How to Preserve Family Memories: Top 10 Ways

The pandemic has brought with it a new appreciation for family and the things that matter in life. Almost all of us have a box of family photos somewhere collecting dust. Organizing and preserving your family memories is important for future generations and it also gives you a sense of accomplishment.

Scan and Upload Pictures

You no longer need to buy a hefty, expensive scanner to scan photos anymore. You can simply download phone apps such as Adobe Scan App and use them to scan your photos. Consider creating a shared Google Drive folder and allowing your relatives to add their memories into it.

This will make it easier for everyone to access and share the digital database of images and videos. You can share these photos easily without parting with them. These types of photos and videos are great to use when you are looking into memorial keepsakes and services to remember loved ones.

Digitize Old Home Videos

Old films deteriorate quickly and you can lose them if you do not digitize them. Find professionals who can digitize your old films for you to avoid losing them. Some people specialize in 8mm film transfer, thus allowing you to preserve your memories. Once you transfer the old videos into digital formats, you can turn them into framable stills.

Create a Journal of Gratitude

At least once a week, your family members can take turns writing down one thing they are grateful for. This simple activity changes your whole outlook and can even turn your day around. When you keep this record of gratitude, you can look back at the journal and know what was going on during each week of your lives.

Preserve Photo Albums

After backing up your photos online, keep family albums of the same for sentimentality. To preserve your photo album, you will require:

• Acid-free storage box
• Acid-free paper for penning information that pertains to the photos
• Muslin cloth
• Polypropylene sleeves for storing loose photos

All you have to do is wrap the album in the muslin cloth and store the loose photos in polypropylene sleeves. Write some notes about the pictures and store everything in the acid free box for preservation.

Use a Baby Calendar for Milestone Recording

Buy a paper calendar to record any milestones that your baby achieves.  For instance, when your child walks for the first time, you can write down a few words on the calendar to mark the milestone. This is a quick and easy way to document how old your child is when they do their firsts. The calendar will also come in handy when comparing your children’s milestones to see if there are some developmental problems.

Old Fashioned Scrapbooking

If digital scrapbooking does not appeal to you, that’s fine. You can do physical scrapbooks to preserve your memories in a crafty way. There are many digital photo companies that will print pictures from your phone and send them to you, allowing you to stay on top of your scrapbooking game. Set aside one day per month to scrapbook with your family and create lifelong memories.

Record Family Interviews

In this digital age, it is quite easy to take videos on your phone. In a bid to preserve family memories, you should endeavor to record family interviews whenever you hang out. Ask them questions such as what they love about the family and make the interview fun for participants.

Upload the interviews to a shared Google Drive that your family members can access. Interviewing older family members will keep their memories alive even after they are gone. You can show your children videos of their grandparents after they are no longer in the picture.

Turn Baby Clothes into Keepsakes

If you are good at stitching and sewing, you can turn your baby’s old clothes into keepsakes. You need a plain quilt to do this project. Sew the baby clothes onto the quilt to create an organic design. If that sounds like too much work, wrap the selected clothes in archival tissue and store them in polypropylene containers with lids.

Keep Large Pieces in a Box

Although scrapbooking is fun, you cannot put large memorabilia in a book. However, boxes come in all sizes and can hold large mementos. You can store things such as your child’s first project or drawing in there. Plastic boxes are the best choice because they do not decay and keep out moisture as well as dust.

These memory boxes are similar to time capsules that you can show to your future grandkids. Oftentimes, these items become sentimental gifts that pass down from one generation to the next.

Display Vacation Souvenirs

Vacations give us an opportunity to reconnect with your family and relax. The highlight of any vacation is getting to bring home a souvenir. You may have some shells and statues from previous vacations stored away in boxes. Make some space in your house to display these pieces that remind you of fun times.

You can store the rocks and shells in a transparent jar and display it in your home. Any leaves and flowers that you collect should be dried up first and flattened before being used to create portraits. Showcasing your souvenirs not only adds aesthetic appeal to your home but it also helps in dealing with anxiety.

Conclusion

The above tips will help you if you want to safeguard your family memories. When you preserve memories, you ensure that your life’s moments are kept safe for future reference. You need to make a conscious effort to collect appropriate information about your past.