Tiny Lay-Flat Nativities

I am a self-professed nativity addict, and I am always looking for just one more unique one to add to my collection.  Last year I came up with the idea of using a deck of Heritage Makers playing cards to make multiple sets of tiny, lay-flat nativities.  When I say "tiny," I mean 3.5" tall.  And when I say "lay-flat," I mean that these fold flat so that they take up almost no room to store!

These would make AMAZING little gifts for very little cost!

2023 UPDATE:  Heritage Makers became YPhoto under Youngevity (which purchased Heritage Makers in 2013).  YPhoto uses only templates, so the creativity showcased here is no longer available there. Best-in-the-industry quality and permanent cloud photo storage with guaranteed privacy are required for anything recommended here by Photo & Story Treasures, so we highly recommend Forever.  

Using Forever's Artisan program for digital scrapbooking, you can make items similar to those shown here.  This video tutorial shows you how to craft with high-quality scrapbook pages, and this one shows you how to use Artisan to create something unique and then print at home (for instances in which you need thinner paper, sticker paper, etc.)  You can see just a few examples of crafting I've done using Artisan here, including cards, magnets, dry-erase boards, and other products.

Forever does not currently print playing cards, but you could do this same idea with a card/invitation!  Cut and punch holes and tie with ribbon or raffia the same way you see here.

Love this idea?  Pin and share!

Hooray!  This post was a featured favorite here:

Stop Wishing Your Scrapbooking Was Done and Do It (with 3 options)

This post was updated 2022.

Are you one of the many people who WISHES your scrapbooking was done?  Would you really like to have your photos in a book instead of languishing somewhere in the cloud?  Do your kids ask to see pictures of themselves, but you don't have anything significant to show them because you can't find them on your phone?  

You've come to the right place!  Today I'll show you three completely do-able ways to stop wishing your scrapbooking was done and do it!

 

Solving Photo Organization Woes First

If you have some hurdles you need to get over before you're ready to start memory-keeping or scrapbooking, here are some videos and articles I've created that may help.  Have a look around, click on whatever you need help with, and then you'll be ready for the 3 digital scrapbook solutions I have for you. 

If you don't know how to get your photos from your phone to your computer, here's how (5 minutes):

Or, for my favorite solution, read "Help! My Photos Are In Too Many Places!"  There's even a 13-minute video tutorial on how to upload and organize your photos using my favorite solution (which also has an app so I can access all my photos from my phone without taking up storage space.

For a very thorough and in-depth look at photo organizing (and why storing and preserving are not the same thing), watch my 3-part series!

Part 1 is "Organizing and Decluttering Photos"

Part 2 is "Solutions for Storing and Preserving Photos"

Part 3 is "Strategies for Consistency"

Three Options So You Can Stop Wishing Your Scrapbooking was Done 

And now on to the 3 options I suggest to help you stop wishing your scrapbooking was done and do it!

It's very important to find a high-quality method to preserve your photos, but it's equally important to find something you love.  If you don't love it, it feels more like a chore instead of something to look forward to.  

Putting your photos and memories into something you can hold and look back at for years and years to come is good for the heart and soul.  In fact, I've called it {The Secret Ingredient to Self-Care and Wellness}.  So you should find something do-able that fits your needs and preferences so that you can enjoy all the {personal benefits of memory-keeping}.

So let's explore!!  These 3 different options really offer something for everyone.  Truly.  If you are an "I love creative Me Time" for scrapbooking, there's something here for you.  And if you're a "who has time for THAT?!" person, there's something here for you.

See which one you like best: 

Something to consider as you create digital scrapbooks, no matter which of those 3 high-quality options look the best to you, is a yearbook! If you're feeling stuck or overwhelmed, I really believe a yearbook is a genius way to get up and going again, preserving your photos and memories.

A yearbook is a home for all the photos and memories from one year.  This video gives a few ideas and examples (and shows how easy it is with [free] Design & Print software). 

You saw there that you can add pages beyond the 21 that a book comes with (for a per-page fee, which varies depending on book size), but you could also try the Yearbook Method!  

The Yearbook Method is one that helps you just preserve your favorite photos from one year in print.  Start with page 1 as a "highlights" type page, and then each two-page spread moving forward is dedicated to just one month.  This helps you narrow down your pictures by only preserving your favorites in pages, which makes scrapbooking take less time.

Which One is YOU?

You can create something simple and quick but still top-quality using either of the first two options from the video, AutoPrint and Design & Print.  For a more creative, flexible digital scrapbook, Artisan is easy to fall in love with.  

To learn more about Artisan and what you can do with it--expanding on what you saw in the video above--read What to Love About Digital Scrapbooking.  The first part is about transitioning from paper scrapbooking to digital scrapbooking, so start reading at "The Best Digital Scrapbooking Company and Why."  You'll find additional (short) videos and several photos of my own Artisan scrapbooks.
   

What do you think?  Which method do you think would work best for you?  Which one will be THE ONE to let you stop wishing your scrapbooking was done?  Let me know in the comments below.

Share the love by sharing these helpful ideas on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, or
your favorite social media platform.  

2023 UPDATE regarding references to Heritage Makers and/or Evolve (live.grow.give):  

• Heritage Makers and Snap2Finish became YPhoto under Youngevity (which purchased Heritage Makers in 2013).  YPhoto uses only templates, so the creativity showcased here is no longer available there, and they also no longer have capability to print previously-created projects like these from the old system. YPhoto is not a photo storage site like Heritage Makers was. Best-in-the-industry quality and permanent cloud photo storage with guaranteed privacy are required for anything recommended here by Photo & Story Treasures, so we highly recommend Forever.  
• The Evolve website was a lovely one I wrote for from 2017-2019 before the owner of it had to retire it.

Follow Photo & Story Treasures on social media here: