Old photos can become fun, unique keepsakes

Dear Sandi: My sister has been collecting rare photos for years. While I think she is a bit eccentric, (and I have told her so) I would love to make her something with a few of these photos. I don’t know where to begin however, so I need some suggestions. What would be a nice gift using these old photos? Marie F. Albany, OR

Dear Marie: Ok, I guess I have to admit that I also have a weakness for old photos, and especially old postcards. There is such a sense of history when you look at some of those scenes and images.

Since many of the actual paper pieces can be quite valuable, if you are going to use the original photo or postcard you will probably not want to do much more than mount it (them) under glass. However, if you are ok with working with color copies of the original, then your options are much broader.

You can take your copies, and using a water based adhesive (either white glue, or my current favorite, premixed, water based wallpaper paste) adhere an image to an album or journal. Let your sister’s interests and/or the image decide the subject.

Whether you're looking for handmade paper, furniture, fabric or accessories, you will find it at loose ends. If it is unusual, organic and fabulous, then loose ends is the place. Showroom hours are 8 am to 5 pm weekdays and the first Saturday of each month 10 am - 3pm at 2065 Madrona Ave. SE, Salem, or visit us online at www.looseends.com Questions? Give us a call at (503) 390-2348.

Follow the photo
If you have an old family photo (even if it’s not YOUR family), then it might be a memory album for recording family events. Images of old locomotives or steamships are fun on the front of “journey journals” for remembering a special trip. We mounted images of bathing beauties from the early 1900’s on the top of a wooden box, decorated the rim with tiny shells and use it for a “stash box” for all the seashells and rocks we pick up at the coast. Look at the images and let them suggest a topic or project to you.

Technique
Basically you will use the same technique regardless of your final project idea. Get color

Sandi Reinke is an author, frequent television guest and lead designer for loose ends (www.loosends.com), a Salem-based interior décor, garden, and casual lifestyle company. To ask Reinke a decorating question, e-mail info@looseends.com or mail her at the showroom address, 2065 Madrona Ave. SE, Salem, OR 97302. Phone: 503-390-2348.

copies (enlarged or reduced) of your selected images. They must be copied on something that does a heat set, otherwise any moisture will make the colors run. If you want to add to the “old and distressed” look of the image you can lightly mist it and gently crumple the image. Crumple it a few times to make creases, then straighten and flatten with your hands, and using watered down acrylic paints (90% water, 10% paint), lightly brush on this “aging”, and sponge off. Keep doing this until you get the desired effect. You may want to let it dry between applications as the color will be quite different when still wet. Let it dry completely before painting the backside with the paste and gently working the image down onto your project surface.

One word of warning though – once you start looking though your sister’s collection and thinking about what you’re seeing and what you might do with some of the images, you may find that YOU get hooked on these fascinating bits of memorabilia too!