Let’s make it a habit, together!
Have you got hundreds (if not thousands) of images stored on your phone and computer taken over the last year? If so, how many times have you promised to do something with them, other than keep them hidden away in a digital folder?
Creating a family yearbook is easier than you might think and is a fun way of bringing your memories to life so that you can reflect on them again and again. An annual family album is a curated collection of all your favourite moments, events and milestones from the last 12 months and celebrates them, just as they should be!
But if you’re not sure where to start in creating a yearly family album, we’ve got you covered, with plenty of ideas for making a fabulous memento. After just a little bit of effort, you’ll end up with a beautiful, customised keepsake that can be passed down to your children and generations to come.
PART 1: WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR FAMILY YEARBOOK
Showcase important events and seasonal holidays
A lot happens in a year. So if you need some help jogging your memory, take time to flip through your diary and jot down important dates – birthdays, holidays and anniversaries. Then find photos to represent each of these occasions to add to your yearbook.
Document family vacations
Vacations are a time to bond as a family while exploring new corners of the globe. So be sure to include photos of the adventures you’ve had over the past year. Whether it’s just a weekend away, a camping trip into the wilds or a couple of weeks abroad, include photos of the places you went and some of the most enduring memories you made as a family.
Add school milestones and awards
If you have school-age kids, you’ll understand the important role that school life plays in the yearly calendar. Don’t forget to include images of your children at school events – plays, fairs and sporting carnivals – as well as any awards or milestones they’ve achieved. You can even create a “trophy case” page to display all of their awards and certificates. It’s a great way of documenting their development throughout the years and is something your children will be able to look back on in the coming years to see how far they’ve come.
Incorporate your child’s artwork or written work
Creativity is an integral part of your child’s development, so don’t hesitate to include some of your favourite pieces of artwork they’ve created. Rather than stashing them away to collect dust, you can showcase them in your family yearbook and preserve them for many years to come. Similarly, if your child’s at the stage where they’re doing creative writing or composing messages in cards, photograph your favourites (or just the funniest ones) that bring a smile to your face.
Include quotes or a questionnaire
Sometimes kids say the funniest things and if you’ve got a good memory (or are forward-thinking enough to jot them down), you can include some classic quotes in your custom yearbook. Another fun idea is to create a questionnaire with the same set of questions, then ask each family member, year after year, to see how their opinions, ideas and perspectives on the world change. You can make a date each year to reflect as a family on your previous responses…and have a laugh at each other’s expense!
PART 2: CREATING A FAMILY YEARBOOK
Select your favourite photos
Sifting through all the photos you’ve accumulated over the course of the year can be a daunting task, as is deciding which ones will make the cut for your family book. Perhaps you’ve got some on your smartphone and others on your computer, plus any that might have been taken by family or friends that you need to get your hands on.
If possible, get into the habit of staying on top of your photo organisation by filing images away into designated folders throughout the year. Create a folder for the upcoming yearbook, then add your favourites into sub-folders, titled by event or theme so that they’re easy to find at the end of the year.
If you still can’t decide which images to choose (or aren’t that organised), PikPerfect has an optional Photo Selection Service that will do the hard work for you. Simply upload all of your images and let their experts decide which ones are the best. You can then review their selection and make any alterations until you’re 100% satisfied with the curated collection. 
Work your editing magic
A little bit of editing can really bring images to life, making their colours pop and removing any unwanted objects. You don’t have to be a photo editing expert to do some simple crops and colour enhancements using Adobe Lightroom and you’ll probably discover that it’s quite fun. Try increasing the contrast, vibrance and sharpness of your images to create a more striking finished product. Alternatively, you can let the team at PikPerfect work their editing magic while you just sit back and relax.
Add a feature page
Aside from selecting a customised cover for your family yearbook, you can also opt to create a feature page to highlight your top memories from the year. You could pick a small selection of your favourite images to make a collage or just make a bullet list of the important milestones that took place. If you’re making a yearbook for your child, why not include a short letter explaining what was so special about the year so that they can read back on it for many years to come.
As you can see, creating an annual family photo album doesn’t have to be a chore but an opportunity to illustrate your creative flair while bringing treasured memories to life. It’s a chance to pause and take a trip down memory lane to see what made the past year so special before the hustle and bustle of the next 12 months takes over.
