How to Create a Funeral Memory Card
Just about everything involved with planning a funeral comes with a price tag; the casket, burial, perpetual grave care, marker, wake and associated costs add to the emotional burden already being borne by a grieving family. One way to eliminate a small cost from the list—and to recognize a loved one in a unique way—is to create a personalized funeral memory card using your computer, to honor someone too special to forget.
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Instructions
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Gather together a small group of friends and family to make a list of sentiments the deceased treasured: poems, prayers, sayings, etc. Research other ideas by turning to the Bible, poetry books or websites posting free sentiments for prayer cards to choose something that’s both pithy and appropriate for your funeral memory card.
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Obtain a digital image of the departed, if you decide to use her picture on the funeral card. Import or load the photograph onto your desktop. Improve the image with any of the filters your software includes, if you’re comfortable working with these tools. A photo may need a color adjustment or sharpening, and you can give it a painterly special effect.
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Open a software program with layout capabilities: Word processing (Microsoft Word), image manipulation (Photoshop) or layout (InDesign) programs will all do the job. Create a grid within an 8 1/2 by 11-inch document by pulling guides from your document ruler to set card boundaries. For example, if you want to produce four large funeral memory cards, divide the page into 4 1/4 by 5 1/2-inch areas.
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Insert a background, religious symbol or the decedent’s photo into one of the quadrants, constraining the image’s proportions as you adjust the photo to fit the allotted space. Duplicate or copy/paste three more images to set the backgrounds for your funeral memory cards. If you’re planning a two-sided card, add a page to your layout and split it into quadrants. Use the second page as the back of the card, where you can add a thank you from the family, the remainder of a long biblical passage, etc.
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Drag or import a text box over one of the background images. Type the memorial text you’ve selected into the box. Choose a font that matches the mood and spirit of the words you’ve chosen for the funeral memory card. Adjust the size and color of the text and set the alignment to complete the layout. Duplicate or copy/paste the text box on the other three cards. Repeat any of these steps if you’re making a two-sided funeral card.
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Print your funeral card page layout on heavy card stock. Run the sheets through a laminater to seal the funeral cards and then cut the four sections using a paper cutter. Alternatively, cut the cards first and then laminate them. It’s your project: Do whatever you wish to honor the memory of someone whose life has been an unforgettable part of yours.
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References
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- Photo Credit yellow lilies image by alri from Fotolia.com
