{"id":6471,"date":"2016-12-21T05:00:44","date_gmt":"2016-12-21T10:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.elfster.com\/?p=6471"},"modified":"2023-05-09T10:36:29","modified_gmt":"2023-05-09T14:36:29","slug":"colorful-keepsakes-how-make-personalized-coloring-book-from-favorite-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/21\/colorful-keepsakes-how-make-personalized-coloring-book-from-favorite-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorful Keepsakes: Make a Personalized Coloring Book from Your Favorite Photos"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Flamingo fun printed wrapping paper | Image courtesy Etsy seller Clare Shrouder<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was just days away from my best friend\u2019s birthday and not only was I short on her favorite flamingo-printed tissue paper, but I didn\u2019t even have a good idea for her present. After some serious mulling, I decided I wanted to give Ellie a gift that expressed how much fun I always have with her, whether it\u2019s an afternoon coffee date or our trip to the Caribbean last summer. We had taken some pretty amazing shots on our island-hopping journey\u2014if only photo albums weren\u2019t so pass\u00e9 and framed photographs didn\u2019t tend to fade into the background on overstuffed shelves. <\/span><\/p>\n

I thought about having our faces printed on a mug, but Ellie hates kitsch, especially in her kitchen. I wouldn\u2019t win any best friend points there. No, what I wanted was to make her something beautiful, surprising, and emotive\u2014not to mention fun\u2014all of the things Ellie represented to me. But with limited time, I started to have visions of slipping a gift certificate into a store-bought birthday card\u2014and that just wouldn\u2019t do. Then, inspiration struck when I remembered discussing the new craze for adult coloring books with her on our last trip to the bookstore. <\/span><\/p>\n

Nothing Beats Nostalgia<\/h4>\n
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Make them smile with cute imagery | Image courtesy Etsy seller StudioMagdaPolakow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The best gifts are ones based on little hints the person has dropped, whether intentionally or unintentionally. My own favorite strategy for gift giving is to sneak off during a shopping trip to discreetly purchase something my shopping partner was salivating over, but wouldn\u2019t buy for themselves. <\/span><\/p>\n

Ellie definitely had a glimmer of childish glee in her eyes when looking through the adult coloring book section at the book shop, but I could tell she felt too silly to actually buy one. Remembering that happy gleam, I started to devise a plan to reduce my best friend to a giggling schoolgirl\u2014with the help of a color pencil. I use the mantra <\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/i>nothing beats nostalgia\u201d when picking out presents, so I decided to incorporate photographs of our adventures, like our recent Caribbean vacation, into a personalized coloring book for her. The only problem was, I had no idea where to start. <\/span><\/p>\n

Crafting a Personalized Coloring Book, Step by Step<\/h4>\n

How does someone with a few ingrained craft skills, but not much else, make their own printed coloring book from scratch? Turns out, it\u2019s pretty easy. Here are my start to finish tips, based on my own coloring book conundrum.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 1: Choosing a Theme<\/h2>\n

For Ellie\u2019s coloring book, I decided to forget drawing my own images. But, if you want to give freehand drawing black and white outlines a try, all you need is <\/span>a black fine tip felt pen<\/span><\/a> and some patience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Try drawing things that are colorful in real life, and also try to pick large-scale, easy to decipher images, like animals, plants, or nature scenes. But, to keep my project personal, I decided to turn my favorite friendship photos into Ellie\u2019s coloring book pages. <\/span><\/p>\n

Step 2: Transforming Your Photos<\/h2>\n

I decided that pictures from our Caribbean vacation would take center stage in the pages of Ellie\u2019s birthday coloring book. I picked out some of the most interesting shots, with lots of detail and funky shapes to fill in. Then I scanned and uploaded them onto my laptop so I could use <\/span>free online software<\/span><\/a> to convert the color photographs into simple black and white outlines at the simple touch of a button.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A photo “Before and After”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Step Three: Printing Your Pages<\/h2>\n

I put Ellie\u2019s pages in order based on when the photos were taken so they would walk her down memory lane, although you could order yours based on events, themes, or level of difficulty. <\/span><\/p>\n

I also spent some time designing the front and back covers using photoshop, although it could also be done in Microsoft Word, or by hand if you\u2019re a little extra artistic. And, don\u2019t forget to add a personal message or two! <\/span><\/p>\n

Printing out your pages is easy, and can be done right from your home printer. Once printed, check the arrangement of your pages, making sure they\u2019re all right side up, including the front and back covers. <\/span>And, for the cover, pick a heavier and slightly larger piece of paper, to give your book that quality, professionally-made feel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step Four: Basic Bookbinding<\/h2>\n

Once printed, the final step is to bind your pages together. For this, you\u2019ll need a few simple craft supplies: <\/span><\/p>\n

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Cute binding with simple needle and thread | Image courtesy Etsy seller emilyjtillustration<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n