The holidays are a great time to pull out the old photos and reminisce, but there’s no need to huddle around a dusty album. Get them out in the open by making them part of your holiday decorations.

And once you’ve gone through the trouble of scanning and reprinting originals, it’s easy to make duplicates that can be turned into gifts for family members.

Make a bold, modern statement by printing 4-inch-square photos, connecting them with small plastic clips in a grid shape and hanging it on the wall. A large square is striking, but the clips allow for endless possibilities. A Christmas tree shape, perhaps? Keep things bright with a series of color photographs, or go for a more elegant look with black and white.

For a more traditional look, arrange the photographs in a circle and stick them on a cardboard ring to create a photo wreath. Leave it plain, or decorate with a few sprigs of faux holly tucked among the pictures.

These two projects are built around a snippet of the classic song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Incorporating the phrase “through the years we all will be together” in each project adds a bit of color and ties together pictures that span many years.

WALL GRID

Materials:

21 4-by-4-inch photos

Photo clips (mine were called “fotoclips,” purchased from photojojo.com)

1 sheet of card stock

Instructions:

1. Use word processing or photo editing software to create an 8.25-inch square. Fill with red or the color of your choice. Add white text that reads “through the years we all will be together.” Print and trim to size.

2. Arrange photos in a 5-by-5 grid, with the text box positioned in the lower right-hand corner, one row and column in from the edge.

3. Use the clips to attach the pictures to each other.

4. Hang on wall, using double-stick tape or other adhesive.

PHOTO WREATH

Materials:

12 or more 4-by-4-inch photos

Large piece of cardboard, at least 16 inches square.

Craft knife

Double-stick tape

Faux holly or other greenery (optional) Instructions:

1. Use word processing or photo editing software to create a 4-by-4-inch square, filled with red. Add white text that reads “through the years we all will be together.” Print and trim to size.

2. Cut a 16-inch circle out of cardboard. Cut another circle in the middle to create a ring that is approximately 3 inches wide.

3. Arrange pictures around the ring, including the text box. Try to keep them in a circular shape, while avoiding overlapping key parts of any image.

4. Once the pictures are in position, carefully tape them to the ring and to each other.

5. Add decorations if desired.

In this photo taken on Dec. 2, 2013, printing black and white pictures on fabric makes for an unexpected way to display a collection of old family favorites. Several photo-printing companies offer similar products, or you can make it yourself with an ink jet printer and sewing machine. The holidays are a great time to pull out the old photos and reminisce, but there’s no need to huddle around a dusty album. (AP Photo/Holly Ramer)

Holly Ramer