Preserving memories of your family as they grow up is important. Not only can preserving your memories ensure that you are able to look back on happier times when you need to, but it can also help you to feel closer to them and can prevent you from feeling as if time has slipped away. Here are some of the top ways that you can preserve your family memories in 2023.
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Get a T-Shirt Quilt
One of the top steps that you can take to preserve your family memories is to invest in a t-shirt quilt. T-shirt quilts are custom-made soft furnishings that are made from your treasured t-shirts, which you might have collected at everything from Broadway shows to ball games. T-shirt quilts can allow you to wrap yourself up in happy memories and can also minimize the amount of storage space that you need for all the t-shirts that you have collected over time. You might even consider getting a t-shirt made from all the clothes that your children have grown out of. To get a t-shirt quilt made, all you need to do is to choose the blanket that you want and send your old t-shirts off for them to be made into the quilt of your dreams. Rather than making a t-shirt quilt yourself, you should look around for professional companies that are able to put together your t-shirt quilt for you.
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Make a Photo Wall
One of the easiest ways to preserve your family memories is to take as many photos as possible. Although you might want to ensure that you are always in the moment, capturing photos will mean that these important memories are not forgotten and that you have physical evidence of the happy times that you have shared. However, rather than putting these photos away in a photo album, you should consider displaying them. It can be hard to work out the best way to display photos in your house, such as framing them and putting them on a mantelpiece. To make sure that you can look at your photos whenever you want and that they produce serotonin in your brain whenever you pass by them, you should consider creating a photo wall. A photo wall can form a centerpiece of your home and allow you to put these photos in pride of place.
- Create a Memory Jar
A good way to preserve memories is by creating a collaborative memory jar for your entire family, which you can all place your important memories in, no matter how small these are. Once you have chosen a jar for your memories, you should place this in a prominent position within your home, such as on your coffee table, and you should encourage your family to place notecards within the jar detailing any special event that has happened or an occasion that they want to remember. You might also consider placing photos within it, which may be easy if you have a Polaroid camera that prints photos instantly. You might even think about decorating this jar so that it looks beautiful, and you might get all the family together to help you to design and create it.
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Handprint and Footprint Casts
If you have children or pets, you might also consider creating casts of their handprints and footprints as they grow up. If you do this often, you will be able to compare the sizes of these as they grow, and you may find that you are shocked and surprised at just how tiny these handprints and footprints are. If you want a lasting memory of a pet, you might also consider getting a cast of their pawprints. By doing this, you will have something to remember them by once they are gone, and capturing their pawprint can help you to feel as if they are still with you. There are many DIY plaster of Paris cast kits that you can use to get the print that you want. However, if you are trying to get your pet’s pawprint, this can be easier said than done, especially if you have a pet that struggles to stay still for long.
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Save Cards and Letters
Although you might think that you cannot keep every single item that you receive from a member of your family, there may come a time when they can no longer give you cards and letters, or they may not give you the handmade versions that you are likely to receive when they are small. In this case, you should think about saving all the cards and letters that they create for you and storing these to look back on when you are down or when you miss them as they fly the nest. In the modern age, cards and letters may be replaced by texts and e-cards, though, and it is just as important to save these. You may want these messages one day, and by saving them, you will be able to look back on them whenever you feel a slight twinge of nostalgia.
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Take Videos
Sometimes, photos are not enough to capture the joy of a certain memory, and there is something extremely special about watching your family move around on screen, as opposed to remaining still in images. This means that you should invest in a video camera for your family that you can use to film moments that will not be done justice by a photograph. You can upload these to a memory card or computer to check that you have saved them forever. You might even consider taking staged videos and spending time with your family creating a family movie that can bring you a great amount of joy.
Preserving memories of your family as life goes on is vital, especially if you have children who are growing up quickly and who will soon be adults. By creating t-shirt blankets, making photo walls, and taking videos, you will soon have a huge archive filled with beautiful memories you can enjoy whenever you want.
