A year of memories: choosing photos for a Christmas magnet set
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By Christmas, your phone holds another year of your life.
Some of it is easy to find: birthdays, holidays, the occasions you took dozens of photos of. Other moments take a little scrolling. An afternoon at home. A new favourite place. Someone looking just as you want to remember them.
A photo magnet set can bring a few of those moments together, whether you’re making a Christmas gift or keeping a little of the year for yourself.
Start with a scroll, not a perfect plan
Go back to the beginning of the year in your camera roll and browse slowly.
Save the photos that make you pause into a separate album. Don’t worry about choosing the final set yet. Start by gathering the ones you’d like to see again.
You don’t need a photo from every month. Some months hold a lot; others pass without many pictures. This is a collection of memories, not a calendar.
Choose one big moment and one ordinary day
A birthday or a trip might be the first photo you choose. Keep it, then look for something quieter to sit beside it.
Breakfast in the backyard. The kids building something on the floor. Your dog asleep in a patch of afternoon sun.
Those everyday photos help the set feel like your year, rather than only its special occasions.
Include a place that belongs to the year
Not every magnet needs a face.
A beach you visited, the garden you spent weekends in or the view from a favourite walk can bring back a whole stretch of time.
Choose a place you recognize for personal reasons. It doesn’t need to be somewhere impressive. Sometimes the most familiar view is the one you’ll miss.
Let the set show what changed
Look for the small changes you might not have noticed as they happened.
A child who grew out of their favourite jumper. A puppy who no longer fits on someone’s lap. The empty room before it became your home.
Two photos taken months apart can tell a story together. You don’t need matching poses or a carefully arranged before-and-after. The connection can be something only you understand.
Narrow it down to the photos you want to live with
Once you’ve gathered your favourites, imagine seeing them on the fridge.
Which ones would make you smile on an ordinary Tuesday? Which would you be glad you hadn’t left buried in your phone?
If you’re giving the set to someone else, think about the year from their point of view too. Include the people, places and moments they were part of, rather than only your own favourite pictures.
Check the photos before you upload
Where possible, use the original digital files rather than screenshots or copies saved from social media.
Choose clear photos and check that the important parts can fit into a square. When you upload, a cropping box appears so you can drag it into position around the part you want to keep.
For group photos, pay particular attention to the people at the edges. A meaningful photo still needs a crop that leaves room for everyone.
Keep a little of the year
You don’t have to give every set away.
Making photo magnets for yourself can be a small way to mark the year, without finding space for another album or a frame.
I print and finish each order by hand here in Melbourne. Whether the set is for your own fridge or someone you love, it starts with the same thing: a few moments you’d like to keep close.
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If you’re ordering as a Christmas gift, allow time for both making and delivery.