A couple of years ago I started this little month-in-photos project. I’d just had my fourth baby and wasn’t feeling like I could tackle project 365 that year, but I still wanted to do something to record our monthly happenings. This simplified approach has been so perfect for me! I love sitting down at the end of each month to go through our photos and create a photo collage highlighting the significant events of that month. I’ve let go of the idea that I need to record EVERY detail with these collages. I include some point form journaling telling what the photos are about and leave it at that.
Each year I create a new collage template to freshen things up a bit and here’s this years version. It’s size 12X12 but can easily be resized to 8X8 or 6X6. I’m excited about using this collage format this year and can’t wait to get started the end of January. 🙂
Here’s a little peek at the collage template at work. If you need any tips on using any of the templates let me know, or visit this site where you can find some great instructions on using clipping masks. You will need Photoshop or Photoshop Elements to be able to use the templates.
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There’s nothing quite like looking back at all the months collages that I’ve created throughout the year. 2011 was such an eventful year filled with so many amazing memories. I’m looking forward to putting these images together in some sort of book which will be a simple little project considering the collages are already created and the journaling has been recorded. Yay for quick and easy! 🙂
So, who else wants to join me in this month-in-photos
project for 2012!?
At the end of each month I’ll host a linky where you can share your collage with the rest of us and we can help keep each other motivated throughout the year!
🙂
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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Oh count me in. This year is all about documenting & more documenting (or at least going to try) as there will be LOTS of things going on w/my kids..Registering for Kindergarten, Graduation, Baseball OH can’t wait! The year started by celebrating my baby girl’s 5th bday yesterday!
This template is just perfect! Thank you so much for this! 🙂
Rebecca, this is so wonderful! Thanks for sharing your creation and your idea! I absolutely love the template!!!!
A month in photos is a fabulous idea! I did a 365 photo project last year and it was fun, but I think this year I’ll do a monthly thing as well. Thanks for the inspiration!
I SOO WANT TO DO THIS with you!! i was going to try the 365 thing, but i’m just too busy right now to organize 365 pics! i don’t have photoshop, but i can do collages in picnik, so i’ll do that. thanks for the GREAT idea!! yeah!!
I am sooo going to at least try!!! Love your blog! 🙂
what a terrific template. This is my fourth year doing Project 365, but I love the idea of a monthly summary too. I almost followed along last year, but prefer 12×12 pages; with your new template, I’m pretty sure I’ll be in this year. Thanks so much for sharing the template and the glimpses into your everyday month. I really love your blog and also hope to participate more of your weekly simple things challenges this year.
I really REALLY LOVE this! I have photoshop elements, but I’m confused on how to save it to get it to open. Does it save as a picture? I can’t get it to open. Any help/advice would be awesome.
@Alissa
It should open as a layered photoshop {PSD} file Alissa. I don’t use elements so I’m not sure if it’ll open this type of file or not, I thought it did??? Anyone else know?
Yes, it opens nicely with Elements (I have 9). Thanks for sharing this. I have never been very good at keeping up with any of these types of things…365, photo a week, etc. But I have sooooo many photos that need to be in books, maybe this is the year I will actually do it. We shall see! Thanks again.
Oh, Oh, me too! Such a great idea!
I saw this last year and wanted to do it, but didn’t want to start mid-year. I’ll definitely be doing it this year, though!
I don’t have photoshop, so can I just do something similar in Picnik? Or do I have to use that template?
Thanks Rebecca!
xoxo,
Kristen
I think this is the direction I am heading in with scrapbooking. I think I can handle a mosaic a month.
Since I’m doing my first 365 project, this would be an awesome addition! I’m in. 🙂
@Kristen Danielle
You can do ANY kind of collage you’d like Kristen! Would love to have you on board!! 🙂 🙂
Wow, what a great idea!!! I’ll be sure to join in!
I love that idea!
Thanks for the template! I’m going to try this, I’m not too digital scrappy savvy, but I’ve been wanting to learn and this will my year!
Yes! I love this idea!
Thanks for the template Rebecca. I’ll be joining you this year. Can’t wait.
Thanks. I’ve been thinking about something like this for several years (my kids are grown and gone), but could never figure how quite how I wanted to do it. This is a lovely template, and looks very doable.
Thanks for the wonderful template! I am excited to try this idea as it is a more relaxed approach. Lately I have been in a picture taking slump and haven’t been taking as many pictures as I used to so this approach will be perfect. What font did you use for your title on your Christmas page? I love it.
Im in 😉 this sounds fun and gives me more to do.
I’m going to give these a try this year. Love the 12×12 template! If any of your readers need photo ideas, I’ve got some great links on the blog today, including a link to your seasonal photo lists!
http://www.onetoughmom.blogspot.com
Thanks Rebecca! Happy 2012!
Thank you so much for this post. I want to let you know that I posted a link to your blog in CBH Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, under the Page 2 post on Jan. 05, 2012. Thanks again.
I am sooo excited about this I made it my New Years Resolution!!! But I don’t understand the jounaling part….
ME ME ME!! I am so doing this in 2012!!
Love your blog!
have never done this before so thank you x
Thank you so much! I love your work!
Thank you for the template 🙂
This collage is great!!! Count me in!!!
Love this! Thank you!
Thanks Rebecca.
I always have the best intentions but rarely follow through on long term projects like this. Seeing your 2011 pages has lit my fire to try again. Thanks for sharing the new template.
I’d love to know how you incorporate the journaling in either of these…would you mind showing an example?
