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Making Everyday Beautiful

10 Minute Photo Keepsake Ornaments

Thursday, December 1, 2016

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Trim the tree with these 10 minute photo keepsake ornaments. They take no time at all to make and it will mean so much to fill the tree with family memories!

Trim the tree with these 10 minute photo keepsake ornaments. They take no time at all to make and it will mean so much to fill the tree with family memories.

Easy to Make Photo Keepsake Ornaments

When putting together our Outdoor Adventure-themed Christmas tree this year I wanted to include some handmade photo ornaments that showcased a few of our favorite moments in the great outdoors.

These photos mean so much to me and represent some amazing experiences we’ve shared together as a family so I wanted them to have a special place on our tree.

As always, when I take on a craft project, it has to be simple and these ornaments are exactly that. You’ll have them put together and hanging on your tree in minutes! Follow along as I show you exactly how to make them.

Trim the tree with these 10 minute photo keepsake ornaments. They take no time at all to make and it will mean so much to fill the tree with family memories.


*All supplies for this project can be found at Michaels Stores.

Supplies

Round distressed wood ornaments

Twine

Matte Mod Podge

Foam Brushes

Scissors

Printed Photos

Photo Editing program or PicMonkey

Hole Punch

Trim the tree with these 10 minute photo keepsake ornaments. They take no time at all to make and it will mean so much to fill the tree with family memories.

Instructions

The first thing to start with is choosing the photos you will use for your ornaments. I picked out a handful of photos taken in our favorite National Parks that we’ve visited and from hikes we’ve done as a family over the years.

I cropped the photos into circles using my photo editing program and chose to add some simple text telling where and when the photos were taken. You can do this in your favorite photo editing program (I use photoshop or photoshop elements) or you can do it online using PicMonkey’s free text editor.

Trim the tree with these 10 minute photo keepsake ornaments. They take no time at all to make and it will mean so much to fill the tree with family memories.

Print your photos at home or at your local photo lab. To print as a standard size simply copy and paste your circular photo onto a blank 4×6 canvas (in your photo editing program) and save as a JPG file. You can then upload this 4×6 to your favorite online photo lab and have it printed as a standard 4×6 size.

 

Purchase distressed round disc ornaments. If you can’t find these at your local Michaels craft store, I did find these wood ornaments that you could paint white and distress yourself.

Trim the tree with these 10 minute photo keepsake ornaments. They take no time at all to make and it will mean so much to fill the tree with family memories.

Cut out your circular photos and punch a small hole at the top in line with where the hole is on the ornaments. I used a sharpie to mark this.

Now apply a generous layer of Mod Podge to the top of the wood ornament. You’ll need to work quickly here, making sure your mod podge coats the surface of the ornament entirely and that you have an even layer.

Trim the tree with these 10 minute photo keepsake ornaments. They take no time at all to make and it will mean so much to fill the tree with family memories.

Next apply a quick layer of mod lodge to the back of your photo. Place the photo on the wood ornament making sure it’s centered. Apply a final layer of mod podge on top of the photo to seal it. Make sure you apply this layer evenly and that your brush strokes and even and are all going in the same direction.

Trim the tree with these 10 minute photo keepsake ornaments. They take no time at all to make and it will mean so much to fill the tree with family memories.

Once the mod podge is completely dry thread a length of twine through the hole at the top of the ornament and tie in a knot. Now hang them on your tree and enjoy looking at some of your favorite photo memories throughout the Christmas season.

Trim the tree with these 10 minute photo keepsake ornaments. They take no time at all to make and it will mean so much to fill the tree with family memories.

More Simple Handmade Ornaments to Check Out

Faux Wood Burned Christmas Tree Ornaments

Create faux wood burned Christmas tree ornaments without any special tools. Complete how-to instructions including printable templates to make these easy, nature-inspired keepsakes.

Kids Sharpie Art Ornaments

Turn your child’s beautiful artwork into a simple keepsake ornament.

Silhouette Keepsake Ornaments

These simple, DIY, silhouette keepsake ornaments may not help you freeze time, but they will at least allow you to capture it—as you display your children’s profiles year after year on your Christmas tree.

DIY Wooden House OrnamentsDIY White and Gold Wooden House Ornaments

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Rebecca

Rebecca

Rebecca Cooper is a 42-year-old wife and mother of four from Alberta, Canada. As a photographer, crafter, author, and blogger, she finds joy and fulfillment in celebrating everyday moments. She loves to read and eat chocolate, and is a firm believer in afternoon naps. Rebecca shares her family’s adventures, photo tips, simple craft projects + more right here at Simple as That.
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Filed Under: Crafts / DIY, Holidays Tagged With: Michaels Makers, Michaels Stores, outdoor family adventures

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brenda says

    Friday, December 2, 2016 at 1:02 am

    Love these! I hope my Michaels store has the ornaments! What is the diameter?

