From the Heart - Custom Photo Gifts Under $25

My mom taught me that making Gifts from the heart was like giving a piece of yourself  with it.  It was a very personal gift from the heart...  Unique, one of a kind and seemed to touch the hearts of everyone.

About 8 years ago I started making crafts with peoples home photos and fell in love with it.

I recently heard someone say how impersonal they though photo gifts/cards were...  and I can see what they mean.  At most retailers you plop your photos in something created by a person you've never met.  Make one and send to everybody you know.  That is definately not the value my Mother was trying to instill in me about gifts from the heart...

Gifts from the Heart should be Personal, Unique, and Special.  Thats why I love Heritage Makers.  Easy, Fun photo gifts, BUT each one can be personalized as much or as little as you want.  Not something you can do at any photo gift retailer.  Even the cards can be personalized for EVERY person you send it to.  I make sure to write something special just to them, have thier name printed in it, change photos around.  Something to make sure they know I really spent time thinking about them specifically.  Every card becomes one of a kind even if I've started with a template.

Here are some great gifts from the heart for under $25.

Some even involve getting glue on your hands! :)  I love the wood blocks and the clock comes out amazing!  My next project...  That countdown clock.  What a great idea!  Click on each page to see full screen.

10 Projects in 10 Minutes or Less

Homemade gifts Arent just for Kids anymore...  Today I want to show you how you can be creative too and create things people will love to recieve as a gift... 

These are fun  photo gifts you can make with the help of Heritage Makers.  There is a whole article on thier blog  "10 projects in under 10 minutes" but I just want to highlight my favorites for you and several were also in my post about gifts under $25

Heres my favorites this year...

6-photo Bracelet Time = 5 minutes

Take your loved with you everywhere you go with a stylish 6-photo bracelet. Time from start to finish? 5 minutes! The 6-photo bracelet makes a fabulous holiday gift.

This is by far my favorite.  I get compliments on mine every time I wear it. 

Set of Holiday Tiles Time = 1 minute

Holiday tiles are such a fun and simple gift and inexpensive too.  Go to the Heritage Makers template gallery, search for 12×12 pages, and you’ll find an abundance of fabulous designs. You can use a whole page as one large 12x12 tile or find one of the deisgns that has multiple smaller tiles on it.  There are some with 6x6 tile and 4x4 tiles.  Simply load one of the “tile” templates into Studio, save, and print. or design your own.  It’s that easy. 

Once your page comes in the mail trim it to fit your tiles.  It will depend on the project you made as to which size to trim.  Go to the local hardware store and pick out your tiles (they can be as cheap as 20cents).   Watch for clearance ones to save big.  After you trim your scrapbook page, mod podge in place, and you’re done.  If you want, you can even tie a ribbon around the tiles for a fun gift. Give one tile or a set of 4! 

To see a preview of the tiles, go here.

Greeting Cards Time = 5 minutes 

Personal cards mean so much.  We all know people in our lives we'd like to give a bit more personal card to.  Some people you want to send funny cards, some religious, others just need to know they are thought of this time of year.  And since we print singles it means you can make each one special and unique or choose to make them all the same.  Thats your choice to make not ours.  AND with our template gallery you can do them quickly with just a few clicks.  No kidding, you can make your greeting cards this year in only 5 minutes! Send a beautiful, customized greeting card AND let Heritage Makers ship it for you. Simply select “direct ship” and we’ll take care of the rest.

Want to see a beautiful card made with a FREE Basic account? Click here.

Gallery-wrapped Canvas Time = 4 minutes

Create a gorgeous gallery-wrapped canvas. Canvases, in three different sizes, look great on every wall on your home.

Dont forget about the contest to win yours free.

This beautiful 20×20 canvas was made with a FREE Basic account? See it here.

Deck of Playing Cards Time = 10 minutes

When you use Studio, a fun family game can be made in just 10 minutes! You’ll spend a lot of time with your family from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day…why not make that time fun with a unique game! Try Go Fish, “Scum,” or a unique family trivia game.

Here’s a fun “Go Fish” game for a child. Check it out here.


