Top Christmas Photo Gifts from the Gang at Heritage - 2018

So what are you going to do with that newly restored photo? Why not choose a really unique gift for that loved one this Christmas? Here's a list of some of our favorites this year.

 
Unique Mini-Me Custom Bobblehead

If you're looking for a one-of-a-kind Christmas gift, consider a one-of-a-kind bobblehead. These figurines are handcrafted by the seller and sculpted into the likeness of whatever photo that you send to them. You can use any picture, including a modern one, but it'll be even more special if you pick something from the past. Imagine your father's face when you give him a bobblehead that looks exactly like his junior high prom photo with the bad tux and the '80s pompadour. It's a gift for your dad that he'll never get over.

Go Saint Yourself Candle

The best gag gifts are ones that will keep people laughing for a long time, and this candle can be burned over and over again to provide hours of glee. It features a customized photo of a loved one superimposed over the body of an old-fashioned saint, and the photo can be of anyone or anything. You can even put your dog's face on the saint's body if you'd like. The only catch is that the seller needs a high-quality image to work with, so if you haven't reached out to someone in photograph repair, now is the time.

Berber Fleece Photo Blanket

Berber fleece is known for its soft, nubby texture. The only way to make it softer is to print some nostalgic photos on it. These customized blankets are perfect for photo collections that you don't want to break up; for example, if you can't decide which of your goofy carnival booth couple's photos that you like the best, you can have them all arranged in a patchwork design. These blankets are also great for restored old photos that still have a sepia tone to them; their vintage appearance will add a lot of character to the fabric. As a bonus, your loved one will think of you every time that they have a snuggle under their soft new blanket.

Personalized Photo Puzzle

This could be a fun holiday gift for the genealogist in your life. If they've poured their heart into finding and restoring old photos, they'll love to see the fruits of their labor getting real-world use. You can also surprise them by restoring a photo in secret and having them put together its puzzle with no idea of what it actually depicts. They might recognize that it's a vintage photo, but they'll probably assume that it's a general "old-fashioned" stock photo until the pieces literally come together before their eyes. Best of all, you can choose the difficulty level of the puzzle, so you can decide whether to give them a quick 15-piece puzzle or a complex 500-piece one. How long do you want to draw out the suspense?

Distressed Wood Photo Transfer

Another gift that's perfect for sepia-toned photos, these distressed wood panels are deliberately designed to have a throwback appeal. They're rugged enough to hide minor imperfections but smooth enough that the subject will be instantly recognizable. They can also be hung everywhere from hallways to fireplace mantles, so they have a certain versatility as a present. Whether you want to celebrate your parents' old wedding photos or immortalize your grandfather saluting the flag during WWII, these wood panels will give you a meaningful platform to do it.

Multi-Layered Photo Mosaic

Photo mosaics are so eye-popping that they're almost optical illusions. They might seem like a single picture, but when you take a closer look, they're actually made with dozens of smaller images that have been carefully arranged to depict a greater whole. If your memory box is overflowing with photos, this is a creative way to use them all. You can display your entire honeymoon, your whole family tree or the growth of your child from birth to college move-out day. The possibilities are endless with mosaics.

Family Tree Scroll

This will be an amazing gift for anyone interested in ancestry or genealogy. Not only will it depict names, birthdays and relationships, but it can also be customized with the surviving photos of any relatives from generations past. You'll need to do some family tree research to pull it all together, of course, and you'll need to look into photo restoration services to make sure that your images are crystal clear. But the end result will be a fantastic present that might even prompt a few tears. Family is everything, especially during the holidays, and you can give a gift that acknowledges that.

WiFi Cloud Photo Frame

Another option for multiple-photo gifts is the WiFi picture frame. Instead of displaying a solitary image behind glass, it uses a digital screen to project whatever photo that you've pulled up from the memory card. When you get tired of one image, just press a button and go to the next. The picture frame can store a whopping 20,000 of them, so you won't be running out of space any time soon.

Photo Thinwraps or Solid Maple Wood Prints

If you aren't into picture frames at all, consider a Thinwrap instead. The photos are printed on flat boards or canvases before being covered with a clear laminate to protect them. Then, they can be hung on a wall or propped up on a shelf. Thinwraps are available in sizes ranging from 5x5 inches to 24x36 inches, and you can display them on everything from easel stands to float mounting blocks.  Solid maple makes a fantastic, long lasting medium for vintage photos - especially those with deep blacks or heavy sepia toning. Talk to your favorite photo restorer to get the process started. 

Custom Photo Dog or Cat Bowl

Some restored photos aren't dignified black-and-white portraits of your ancestors. Sometimes, they're just silly pictures of your boxer puppy that got torn or waterlogged during your last move. The good news is that these photos can be printed on customized gifts just like their more serious cousins, and when you choose something like a food bowl, they'll be functional as well as fashionable. Doesn't your pet deserve a little love on Christmas? What are you putting under the tree for Fido?

Finally, Our #1 Choice,,,,

The Best Christmas Gift for the Photo Lover is:

Vintage Leather Photo Album With Wrap Closure

What if you want that scrapbook after all? What if you have too many restored photos to put on a blanket or bobblehead? This vintage leather album can be a nice way to display all of them together. Covered in top-grain leather and secured with a strap, it can be purchased with your choice of paper pages or plastic sleeves to collect an entire lifetime's worth of memories. It'll be an especially nice gift for the elderly people in your life. If you're looking for a simple but meaningful gift for your grandmother, give her a photo album that's packed with remembrance.

These are just a few Christmas gifts that make use of restored photos. Don't be afraid to contact us at Heritage Photo Restoration and Genealogy for more ideas or information.

There's a reason why we're Houston's #1 photo restoration service, and we can prove it to you! Just pick up the phone and give us a ring.