    Reply
  2. Meghan Jackson says

    Tuesday, December 6, 2016 at 3:19 pm

    Did you print these on photo paper?

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      Tuesday, December 6, 2016 at 3:24 pm

      Yes. I actually ordered them at my local photo lab.

      Reply
  3. Tracy Larsen says

    Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at 2:34 am

    These are so beautiful and look easy to make. I bought all the supplies today and can’t wait to make them. Thank you so much for sharing this project!!!

    Reply
    • Karen hayes says

      Thursday, January 5, 2017 at 5:36 am

      Where did you purchase the wood discs??
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        Thursday, January 5, 2017 at 12:52 pm

        At Michaels Craft Stores. These are similar and you could distress them yourself with sand paper –> http://amzn.to/2gwGWWg

        Reply
  4. Holly says

    Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at 4:08 pm

    How did you cut the circles so perfectly. These are amazing, and I want to try!

    Reply
    • Judy says

      Monday, February 20, 2017 at 4:05 am

      Try using a 2 inch hole stamper found at craft stores.

      Reply
  5. Susan says

    Thursday, December 8, 2016 at 2:08 pm

    I love them. What a clever idea. I am in the process of doing a memorial ornament, and these look wonderful. I may consider this.

    Reply
  6. Amy Hughes says

    Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 7:30 pm

    I love this so much!!! What size were the circular photos? I know you said print on a 4×6 canvas but what size did you crop the actual photo to on Photoshop?

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 4:07 pm

      My photos are 3″ in diameter. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Denita blevins says

    Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 3:18 pm

    Where can I find the round discs??

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 4:07 pm

      You can find them at Michaels Craft Stores. These would also work: http://amzn.to/2gwGWWg

      Reply
  8. Lisa Doyle says

    Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at 1:55 am

    Would you necessarily have to use photo paper? Would regular paper work?

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at 3:52 am

      Yes, I think you could print on white card stock.

      Reply
  9. Irani says

    Thursday, December 22, 2016 at 1:02 am

    These are beautiful Rebecca!
    I have another project that I have been looking for the perfect font for, would you mind sharing the font name?

    Reply
    • Kay Landrum says

      Thursday, December 29, 2016 at 1:45 pm

      I love love love these!!! Would you mind sharing the font you used on these? They are precious !

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        Thursday, December 29, 2016 at 1:51 pm

        It’s called Amperzand.

        Reply
  10. Annita says

    Monday, February 13, 2017 at 6:15 pm

    I found a drawer full of spare pics and used them for the ornaments. I give ornaments to family every year but these are most personal.. I found wooden disks from amazon in a pack of 100.

    Reply
  11. Jennifer says

    Monday, September 25, 2017 at 11:52 am

    Super cute idea!

    But how do I print my picture in a circle? Just as the video shows.

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      Monday, September 25, 2017 at 5:16 pm

      You can crop it in a circle using a photo editing program like Adobe Photoshop Elements OR go to Picmonkey.com you can crop in shapes there. You could also print it regular 4×6 size and use a circle punch to cut out a circular portion of the image or just trace with a cup or other round object and cut with scissors. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Annie says

    Thursday, October 5, 2017 at 11:18 pm

    Hi Rebecca, did you give your disks a couple of coats of paint. Did you use flat or a low sheen paint? Am going to print on gloss photo paper would that be ok?
    They look wonderful and am going to give them ago as I’m not that good with craft.
    Thanking you
    Annie

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      Friday, October 6, 2017 at 3:23 pm

      Annie – I used normal craft paint. Nothing special. I did do a couple of coats. Gloss photo paper will work…if you use a matte Mod Podge over it that will take away the “shine” of the paper. 🙂

      Reply
  13. Carla says

    Friday, October 20, 2017 at 2:25 am

    Did you use black and white photos?

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      Saturday, October 21, 2017 at 3:54 am

      Yes! 🙂

      Reply
  14. Anne says

    Tuesday, October 24, 2017 at 11:22 pm

    Can you use color photos or only black and white?

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at 11:31 am

      You could totally use color photos! 🙂

      Reply
  15. Amber Arambula says

    Sunday, October 29, 2017 at 9:24 pm

    I’ve never printed photos at a photo lab before. To get these exact pic sizes so they’re able to be put on ornaments. What should I tell the person that’s helping me out. Thanks so much!!

