How many times have you heard a gift being touted as “the best gift ever”? You’ve undoubtedly seen gifts that are “the gift for the person who has everything,” “the gift to show that you care,” “the perfect gift,” and every other permutation that suggests that no greater gift exists.
As much as we don’t enjoy jumping on the bandwagon, we’re here to submit that a picture collage really is the best gift ever. Why? Because a photo collage can be customised in an infinite number of ways and truly can suit any person and be given for any gift-giving occasion. And just in case we haven’t convinced you yet, here are our top reasons why collages truly are the best gift ever.
1. The Sum of a pregnancy
The end of a pregnancy can be a bittersweet moment. While being excited for and eagerly awaiting the new addition to their family, many expectant parents also feel a sense of loss when the pregnancy is over. A maternity themed collage canvas print is the perfect gift for any new parent after the baby is born. New parents are usually inundated with gifts for the baby, so a gift specifically for the parents will be a welcome surprise – even more so when they see that it’s a celebration of the pregnancy itself.
2. Speech Bubbles
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but even we will concede that, unlike videos, pictures are silent. On the other hand, this can easily be overcome with the use of speech bubbles. Photo collages can include speech bubbles to add an element of action and dialogue to any photo, especially when it comes to photos of babies and young children who are (as yet) unable to speak for themselves. The clever example above is a fantastic case in point of the use of speech bubbles to bring an otherwise static photo collage to life. In this example, the children are photographed with physical chalkboard speech bubbles, whereas these could easily have been digitally added after the photograph was taken.
3. Light up a room
From Sortra
The simple yet somewhat ingenious addition of string lights or fairy lights to a photo collage can turn an average wall art idea into a light feature. With a little creativity, string lights could be used to enhance particular types of photographs, for example to light up a photo of a night scene, Christmas tree, or even to signify lit candles on a birthday cake.
4. Any Shape and Size
By Hative
Let’s face it, most people tend to love the sound of their own name, and many people will admit that their favourite letter of the alphabet is the first initial of their name. This being the case, a photo collage in the shape of their first initial can add another element of personalisation to a photo collage gift. For bonus points, add signatures, birthday wishes, or other hand-written messages on the back of the photo gift, as shown in the clever example above.
5. spell out a message
From Craftriver
A simple yet effective way of creating a completely unique photo gift is by arranging a series of photographs to spell out a message. The example shown above is a little odd (especially since it’s given as an example of a Valentine’s Day gift) since it tends to suggest that the gift recipient has nine very distinct girlfriends, however a similar (and perhaps more meaningful) effect could be attained by taking a series of photographs of one person with cut-out letters to spell out a message. What we do love about the example above, though, is that the photos are black and white while the letters are in full colour.
6. Unique Solution for a Memorial Gift
When someone we know experiences a loss, it can be difficult to find the right way to express our condolences. Kind words, a meaningful card, and a reminder that you’re always there anytime they need to talk will be greatly appreciated, but most of the time we wish there was something more we could do to ease that person’s suffering. A canvas collage, specifically and tastefully designed for a memorial situation, is one of the only gifts that can safely be given at a time of loss. A stylish, classy canvas print featuring photos of the deceased person with their loved ones will bring back happy memories and will be a source of comfort for those left behind.
7. love heart arms
From Indulgy
As cutesy and perhaps awkward as it looks, this idea is actually quite brilliant and would have required a fair amount of prior thought and planning. Of course, ideally none of the photos would be duplicated as they have been in this example. Additionally, the four middle squares and the bottom right and left corners could be used to spell out a message, or to showcase a photo of someone holding up a sign or speech bubble.
8. Showcase a number
A picture collage can be used to spell out any number – from one to one hundred and beyond. The obvious application is for a birthday celebration, but since we’re talking about gift ideas, this could also be used to showcase photos of a couple throughout their first year of marriage, or could even spell out someone’s birth year, and feature photos of significant events that occurred throughout that year.
9. solve the unique problem of toddler photo shoots
From Pinterest
Taking photos of toddlers – even the happiest, most playful children – can be difficult at best. You may get a fantastic series of photos of your toddler doing adorable things, but you are unlikely to get that perfect shot of the child smiling, making eye contact with the camera, and not doing anything strange, all at the same time. The perfect solution is, of course, to choose not just one photo but a series of photos which show your toddler at their most inquisitive and playful. The above example illustrates this perfectly: none of these photos would work as well on their own as they do in this photo collage. And while the end result would make the perfect gift, we can’t help but notice that this also would work beautifully as a birthday party invitation.
10. photos can be tiny
There’s nothing to say that a collage has to end up as a wall feature. Once you start thinking small, you’ll find that a collection of tiny photographs can be used to create intricate and impressive photo displays that can also be turned into jewelry, photo album covers, wallet inserts, and, in this case, the cover of a moleskin journal.
ANd… 11. Tiny photos can even end up on the wall
Despite what we’ve said above, there is no reason why a collection of tiny canvas prints can’t eventually end up large enough to make up a wall display. The example above uses illustrations and prints, though a similarly impressive mosaic effect could be created using photographs printed on canvas.
The point to keep in mind is that photo collages don’t need to be digitally collated and then printed as one large canvas print – an entirely different effect will be created by printing the photos separately on individual canvases and arranging them into your own physical collage.The decision is yours, and when you’ve made up your mind about what would suit your needs best, choose your photos and we’ll take care of the rest.
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