I have always loved old photographs.  I was fortunate enough to inherit several tin types from my family including one that has been hand colored.  These are always so very pretty but horribly expensive.  However, these are so easy to do your self. No really! I am serious. I made them of my children and hung them in the hall by my front door.   I can not tell you how people have been at my house commenting on them.  They all are amazed I did them myself.  I have been told they looked like they were professionally and expensively done.  I posted these instructions several years ago but have had so many requests for instructions that I thought I would repost this.

Plus with Christmas coming up, these make an incredibly beautiful, easy, quick & cheap gifts to make. 

 All you need to do is pick a photo to do.  Try to make sure there is not a lot of black in the photo.  Take it and get a photo copy done.  Do NOT scan into your computer and print on an ink jet printer.  The paper will get wet and the photo will run; I know this from personal experience. Wow, talk about a mess!

Take the photo and with a pink color pencil, very lightly color in any skin tone of the person in the photo.  Then take watercolor paints, the kind your kids use, and pick one color.  A bit of a side note: if you try to do more than one color on a person it does not look good.   If you are doing a scenery, try to stick with just 2 or 3 colors depending upon the size of your photo.  If you look at the antique ones, you will see they generally only used one color.  Less is more in this case. Again, I know this from personal experience; I ruined a photo or two. 

Only paint one item.  In the case of the ones for my children, I only painted the main outfit they were wearing.  Leave everything else just as it is. 

I bought several black, scroll work frames from my local Dollar Tree for a buck a piece. Framing them in black frames seem to be the prettiest; to me anyhow.  I would stick with a solid somewhat plain frame so it will not interfere with the beauty of the picture.  As I have said before, let your own tastes or décor be your guide. (our décor tends to be more “lived in” instead of modern or French Provincial)

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Posted by BlossomB

this sounds like a great idea...but honestly (and it is probably just me) but I dont understand all how it is to be done. Do you have any other tips or a site that you could direct us/me to?
thanks :)

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Posted by charles0322

Sorry I didnt do a good job explaining. I do not have a website because I came up with this myself.

1- pick a photo. (try to make sure it does not have a lot in it. ie if it is your child, try to make sure there is not much in the background going on, just the child, not a whole group of people.

2- go to a copier and get a black & white copy.

3- with a pink colored pencil, lightly do skin color.

4- with water paints, (try to pick one color) paint the outfit or one thing, like if the child is holding a flower.

Dry & frame

if you need any more info, PLEASE email or comment . I have a bad habit of not explaining things well. I got it in my head but have trouble getting it on paper.

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