxes allow you to showcase various memories without being flat. Box frames are brilliant for dedicating to a specific memory, such as a trip abroad, as you can fill them with many items that may have otherwise been difficult to display, such as ornaments, plane tickets etc.
Some of the most popular items that individuals decorate shadow boxes with are dried flowers, crystals, taxidermy, jewellery, and other oddities. Once the frames are filled, you can either hang them on the wall or leave them on the mantlepiece, so it’s effortless to move them around and incorporate your newly displayed memories into your existing décor.
Metal Wall Grid
A recently emerging trend for displaying memories is using metal wall grids, which are incredibly versatile ways of storing and arranging physical memories. Unlike more permanent forms of displaying your memories, such as scrapbooking, metal wall grids are perfect for those who want to show many memories or who would like to alternate their displays.
With these grids, individuals can add memories, switch memories, change the layout, experiment with colours or themes, move the grid to other house areas, and many more. Additionally, you can purchase add-on features for metal wall grids that offer more creativity when displaying items.
Additional display features such as hanging hooks or hanging wire baskets are available to those that want to showcase more substantial items such as stuffed animals, ornaments etc. If you’re a little stuck for inspiration, you could use online resources such as YouTube, online forums, blogs, and pictures to see how other people have stylised their metal wall grids.
Photo Books Or Photo Albums
Perhaps a more overlooked method of displaying memories nowadays, but a good one nevertheless is through photo books or photo albums. Photobooks are a more cost-friendly way of having photos printed and produced in various styles and sizes, unlike photo albums, which can be extensive and costly depending on which style you choose.
On the other hand, if you want a more traditional way of displaying your memories, you could opt for a photo album. Photo albums are generally considered the better option for those with many photographs to store or a specific type such as Polaroids. They are built to hold more photos than photobooks and can be designed to suit different phototypes.
If you find that you have additional pages left over, you could also use a photo album as means of displaying smaller, physical memories such as currency. You could also use newspaper or magazine clippings, tickets, and other small paper-based items.