How to Make a Poster from Personal Photos

Poster with detail of one section

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In the days before digital cameras, people often ordered extra prints with each roll of film they had developed. Most of those extra photos are probably still in their original envelope, hidden away where no one can see them. You can bring these images back to life and share the memories by making a beautiful poster out of them.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

16"x20” sheet of black craft paper
16”x20” glass picture frame
1.75 inch square hole puncher
Spare personal photos
Ruler
Pencil
Rubber cement
Rubber cement pick-up (a small square of hard rubber)

Step1

Draw a grid onto a 16” by 20” inch sheet of heavy black paper. Each square in the grid should measure one and three-quarter inches. There should be a one-eighth inch gap between each square. The outer border on the left and right should measure nine-sixteenths of an inch. The border on the top and bottom should measure eleven-sixteenths of an inch.

Step2

Select photos that feature close-ups of objects, animals, people and places. Wide shot photos, taken from a distance don’t work as well.

Step3

Select an area of the photo that is the most interesting and use a square hole puncher to cut out that section of the photo. You may be able to punch out more than one square from a single photo. Plan for 80 photos in all. You can find a square hole puncher at your local arts and crafts store.

Step4

Lay out the squares in a separate area to see how they look together. You can organize the images by theme or color.

Step5

Use a wide-edged brush to brush on a light coat of rubber cement into the first row of squares. Cover the entire square without going over the line.

Step6

Carefully brush a light coat of rubber cement onto the back of each square. Let them dry.

Step7

Gently position each photo into a spot on the grid. It is best to get it right the first time, so do your best.

Step8

After all the images have been glued in place, pick up any excess glue from around the edges of the photos with the rubber cement pick-up.

Step9

Frame your poster and share the stories of each image with your guests.

Tips & Warnings

If you don’t have a square hole puncher, you can cut out your squares with scissors or a metal ruler and an art knife.
Work in a ventilated area when using rubber cement.