Memories Album
How to create a Memories Album
Think of this as an album you will share with others who never had the chance to know your loved one. (Download the instructions)
Tribute Page This is the opening page of the album. Choose 3 to 6 of your favorite pictures, along with a tribute you have written to honor your loved one.
Four Gifts You can dedicate one or two pages to each of these gifts. Reflect on 4 gifts meaningful gifts this person brought into the world. Examples might include loving, playful, devoted to family, honest, caring, great sense of humor. Create an envelope or use a Ziplock bag for each of these gifts, labeling them accordingly. Collect pictures that represent each gift and place them in the corresponding bags.
Celebration Page This will be the final page of the album. Select 3 to 6 of your favorite pictures and write a “Celebration” honoring your loved one. For example: “I celebrate the love you brought into my life or “You brought joy to every day.”
Continue filling your Memories Album with photos, mementos, and things that reflect the unique gifts your loved one shared with the world. You might want to elaborate on the various Father, Brother, Friend, Husband. Or you may wish to share some of their hobbies and interests, like fishing, music, cooking on the grill. Consider including your loved one’s favorite football or baseball team, or NASCAR driver, if they were big sports fans. Allow your finished product to capture the multiple facets of your loved one, while sharing the story of their life.
Most craft stores have whole sections devoted to scrap booking materials. You may add decorative items in your Memories Album that specifically remind you of your loved one. The supplies are endless; decorative pages, papers, and journaling boxes, lettering, scissors, adhesives, and various tools to accomplish special effects. Below, under “Resources” you will find links to some providers who carry craft supplies.
Debbie Hutt, Director of Donor Family Services, demonstrates how to create a Memories Album page in the video below.