Reuse Old Pictures

Everyone has lots of greeting cards, calendars, and old magazines, but what can you make with them? Here are some great ideas for re-using pictures. Next time you are throwing out an old magazine or flyer, have a quick look to see if any of the photos would be perfect for one of these activities.

Baby Book

A nice way to use old magazines is cutting out simple images of everyday objects and gluing them onto cardboard rectangles, on both sides. These can then be covered with transparent plastic (the same kind as you use placemats), punch holes & tied together to make a babies' picture book. It is quite sturdy and can be wiped clean.

My daughter has loved the book I made for her when she was 4 months, with photos of a lion, a pair of jeans, some loaves of bread, a dog, a shoe, a monkey, bananas, tomatoes, a glass of milk etc - she still reads it at 1 year 9 months age. At first it was a book for learning words, now for learning colors, telling short stories about what the animals say or eat, etc. Soon she'll start telling me stories...

Cut-out photos are realistic, not like the cartoon illustrations in store bought books. It is difficult even for grown-ups to tell whether a creature is supposed to be a lamb, a dog or a bear.

This idea was sent in by Riikamaria Paakkunainen, Finland.

Alphabet Book

Follow the directions for the baby book (above), but make a page for each letter of the alphabet. You child can add to the pages whenever he or she can identify the first letter of the object in the picture. You could even use a photo album with peel back pages to make it easier to add new pictures the pages.

Candle Holders

Use small glass jars to make candle holders. Find an interesting jar that can hold a tea candle (about 2 inches high). Select a picture to glue on the front of the jar. Cover with podgy or an acrylic sealer. While it is still wet, sprinkle with salt so that the jar sparkles when the candle is lit.

Cards

Cut out a interesting photo that is just right for the person you want to make a card. Fold a piece of 8.5 x 11 card stock in half. Glue the photo on the front of the card. Find a verse in a poetry book or write your own. When you make your own card, the person you give it to knows you put some thought into saying what was in your heart.

Collages

One idea is to cut out the pictures and make collages with your grandchildren. It's a simple idea, but can be a lot of fun once you start using themes. All the pictures could have animals, or the color blue, or the pictures could tell a story, or be reminders of important events in your life.

The collage could illustrate the important events in the life of your child this year. It could include everything from playing soccer, a trip to the beach, or a special meal at a favorite restaurant.

Placemats

You could use the pictures to make a placemat. Use a large sheet of construction paper (12 x 18 inches). Paste the cut out pictures on the placement. Craft stores carry rolls of plastic that are sticky on one side. Cut a piece to size, peel off the backing and cover the placemat. This product is much easier to use than finding some where to laminate it.

Send us a note if you have any questions.

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