9 Personalized Photo Books Ideas

These days, we have pictures everywhere. On our phones, our tablets, our Facebooks, our Flickrs, our Instagrams. Everywhere, it seems, except for on paper, actually in our hands. Photo books change that—thoughtful, curated volumes of images arranged thematically (even if that theme is just "Random Photos") with custom templates. They might seem like big projects, but they don't have to be. Below are nine photo book ideas that will get you printing in a flash.

1. Focus on a single event—not entire years.

You don't have to capture the essence of your family in a single photo book. Instead, narrow your focus to one fond memory—like a 4th of July parade or a water-park trip—to keep yourself from feeling overwhelmed.

2. Love your dog? Make a pet photo book.

If you're like most pet owners, your phone is probably rover-flowing (see what we did there?) with pictures of your favorite furry friend. They're a member of the family like anyone else, so one of our favorite photo book ideas is to pay homage to their playful spirit with a playful photo book all their own.

3. Or, focus on a small part of a major event.

Cramming an entire wedding, for example, into one photo book is tough. Try putting together photos of you and your bridesmaids getting ready as a thank-you for all their help; or, collect your honeymoon pictures as a romantic gift for your first anniversary.

4. Use websites with automated features.

Many sites, including Shutterfly and Collage.com, allow you to upload images directly from Facebook, Flickr, or other social media platforms, meaning you don't even have to save your content to a personal device first.

5. Take one photo a day for an entire year.

Did you recently move to a new city? Or is your child about to start their senior year of high school? Capture an exciting time by taking a picture each day for an entire year, storing them in a special folder until it's time to start creating your book.

6. Document your vacation with a travel photo book.

Looking for some travel photo book ideas? Devote a book to each stamp in your passport—the summer you spent in Paris, or the Christmas your family skied in Aspen. Every vacation has its own vibe, so why not give each its own photo book?

7. Celebrate a single holiday or family tradition.

Maybe your relatives play football together every Thanksgiving, or there's a picture of every kid in your family with birthday cake smashed into their hair. If nothing else, Project: Photo Book will give you an excuse to start a new family tradition you can photograph.

8. Create a coffee-table book from your favorite hobby.

If you're a music lover, for instance, unload all those concert photos off your phone and into a book. If you coached your kid's soccer team, ask the other parents to email you pictures they took over the course of the season.

9. Make a photo book into a wedding guestbook.

Fill your guestbook with your engagement photos or a selection of pics taken over the course of your relationship. Either way, your guests will love seeing your smiling faces as they wish you congrats. Plus, many photo book companies even provide guestbook templates to make things super simple!

Photos courtesy of Collage.com and Printerpix.com