Photo Cut-Out Gifts

Sculptures

• You can make your own photo sculpture if you have access to a scroll saw. Once you've identified a suitable image, lightly trace an outline around the subject with a felt-tip pen. Use glue to fasten the image to a similarly sized piece of flat wood and use the outline as a guide for the scroll saw. Be sure to sand the edges. If you don't have access to a scroll saw, you can use a sturdy piece of cardboard and a sharp hobby knife to create your photo cutout. You can make a simple base for the sculpture from a block of wood with a 1/2-inch cut to insert the photo cutout.
  
  There are also a number of cutout services that will create a photo sculpture for you. Check with local photography printing services, or conduct a web search to find services online.
  
  

Vinyl Clings

• Turn your favorite memories into a vinyl window sticker. High-resolution photographs can be reproduced into life-size images for windows or walls. Or, if you want to create an image that can be repeatedly moved from one location to another, have the photograph printed on sturdier, removable adhesive fabric material. Companies like Fathead or CustomSportsProducts.com can create a number of window clings that can be given away as gifts.
  
  

Jigsaw Puzzles

• You can create a simple jigsaw puzzle from your favorite photographs, or you can pay to have a more complex puzzle created. To make your own puzzle, print the image and glue it to cardboard backing. Use sharp scissors to create puzzle pieces. When finished, use a cotton-tipped swab to apply decoupage around the outside of each puzzle piece to keep the paper from lifting at the edges. For a more complex piece, use online puzzle creation services like Jigsaw2Order.com, Positively Puzzled or JigsawPuzzle.com.
  
  

Photo Pop-outs

• Make a three-dimensional photograph using a scroll saw and several prints of the same image. You'll need a separate print for each layer of the photograph. For example, a simple portrait might have two layers -- the foreground and the background. Use a felt-tipped pen to outline the subjects in the foreground. Use glue to attach the images to pieces of flat wood or cardboard of the same size. Use a scroll saw to cut around the outline of the foreground image. Sand the edges. When finished, glue the foreground image on top of the background image to create the 3-D effect. Additional layers can be created for more detailed images.