Creative MeFites! How about some help?

November 8, 2013 6:02 PM

What are some creative things I could make using a list of memories?

A year or two ago, I emailed my Mom a list of random memories from when we lived in our hometown. We lived next door to my grandparents and several of her siblings.
Mom added to the list and then forwarded it to my uncle who, in return, also added to it. Then he forwarded the list to my Grandmother who added to it. So now I have a list of memorable words/phrases/people/places and I'd like to do something with them but have no idea what.

I could continue to collect more memories from the other 5 siblings and my sister. At first I was thinking about just passing around a homemade notebook and have everyone write memories in it. But ideally I'd like something I could make several of and distribute to family members.

Examples of the types of list items I'm talking about:

Laura's long frozen faux suede coat
Skunk cabbage
The bathrub buried in the yard
Jimmies
The porches that nobody used except to sled down
Hoodsies
Building 19
Homemade lawn furniture, sold from a pick up truck

I suck at drawing, otherwise I would try to make some sort of little comic book.

Any ideas?

posted by KogeLiz to Grab Bag (8 answers total)

I had a thing like this with some friends about 10 years ago. One of our friends printed them all out on bright colored paper in nice fonts, cut each line out separately, and collaged them cionfetti-style into a frame for each of us. I still have it.
posted by Miko at 7:25 PM on November 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

DIY Dinnerware!
posted by donut_princess at 7:52 PM on November 8, 2013

So are you telling the story to each of these memories? If so, why not take a video camera to the next gathering and have someone tell the story? If you do it in a group setting, you also get the commentary/disputes over what happened. You end up with an amazing family record. You can then edit it together.
posted by emjaybee at 8:51 PM on November 8, 2013

I'd make a photo-book, you could put all the memories into it, and get a few photos from each family member and add them in too. It would be fun to have a few key events maybe that you ask everyone for photos from, like maybe Halloween or family BBQs or something, or a childhood photo of the person whose memories they are? If you went with one of the commercial photo-book printers you could order as many books as there are contributors. I did that once for a group vacation, and its painless and the results were really great (I used shutterfly, and they were totally fine, they also do buy one get one deals sometimes which could be great if you're doing a bunch)!
posted by Sweetchrysanthemum at 8:53 PM on November 8, 2013

Take all the items and write or print onto pretty strips of paper. Get some clear glass Christmas ornaments from the craft store and put them inside. Add ribbon if you want.
posted by photoexplorer at 10:59 PM on November 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

Create a custom photo calendar. Add in everyone's birthdays. Then, in the empty days, add in the memories. Every day is a new memory (or, insert your cliche of choice).
posted by samthemander at 11:52 PM on November 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

Hey, I did this for my wife a couple years ago. I ended up making a box of Moo Minicards with a photo from our wedding on one side and a one-sentence memory on the back. The cards are beautiful and they also sell a nice little gift box for them that makes it easy to have them around and grab one or two out. I would totally do it again.
posted by pocams at 6:12 AM on November 9, 2013 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Great ideas - I don't really have photos for 60% of the list items but am now thinking of alternative types of photos or images I could use for some of these ideas.
posted by KogeLiz at 6:56 AM on November 9, 2013