Any Ideas For A Craft To Memorialize A Loved One?
My nephew’s father (my brother) died ten years ago this August. My nephew was 3 (now 13) and has few memories of his dad. I’m not any good at scrap-booking and don’t have a whole lot of interest in learning. Does anyone have any ideas for some kind of craft project that I can make for my nephew that would help to connect my nephew to his dad in some way.? So far, I’ve come up with some kind of quilt or possibly a cross-stitch/embroidery project. Any other ideas?
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How about a “signature pillow”?….
If you have a copy of the person’s signature, you could sew a pillow featuring the person’s signature embroidered on it.
Here’s how:
1.Enlarge the signature on a copy machine to fit the size of the pillow top.
2.Then, use a light box (or a window on a sunny day) to trace (with graphite pencil) the signature onto the pillow top fabric (muslin or linen works well).
3. Then, stitch along the signature lines in a stem stitch with embroidery floss.
4. Sew the embroidered fabric into a pillow.
5. Add decorative buttons, etc. if desired.
Hint: If you don’t embroider, you could use a permanent, fine-line marker to trace the signature onto the fabric.
A shadow box.
A small photo album of pics of his dad and him together.
When my Grandmother passed away in 2003, I was happy that I had always saved her letters to me. I took an older small suitcase, and covered it with decoupaged images that reminded me of her, added a new closure and handle, and now keep all of her letters in there. It was easy to make between bouts of tears, and did not require alot of time. Just an idea for you to pursue or not.
you don’t have to be good at scrapbooking to make scrapbooks…what did people do before it was all the rage…you don’t need special stickers I would still make a scrapbook with card, photos & letters, some men have wooden boxes for their jewelry if you want to put these things loosely in there. Or you could use a wood burning kit to put your nephew’s and your brother’s name on another box. I wouldn’t put the date of death on it because it should be a box where they are united in life if he has no memory of his dad & hasn’t seen the things you have or what were your brothers interests, you could do the project together, including his favourite fishing fly if he fished, or other little thing. Has he ever asked about his father? If he wants to avoid it, you might want to hold on to these things until he is ready. Depends on the personality of your nephew.
What about a photo quilt, you copy the pictures onto fabric, and can add lettering, pieces of fabric, like t-shirts, jerseys, other things with meaning to the family
How about a shadow box. You can put the things that remind your family of him in it and also pictures or anything else. It can be displayed somewhere or on a wall.
I have to agree with cowgirl a shadow box.
Due to the nature of the gift I would study or get professional help in making sure it is UV protected and achievable.
I am currently gathering pieces for my husbands gift.
a few pieces so far and not sure which ones i will actually pick. I am thinking I will stay with his passion which he made his liefs work. And what supported him in life assisted in keeping his focus which one of them was his love of music.
I feel that this project is not unlike the way we collect things as a kid that say something to us in a personal way.
So the items can be copies of music,fabric scraps,buttons,miniature pictures,miniature tools, fishing fly,uniform buttons,Cologne labels the list goes on..
I also have found these Frame-Taztic’s interesting as gifts.
Here are some books to help you if you wish to explore.
Complete Guide to Shadowboxes and Framing Objects
by James Miller
Memory Art: Fresh Ideas for Shadowboxes and Other Keepsake Displays
by Mary Lynn Maloney
1. A shadowbox with treasured items from his father and favorite pictures.
2. You can buy a special paper that you can print pictures on and then iron on material. Make him a pillow that is covered with his Dad’s pictures and you could also use fabric markers to add to the design or add dates, etc. below each picture.
3. A memory box, where he can hold treasured items that were his Dad’s and all his pictures, etc. I like this idea because then he can always have this box and privately go into it and hold the things from his father whenever he feels the need to.
How about a memory quilt.? You print pictures on fabric using an inkjet printer. Then sew them together as you would a quilt. I have seen them and they are beautiful. You can also put text on the quilt as well. If your nephew uses the quilt he would have his Dad with him through the night or napping on the couch. Good luck! kmcdonald
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?C…
You can make a memory quilt. They have some at Joann’s. You can change the things that these say. They also have shadow boxes or picture frames that you just put pictures in. The designs are already in there. It is still scrapbooking but it is very easy.
My daughter is 9 and she has a picture of her Dad she keep in her room. Her Dad she doesn’t see much because he works alot. He is there everynight but she loves ot look at the picture of her sitting on her Daddy’s lap.
You could do a quilt (Turning Twenty (around the block) and have as your Focus Block. pictures of your bother. You just need to transfer therm to a fabric photo sheet with a color or black and white printer. It could be his bed quilt or a smaller wall hanging quilt. You could even use die cut letter to describe the photo and date it or you could write it on a sheet of paper and place the photo on the paper and copy all of it on the fabric sheet.
I hope this gives you an clue to what you have in mind.
LauraGayTackett
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