Products/gifts made with photos.

[Linda and "Toby"]

I thought it might be fun to share ideas for products/gifts that can be made with photos. It would also be helpful to which companies you've ordered from and had a good experience (and not so good experience) with. 

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

You guy the paper at any office supply store (or Walmart) and run them through the printer. Then you cut out and iron on. I'm not sure if Mom has washed the quilt but I've done similar things on T-shirts and they wash great.

[Linda and "Toby"]

I've always wondered if t-shirts with those iron-on's washed ok. It would be fun to make some with/for my grandkids. I'll tell my daughter to turn them inside out before washing - that will probably help them last longer.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

My neighbor and I tried and tried to make iron on tee shirts. We were unsuccessful! I wasted lots of money on tee-shirts, different manufacturers of iron on paper, etc. We washed the shirts first, really got the design on nicely and they looked great, then washed them inside out and even hang dried them. The iron on cracked or peeled every time. Very disappointing :( If someone has been successful I would love to know how they did it (every detail) and what iron on product they used.

[Diane Margetts]

Maybe they are improved but I did T-shirt iron on photos-- think I got the paper at Office Depot. Mine did not wash terribly well. They faded a bit with every wash. BUT, that was 3 or 4 years ago so maybe better products are out there now . . .

[Jersey, Jasmine, Jypsy and Diane]

Very nice quilt. I'm sure it meant a lot to them. One of a kind, handmade useful gifts are always welcomed.

[Kyoko]

I love this!! One of my daughters went away to college, and she is missing dogs.... I might just ahve to ry making something like this....

[Jersey, Jasmine, Jypsy and Diane]

I have used www.PhotoWorks.com to do several albums, mugs and key chains. They have coupons on their website and when they have a sale, things are reasonable and of good quality.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

I don't know if you have Aaron Brothers stores in your area. They are a frame/painting store. Around Christmas time they usually have a table with ideas. There are really cute ornaments that can hang or it also has a little stand in the back so you can set it like a table frame. You insert photos in the frames. Some are Christmas designs and there are others that are just little hanging frames. They also have travel coffee mugs where you can make a collage of photos and insert it in between the thermal part. It comes with a template. They also have an acrylic type open top container where you can do the same thing. I made pencil/pen holders for my friends with collages of their dogs. I just happened to have tons of photos of their fur babies. You could also use it for a plant holder or whatever you want to put in it. I have also made note cards with photos of my trips or their pets. I buy the note card kit at Staples (comes perforated and with envelopes) and I use Professor Franklin Instant Photo Effects to design my photos. Lots of fun and people really really like these as gifts. Buy some thin ribbon with paw prints and tie it around the packet of cards. Also, you can order postage stamps with photos on them! I did mine through Zazzle.com. That was a fun gift to give as well.

Here is an example of the coffee mug template and also the note cards. You make two per sheet.

[Linda and "Toby"]

I love all the creative ideas and helpful how-to tips that are pouring in from everyone! Nancie - these layouts turned out awesome! Your friends must have LOVED their coffee mugs. Oooh, I can hardly wait to order some postage stamps!

[HeatherA]

For a cheap option http://www.artscow.com/ has incredible prices and they run specials very often. The ONLY warning is that they will take a long time 3+ weeks is not unusual. They are based in Hong Kong I believe. You can order nearly anything you can think of personalized -- bags, playing cards, netbook covers, umbrellas, canvas prints, etc.

I have a few friends that will order from them when something they like is on sale - they have never been unhappy with the quality.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I ordered a mug with Jack's photo on it from Zazzle:
http://www.zazzle.com/mugs

Very easy to do right on your computer. I was happy with the quality and customer service, too.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Yes, I have done quite a few mugs and they are always a success. I think you can also do it through Kodak, Cafe Press and I'm sure other sites. Zazzle is a fun site. I've used it quite a lot!