Photo Collage Number Cutouts - Party Decorations by a Pro

the idea

Create a tabletop display or decorate the walls with letter or number photo collage cutouts showing the guest of honor at different ages

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the how

Ask friends and family to contribute old photos of the guest of honor to create the collage
Spell out names or phrases with letter cutouts or ages or years with number cutouts
Once printed, hang on walls or use to add height to bars, welcome area tables, buffets or dessert tables
Alternatively, position on a stand-alone occasional table in an area where guests can comfortably view all the images without causing congestion

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the why

Perimeter / wall decorations

Transformative; helps transform a domestic space or empty venue into a party environment
Masking; helps hide existing or incompatible room décor
Value; can help dress large areas
Atmospheric; perimeter / wall decorations are important early on, before the room fills up, to help create a party atmosphere and ensure it feels like a special occasion
Economical; can be used sparingly if majority of decorations are clustered around a main feature wall / display area, such as a dessert table and backdrop
Intimacy; helps define the party space and envelope guests to create an intimate atmosphere

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tabletop décor

Enhances; adds height and fullness to bars, food stations, and occasional tables to create larger displays
Focal points; decorating bars, food stations, or occasional tables encourages mingling by creating destinations for guests to explore
Visibility; tall / tabletop decorations are easier to see when the room is full of people
Interactive; tabletop décor can be used to entertain guests with ‘Fun Facts’ or ‘Through the Years’ photo collages of the guest of honor

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the why

this idea

Special occasions should feel special; generic ‘off the shelf’ decorations are lazy and unimaginative
Personalized; customized decorations are more special and show you made an effort
Custom photo; opportunity to show the guest of honor at different ages ‘through the years’
Entertaining; guests may not have seen funny or embarrassing old photos of the guest of honor
Memorable; guests remember creative, unusual, or unexpected decorations
Photo-worthy; a great photo-op for guests to share and tag on social media
Surprise; a great way to surprise the guest of honor
Keepsake; captures memories for the guest of honor to revisit in future

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ADVICE FROM A PRO

Matt’s tip

“Rather than only draw upon your own collection, considering asking friends and family to lend you some of their photos of the guest of honor from significant periods of their life.

That way you might discover some less familiar photos—perhaps even some the guest of honor might have forgotten or never even seen before.

If you want to include old photos that you only have as prints, these can be transferred to a digital format very inexpensively nowadays ($20-$30 for 100 photos, link below) so it’s a great opportunity to preserve them for years to come.

Similarly, old photos that are fading, discolored, or damaged can often be restored at the same time (see link below).”

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where to buy

shop collage cutouts

Update 2022: This product was unique to a seller that has now ceased trading.
There are similar products available but they are generally smaller (12″ – 24″ tall) and made of wood rather than cardboard (see carousel images below).
For more info and prices check out the links below
Alternatively, check out the plain cardboard letters and numbers at the end of this post, with sizes up to 45″ tall for only $23, that you can paint or cover in photos yourself
Or check out my separate post for large foam letters here