"We don't want anything" – grandchildren hear that every year. But there's one thing grandparents are almost always delighted by: time, memories and a few kind words from everyone. A memory book from the whole family combines exactly that – and it costs nothing but a few minutes per person.
How to put the book together by Christmas Eve
1. Create the book. In Pagefully, choose the Friendship Book or Custom Book template and adjust the fields (see the ideas below). Under Settings → Color scheme there's a festive red-and-gold colour scheme called Christmas.
2. Hide the entries. Turn off "Entries visible to friends". That keeps the surprise safe, even if the link reaches Grandma too early.
3. Send the link to the family group. WhatsApp is easiest. Children, grandchildren, cousins, neighbours – everyone writes on their own phone, with no app and no account. The little ones can simply dictate, and a photo is uploaded in no time.
4. Set a closing date. For example, 20 December. That leaves enough time for printing, and latecomers can see when they need to have written their entry by.
5. Print and wrap it. Download the Print PDF – one page per entry, with photos – and have it bound at a print shop. Or show the book as a pinboard on the TV on Christmas Eve.
Questions that touch grandparents' hearts
- My favourite memory of you
- What I learned from you
- What there was always to eat at your house
- A wish for the new year
- A photo of us
The food question in particular brings both laughter and tears – from the Sunday cake to the legendary potato salad.
Why this works better than a photo album
A photo album shows what happened. A memory book tells what it meant to people. And because everyone contributes their own part, no one has to gather everything alone – not even the person who usually organises everything.
Tip: Leave the book open after Christmas in case the grandparents want to write something back themselves. You can change the closing date at any time.