In the July 2009 issue of Creating Keepsakes, I showed you how to create an unforgettable (and easy-to-create) photo booth at your summer barbecue. You can take the idea one step further to create photo strips for your guests! It only takes three simple steps in Photoshop Elements. Here's how:

1. Purchase a set of photo-strip frames. I used the Photo Booth Frames set by Katie Pertiet, but you can purchase them online from many designers. Once you've purchased a frame set, download it and open the file in Photoshop Elements.

2. Open and resize your photographs. Click on the Image Menu, and then select Resize and then Image Size. A pop-up box will appear that allows you to resize your image. Type 2.54 in the Width box and 3.28 in the Height box. You will need to crop the height of your image just a bit (use the Crop Tool), because photo-booth frames are a different size from traditional images. Repeat this step for each photo in your strip.

3. Drag and drop your photos. Once you've resized your image, use the Move Tool to drag and drop the photograph onto the thumbnail of the frame file in the Project Bin. When you double-click on the frame file, the photograph should be in the Layers Palette; make sure the photo-booth frame layer is above the photograph layer, so you can't see the edges of the photos. Repeat this step for each photo in your strip.

That's it! It's simple to do, and your guests will love this special party gift.

Appeared in:

July 2009