How To Create A Birthday Photo Book
No matter how familiar you are with your friends and family, finding something special for a birthday can feel a bit like pulling out teeth. Of course, you can spend hours scrolling through internet pages or scouring the high streets, but somehow it always comes back to the dreaded personalised mug. Sure, they’re funny. But the humour gets kind of old by the time they’ve poured their second coffee.
Why Not Try A Photobook?
This is why photo books are so useful. Not only can they be a great way to document your own life, but they make perfect gifts for your friends. Not just for one birthday, but for any birthday they are celebrating.
Taken straight from social media, the photo book is a method to immortalise special memories and moments throughout the years, placing them into their very own book which can sit on the shelf forever. It’s quick, easy and (if it’s done well) it can lead to some pretty funny reactions from whoever you're gifting it to.
But what is the best way to make a birthday photo book and how can you get the best reaction possible? To give you a few ideas, below are just a few points which you can use to give your friend the best gift possible:
Set The Stage
A great way to start the photo book is by including a little run-up to the birthday they are celebrating. Try to go as deep into the archives as possible, with pictures of every birthday you can find, slowly leading up to this one.
Giving your friend a trip down memory lane is a great way to spark a bit of an emotional reaction, especially if you manage to find some photographs that they wouldn’t have seen for a long time. Don’t panic, though. Unless you and your friend are deadly serious people, then the birthday photo book does not have to be a soppy affair.
This is just a way to soften them up, get them thinking this is going to be a particularly sentimental present. But after the stage is set and the book reaches the present day, you can start to hit them with the proper stuff.
Embarrassment Is A Part Of Every Birthday
Birthdays are pretty embarrassing days when you think about it. Everyone is being overly nice to you. You have to act vaguely happy with the socks your aunt lovingly bought you, and you have to sit and endure the birthday song in the middle of a packed restaurant. Seriously, how are you meant to react in this situation? Do you sing along, or just smile and nod? There’s no right answer to this!
It’s a time for celebration and awkwardness, and that isn’t better exemplified by the social media trend that has taken over Facebook for the last few years. For a good amount of time now, it has become a birthday trend to post every single embarrassing picture of your friend that you can find.
Without it being taken too far, this is a harmless and hilarious activity that has become the norm for a lot of people, so there’s no reason not to bring the tradition to a Facebook photo book. It’s bound to get a number of laughs and, most importantly, turn your friend’s cheeks a good shade of red. As we said, embarrassment is a big part of what birthdays are all about, so find the best pictures possible and have a bit of fun!
Finish With Something Special
Of course, once you have embarrassed your friend in front of the whole party, then it’s time to make up for it with something special. Finishing your photo book by showing them just how much they mean to you is a beautiful finishing touch.
Scroll through your social media pictures and try to find the pictures of you and your friend that make you smile. Capture all of the good times, whether that’s a coffee date or a vacation getaway, and put them all together at the end of the photo book. Try to save the last page for something big and all-encompassing, making sure your book finishes on the strongest note possible.
Remember, these are all just a few options that are worth a try. You don’t have to follow the brief note to note. Just do whatever you think will work in the context of your friendship. No matter what, the birthday photo book is going to make for a great gift, and your friend is sure to appreciate it. Whether they’ll appreciate the embarrassing picture of them as a two-year-old, however, is another story.
