I love old photographs, whether they are family keepsakes, or glimpses of strangers that provide windows into the world of the past. I also believe in living with and using my antique collections.
A whimsical and inexpensive way to decorate for any holiday is to alter pieces from your photo collection to fit the occasion.
Here is How I Do It:
I’m sure everyone who loves antiques already knows that heat and light are two major villains when it comes to preserving antiques. I do try to store and display my antique photos in safe locations. However I also think having a back-up copy of your photographs, just in case, is a good idea. You can either scan your original photographs ( here is where the heat and light comes in), or choosing the better conservation choice – photograph them using a digital camera without a flash. Once you have a copy of your photographs made and stored you are ready to move on to the fun part of this project.
Method #1 – Take your stored image and using Photoshop alter the image by adding seasonal accessories. In my case this also means talking one of my very computer and graphic literate family members into doing it for me :). For this photo I had my son add a witch’s hat to a photograph of my great-grandmother Henrietta Josephine Wallace Prather. He also layered in part of another photograph of one of our cats sitting on a pumpkin. No, he didn’t have to Photoshop the cat onto the pumpkin, she just happened to like sitting on pumpkins! Weird cat… enough said.
Method #2 – Print out a high quality copy of your stored photograph, then get out your pencils, pens and markers and draw in all of the details that you would like to add. In this example I used a photo that I purchased of two young siblings( because I liked their clothing) and drew in witch’s hats. After I finished, I re-scanned the altered photo. However you wouldn’t have to re-scan if you want to just use the photo as is.
What can you do with your altered goodies??? Anything you can imagine. You can re-size and print your images in dozens of different ways. Try printing on card stock, vellum, fabric, photo paper, business card stock and labels.
I turned my witchy version of Henrietta Josephine into a Halloween necklace by printing it on vellum and tucking it into a glass locket frame, to which I added a sheer black ribbon.
My two tiny witches look adorable in a black vintage frame and they also made fun necklaces to give to dozen and a half friends. To make the necklaces I printed the altered photo on fabric that is specially treated and backed for use in an ink jet printer. I cut out the fabric photos, added a plain piece of fabric for the back, then stitched them together to form a pocket, I bound the edges with black twill tape which also forms the hanging cord. I added a velcro dot fastener inside the top edge to secure valuables, then sparkled things up a bit by gluing on glitter accents. Sew on buttons and other trimmings if you desire.
Happy Halloween, I hope you enjoy creating your own “haunted” photographs!
The instructions, photographs and project ideas in this article are all copyright 2010 by Paula Walton.
Paula Walton's 18th Century Home Journal 
Hello dear Paula, one of the holidays I wish Australia would adopt is Halloween
I just missed out on it on my one and only visit to USA nearly 20 years ago. I love anything spooky and witchy . Some of the local children came around with their candy bags. one year, but they didn’t come last year, I had prepared some goodies for them, but my husband got stuck into it when the children didn’t show up. Your home would lend itself wonderfully to Halloween. I can just imagine a group of rather nervous children coming along your drive to your door and being welcomed in . Perhaps Andrew would regale them with a tale or two, making their departure even more jittery. I love the story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman . I told it to my children when they were small and it is still remembered now and related to my grandchildren . When some one chided them for telling such a gruesome story, they looked at me and said ” Daddy said Grandma told him!!” Well, do have a wonderful Halloween , I’ll have a small pumpkin out on the front porch as a welcome sign to any one who wants their candy bag filled. LOL LOL Janet garrard
Happy Halloween Janet!
I love Halloween too ❤ Unfortunately we don't get many trick or treaters. Our house is a bit too difficult to walk to. My children's friends used to come trick or treat at our house because their parents would drive them here, but we rarely have anyone come to the door now that my sons are grown. Just in case we do get any brave young souls there are tombstones, zombies, ravens, witches, black cats and pumpkins in my yard – plus a huge bowlful of chocolates waiting…
Paula
Dear Paula , well, Halloween was more eventful than I had anticipated .We had a few callers who happily depleted the sweets and chocolates ,leaving enough for the man of the house to gloat over as his pickings. WHEN !! some time after
we had retired for the night there was a knock on the door. Of course we thought it was some rather tardy trick or treaters I was going to call out “Party’s over go away” OOPS . WRONG!! I They knocked again so I answered the door to find two police officers on the porch They apologised for not identifying themselves ,but they would have at once if I had spoken .. They were looking for someone who had been up to no good under cover of night and had seen the callers to our house earlier in the evening, so they thought to ask us if we had seen or heard anything helpful., So apologetic at disturbing us at that hour, but we thought it just a bit exciting and got up and had hot chocolate and toast and jam\
There are some tearaways living a few blocks away, but the officers knew about them and had called on them already. Surprise surprise!! They were all home and having their own party as good as gold. I was really pleased to hear that. So that’s Halloween over for this year. I hope yours was fun too. Your next holiday is Thanksgiving, which we don’t have , but Christmas is just around the corner, and we look forward to a lovely family gathering at our son and daughter-in-law’s home with all the grandchildren.(Shaun’s two and Lynn’s three) All the best LOL LOL XX Janet Garrard
Dear Janet,
It sounds like the perfect, slightly spooky Halloween! Ours hasn’t quite started yet, as dusk has not fallen. All that’s left to do is light the candles and then we’ll be ready for any small ghouls and goblins that come our way.
Paula
Brilliant fun ! I,ll be having a go today !
I hope you enjoy creating something special with your photos!