Family History in a Bottle

I love finding new ways to display photographs. I've been seeing a lot of ideas for how to display photographs in jars that I think are great ideas for gifts, or for just decorating your home with heritage photos. They can act as a conversation piece or a way to teach your children about where they come from by displaying photos in your home of your ancestors.

The first idea is simple. I haven't tried it yet, but it is simply taking an old photograph (not the original, of course) and placing it in a mason jar. Then, fill that mason jar with olive oil. Sound strange? Check out this photo of it here. But, where would you want to display something like this? Think about displaying it on a kitchen shelf, or in a guest room. Tie a pretty ribbon around the lid of the jar to give it an extra bit of character.

The next idea is another simple idea. Again, it is using a jar, or glass bottle that will fit some mementos. The idea behind this one is more like creating a shadow box in a bottle. For example, if you have gone on a family trip, and you want to display a few things from your trip like seashells, or sand, and then your favorite photo, think about making a collage in a bottle to display somewhere in your home. For a heritage idea, think of displaying some things from your ancestry in a bottle together. An old photo of your grandparents, along with things that either belonged to your grandparents or remind you of them. For example, you could think about putting in a lace doily on the bottom to give it an antique feel, and then filling it with a photo, a pocket watch, and a dried flower that was your grandmother's favorite. Think of things that make you think of them, and create a memento jar to put in your house where others will notice it, and ask you about your grandparents. See a pretty example here.

The last one is a fun idea to do with kids, and give as gifts for the holidays. It is making a snow globe with a family member's picture. The idea, found here, is all about using children's photos for the snow globes. While I think this idea is great, I think it would also be fun to make snow globes of your ancestors that you pack away each Christmas, and bring out again and again each year. For example, it can help your children remember their relatives at that special time of year, and it can also help represent a missing relative during the holidays when we so desperately want to be with our families. The instructions in the link above seem simple enough, and it would be a great way to start out the month of December!

I love creative ways to display photos, and these three ideas are no exception. Which one will you try?