Clock Time = 4 minutes

This project is a simple twist on the traditional 12×12 scrap page. All you need is an inexpensive clock from Walmart or target and this darling template.  This is really cute and one of my absolute favs.  Where can you get a custom clock for under $10?
See the clock here.

HOME DECOR BLOCKS
Also in this photo you see custom wood blocks.  This uses the 12x12 page again.  Print your design and then cut apart. Get a 2x4 or other size wood from your local hardware store and cut down to size (depending on the project you are making.)   You just use mod podge to glue the prints to the blocks.  Create your own word decor blocks for any holiday.  These make great gifts and you can customize to fit anyones decor.  ***You can take photos of fabrics and use those as background for a perfect match.  also check out construction sites often they will give you the scrap wood for free.  

To see more fabulous templates, check out the Heritage Makers template gallery.

Now you’ve got all of your Heritage Makers gifts under control…without sacrificing your time! Take a few minutes to browse the Heritage Makers template gallery to find fantastic gifts for all of your holidays

I hope this has given you some unique ideas for the holidays.  Personal can be inexpensive but doesnt have to mean CHEAP gifts. 

Let me know what you create.  Melissa

Breast Cancer Fundraiser

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month

I recently reconnected with an old friend on Facebook, Emilie. Its so fun to see what everyone has become now that we are "grown up". Emilie was one of those people you just wanted to be around, who's smile was always beaming. She was like me, just happy and positive. Not surprising she is now an amazing wedding photographer. A romantic at heart her photography shows every emotion.

She has also kept her positive, "I can change the world" attitude. Bravo, its hard to do in this world. She began a non profit called pink inititive which is a group of wedding industry professionals who raise money for breast cancer research. This month they are stepping up the efforts with a goal of $10,000.

Inspired by Emilie I have created a few projects through my Heritage Makers business http://www.digitalstorybooks.com/ . The projects are posted below and I will be donating the profits from any orders back to this amazing organization.

If you would like to order, donate or help in some way please contact me via email celebratefamily@digitalstorybooks.com or my cell 603-493-2431

please forward my blog to everyone you know so we can reach out to more people and make the $10,000 goal a reality.

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Breast Cancer Jewelry

I have also created some jewelry to celebrate those close to you affected by this disease. Not only are these stunning pieces which celebrate these personal heroes but they are certain to get attention everywhere you go. Inevitably you will be spreading awareness and be able to direct people back to me to purchase thier own which means more money will be donated back to pink inititive.

This is a new product and I dont have a fisnished one with the design to show you but heres the stock photo I have of a finished bracelet with other photos.

Its quite stunning in person and gets lots of attention. Photos dont do it justice. You can see the computer mock up of my deisgn here. please remember this is a computer version and it appears blurry. The finished one wont be.

This one says "Once you choose HOPE anythings possible." but I also have a version saying "Your strength Inspires me" . When ordering please specify which wording you prefer. These are $39.95 +s&h

Pendants and necklaces are also available. Pendants have a photo on one side and saying on the other. Some have related them to a locket that you dont have to open. You can order a single pendant without a necklace for $14.95* or a 1 pendant necklace $34.95* or 3 pendant necklace $54.95*. Please specify which wording you prefer. s&h are added to total.

New Products AMAZING

I am so excited. I just attended our company reunion in Las Vegas and WOW. There was so many new exciting things I cant contain myself. The new products are AMAZING.

My friend Jenn made this awesome video showing the newest products from Heritage Makers.



Great job Jenn.

Reunion is what Heritage Makers calls the annual company convention. We are like one giant family and reunion is so much more fitting. I got to see old friends, meet new ones (connect faces with names), there was great training by some of the top leaders and the unveiling of the new products which is my highlight today.

I wont list them all since they are on Jenns vdeo but I have two new favorites... Those following me on facebook probably saw already that my favorite is our keepsake line.

Thats right jewelery: a necklace and bracelet to show off your photos. I have worn this everyday since I recieved it... Oh I got it for FREE just for attending reunion. You should have heard the room full of (mostly) women when they told us we got one to take home. WOW. women and thier jewelry. and I am already getting compliments. These are sure to be popular this holiday season. My other friend called it the Holiday easy button. lol :)