    Reply
  16. Karen T says

    Thursday, November 2, 2017 at 11:20 pm

    I think these are really nice and I thank you for sharing. I think you could use can lids, removed with the side cut can opener, to make these, too.
    I did something similar years ago with my kindergarten Sunday school class.

    Reply
  17. Amber says

    Monday, November 6, 2017 at 4:47 pm

    Could you use regular printer paper for this?

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      Monday, November 6, 2017 at 5:30 pm

      Yes, I totally think you could Amber!

      Reply
  18. Jodie says

    Sunday, November 12, 2017 at 2:21 am

    What size are your distressed round disc ornaments?

    Reply
  19. Nicole says

    Saturday, November 25, 2017 at 6:49 am

    Love your ideas. Do you have a home printer for your photos? If so, what brand and model do you use?

    Reply
  20. Liz says

    Thursday, November 30, 2017 at 6:56 am

    What is the process you used to paint and distress the ornaments before you modge podge? These are beautiful!!!!!

    Reply
  21. lu says

    Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at 3:35 pm

    I need to learn how to distress the wood for the ornaments? Please let me know as I have everything else and would like to get started.

    Thanks Lu

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at 7:10 pm

      You’ll just gently sand the edges. 🙂

      Reply
  22. L Phillips says

    Thursday, December 14, 2017 at 1:10 am

    these are so gorgeous! however, that whitewash deckled edge is very time consuming to produce and I couldn’t find any reference to one like that at Michael’s or even in a general search for them that are as nice as those. has anyone found those kind of edged wood slices anywhere THIS year, 2017? If anyone finds a new source, please share! I think it makes all the difference in the look of the ornaments. thanks!

    Reply
  23. nina says

    Friday, December 15, 2017 at 2:44 am

    I ordered real wood slices from amazon 3.5-4 inches. No need to paint just let the wood grain show on the edges. They turned out lovely. I used a decorative upholstery tack on the top to attach twine to.

    Reply
  24. May says

    Friday, September 21, 2018 at 1:44 pm

    Your ornaments look awesome – nice work! And thanks for the inspiration – been working on some personalized gifts for Christmas this year and this idea works great because I need easy, too! Happy fall!

    Reply
  25. Lindsey says

    Saturday, October 13, 2018 at 10:55 pm

    very pretty I love this idea. you could use mason jar seals as well!

    Reply
  26. Carol says

    Sunday, November 4, 2018 at 3:33 am

    I can’t find the discs anywhere 🙁

    Reply
    • Dan Long says

      Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 3:31 am

      Neither can I. My Michaels doesn’t have them; they’re not in the online Michaels; I’ve been searching for hours and can’t find a decent substitute.

      Reply
  27. Michele McGoldrick says

    Wednesday, November 7, 2018 at 11:54 pm

    I tried this and when I put the modpodge on top of the photo it turned it a milky white colour. I am using matte mod podge. Any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Dan Long says

      Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 3:30 am

      Try applying the mod podge thinner, and let it dry. A few thin coats shouldn’t produce the “milky white” effect.

      Reply
  28. Lindsey says

    Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 3:34 pm

    hey there, Reviving these! so…how do you print on the photos, in the photo lab you use?

    Reply
  29. Lauren | Mom Home Guide says

    Tuesday, November 27, 2018 at 5:22 am

    I love these sweet and beautiful ornaments. Pinning!

    Reply
  30. Ginny says

    Tuesday, October 29, 2019 at 7:42 pm

    What do you do on the back of the wood? Did you leave it blank?

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      Sunday, November 3, 2019 at 1:27 pm

      I did…or you could add the date. 🙂

      Reply
  31. Carla Cramasta says

    Friday, November 29, 2019 at 8:11 pm

    Really frustrated bc I paid for picmonkey and there is no way to ensure my round cropped circles are 3 inches in diameter before printing them out. This is a crap shoot and I don’t find your directions to be as easy as you are writing them. I can resize them all day long to a 4×6 and then make them a circle or vice versa and either way it doesn’t work on Picmonkey to tell me if the circles are 3 inches.

    Reply
  32. Dan Long says

    Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 3:29 am

    So you know, the Amazon link you provide doesn’t work, and Michaels doesn’t have these discs (on line or in my local store).
    Can you provide the phone number for your Michaels so we can order them?
    I’ve spent hours searching, and there isn’t a real substitute for what you used.

    Reply
  33. Amarie says

    Friday, December 13, 2019 at 4:30 pm

    Did you print from an inkjet printer for the photos? When I use mod podge on any inkjet prints the ink smudges.

    Reply

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Hello, I'm Rebecca. Welcome to my blog, Simple as That. Come along as we embrace simplicity in crafting, photography, travel, and family life. Read more about me.

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