The most thoughtful holiday gifts take time and come from the heart. iPhones and gift cards are great, but why hide behind cost or convenience when you can be a holiday hero instead?

All you need are photos and home movies - which most of us have clogging up a smartphone, and collecting dust in the attic or basement. Let’s turn these old memories into unique holiday giftsthat make your family cry tears of joy. 

Organizing

You’ll want to declutter your stash of pictures and videos first. These items are much more valuable than old gadgets and clothes, so they’ll probably take more time to sort.

Whether you DIY or hire a professional, consider a few things when organizing your photos and videos:

●     Categories:Sort by some combination of date, people, places, or events

●     Media Formats:Keep like items together for optimal stacking and storage

●     Consolidation:Get all of your bins and hard drives of media in one place

●     Duplicates:Get rid of excess copies, but keep the best-looking ones

●     Containers:Invest in archival-grade materials that protect your collection

While the season ramps up, you should also check out The Little Details’ holiday decorating service.  It’s the most stress-free way to turn your home into a winter wonderland. 

Digitizing

Aging photos and film hold priceless family moments, but they get worse every day and won’t last forever. It’s hard to enjoy dusty photos and moldy film reels, right?

Consider turning your physical media into digital files! They don’t deteriorate, and technology makes them so much easier to sort and share.

Lots of online resources cover DIY photo scanning and VHS to DVD transfers. If you opt for a professional digitizing service, here’s what to consider:

●     Will they return the originals? Some vendors won’t!

●     Can they can handle odd media like Betamax tapes and large portraits?

●     Should you trust them with your stuff, of do their reviews scare you away?

●     What resolutions do they offer for photo and film scanning?

●     Can you customize your project, or do they take a one-size-fits-all approach? 

Once you’ve digitized everything, discarding the originals is a tough but smart way to free up room in your home. We know these items have sentimental value, but ask yourself: are these items still serving a purpose, or just taking up space?

Gifts

Digitizing makes it easy to preserve and relive your memories. But it’s the holiday season, and you’re not off the hook until you share these moments with friends and family. You can turn your digital photos and home movies into stunning gifts, including:

Digital Archives

A digital archive is really just your stash of digital photos and videos - or at least a portion of it that someone else might enjoy.

You could put your archive on the cloud and share the link with your loved ones, or go the extra mile and copy it onto DVDs and USBs. It saves you from showing up empty-handed, and they’ll get a thoughtful gift to unwrap! 

Slideshows

The most unique holiday gifts take more than just a screen-tap and free two-day shipping. A slideshow gives your friends and family an experience that they can’t buy anywhere. To get started:

●     Pick a theme (ex: Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas)

●     Round up all related digital photos

●     Pare down until only the best ones are left

You’ll then need a slideshow designer or program to help you put these photos in order, set them to your loved one’s favorite songs, and add cool effects for seamless transitions. Play it on a screen at the next holiday get-together.

Video Montages

A video montage is like a slideshow with movie clips instead of photos. If you want to make a holiday present that captures your family’s voices, quirky mannerisms, and a surreal sense of deja vu that takes everyone back in time - invest in a video montage.

NOTE: Video editing tools aren’t as user-friendly as slideshow makers, and hours of clips will take even longer to sort through. A professional video service can help bring your vision to life with convenience and speed.

Photo Books

Platforms like Mixbook offer templates to easily make an affordable photo book. It might look a lot like the one your neighbor made for her own family, though.

More advanced platforms and tools can help you craft stunning coffee table books as well, but much like our video montage dilemma, it takes a LOT of time to use these tools without training or experience.

To craft and gift a photo book that’s as unique as it is beautiful, find a professional photo book designer with the technical skills and printing insights to get the job done right.

Give a Unique Holiday Gift this Season

These personal holiday gifts make the best presents. And they give you a reason to finally organize the family photos and videos you’ve kept in storage for years.

Before you go, don’t miss Mia Salmo’s tips to get organized this holiday season. Your newly-scanned photos would look awesome in the digital holiday cards she recommends. Let’s get gifting! 

EverPresent digitizes, edits, and organizes millions of family memories every year. Its team has years of experience helping people sort, share, and relive their favorite moments. Visit everpresent.com to learn more.