What a great idea! THANK you for sharing your templates. What a lovely gift!
Cheers!
Oh, I love it. Thanks for sharing.
This is great idea!!! But does it have to be that collage model? I would like to use it but I don’t have Photoshop..just Photoscape and I’m not sure how it works there!!!?
I’m in!!! Thanks for the template!! I’ll be using it for sure!
Check out my blog too:
http://thediydreamer.blogspot.com/
me!! i’m in again for sure!
I love, love, love this idea! Just found your blog via Pinterest and am so excited! I can’t wait to dive into your tutorials and more!
Michelle (from http://teaganstravels.blogspot.com/)
I was searching for something fun to do this year with pictures and photography, and found this, SO GREAT! Thanks for sharing your ideas, I can’t wait to make a collage at the end of each month!
I love this!!
I just finished 2011 with the cute template. I did each month as a two page layout – using the colorbar on the left hand side with the month and year and then the colorbar on the righthand side for journaling. It worked perfect! But now I can’t find a book to print this to. I am not finding an 11×6 book anywhere. I tried resizing the photoshop file to 5×7, but the dimensions are not right for that. How were you able to print these and put them in a book to share with family? Thanks. Paula
me,me,me!!!!! love this idea!!!
xo
clau
@JewelThe font is called CK Chemistry. You can download it here for free: http://www.eaglefonts.com/ck-chemistry-ttf-56417.htm
So excited to have you on board for the month in photos this year! It’s going to be so fun!! 🙂
@KarenSo excited you’ll be joining the fun Karen!! 🙂
@di basnett YAY! Excited to have you Di!! 🙂
@HeatherCan’t wait to see you first collage of 2012 Heather! So excited you’ll be joining the fun. 🙂
@radiomomrhetoric So excited to work on this project together through 2012!! 🙂
@StaceyHey Stacey…eventually when I put these collages together in an album/photo book I’ll make each month a two page spread. Include the collage on one side and some journaling on the other highlighting the events of the month. As soon as I have one of my albums put together I’ll be sure and share images! When I blog my collage each month I include the journaling in the post so that I have everything all put together at the end of the year {journaling+photos} which will make it super simple to make my albums. 🙂 Hope that makes sense.
@Sarah Taylor So excited you’ll be joining us Sarah! 🙂
@I’m Barbara So fun to have you joining us this year Barbara! You’re gonna love it. As for the journaling, I’m working on a post to clarify how I’ll add that when I create my albums/photo books and I’ll share a quick example. 🙂
@Pieni Lintu You can use ANY collage you’d like to Pieni!! So excited to have you join in the fun. 🙂
@Erin I’m so excited to see your first collage of 2012 Erin!! Have a great week. 🙂
I finished the 11×6 templates, but now cannot find a place to print them. No one prints that size. HELP?!?!?!
That a wonderful template.I pinned it so I can remember it when I create one at the end of the month.
Fabulous template & I am so glad Alicia sent me on over here. You have such a beautiful family –
I plan to give it a shot this year. Love the template but will probably go with the 8 x 8 size.
What a great idea! Thank you for the template.
Thank you for the nice template! I used it for a Christmas collage as you did and think I will use it for monthly collages, too!
Thanks for the awesome idea and the awesome template design! I took it and created my own that I could use with my Storybook Creator software! Can’t wait til the end of the month!
This is so perfect! I used to be obsessed with scrapbooking until I had kid #3. Then it just became to much makeing scrapbooks for 3 kids but I’ve felt so bad because my kids love looking through the ones I made. This looks like a happy medium between doing full blow scrapbooks and doing nothing. Thanks!
Count me in! I found your template on pinterest today and already started fillng in the template with pics from new years eve and new years day! Im gonna follow your blog so I can join in!!
I love this!! I too could never do a 365, but weekly/monthly projects are much more doable! Thanks for sharing your template! 🙂
I am so happy that I found this! I did Project Life last year, and about halfway through, it stressed me out. I still haven’t finished 2011… but then I noticed this year that I was kind of sad that I wasn’t going to be documenting life in 2012. This is the perfect way for me to do it with less stress! Thank you for the template!
Love this template Rebecca and am going to try this!
i’m not usually so bad with photoshop elements, but i cannot seem to get my pictures in the collage. i’ve looked up tutorials and have a hard time finding good ones for this specific clipping mask. i went to the coffee shop blog, but her tutorial is not working with my pse. i have version 10. can you point me in a good direction for help? thank you, dear!
I’d love to join this… (although I’m a month behind!) Just came across this today…
Thanks so much for the free collage!! 🙂 Sarah
Oh yippy! What a great idea! I’m a month behind, but I’m so happy to join you for this. I’m starting my February collage now so I can link in with you this month! Thank you, thank you!!
I can’t believe I just found out about your lovely blog and this super cool link-up party!! I am so excited. I’m a couple of months late, but never mind. I don’t photoshop though 🙁 and I just realized that Picnik is closing. boohoo! How do I make collages after that?
I love this template! Does anyone know how to save it at the right resolution for printing in blurb or other photo book??
Help…I so want to use your 2012 template for my 2013 project but can’t get it to download. Any ideas???
Help! I am soooo excited about this template but everytime I click on the link it takes me to mediafire but then it won’t load. any ideas?!! Thanks!!! [email protected]
Hi Rebecca, I’m in the same camp as Heidi & Brooke above – can’t get the download to work. Any suggestions? Thank you!!