2021 Year In Review Photo Book Ideas
Bring out both the best and wild moments of 2021 with a year in review photo book filled with your favorite photos.
Creating a 2021 photo book helps you capture the special moments of the year all in one place. Years from now, you can reflect and reminisce on all the wonderful and wild things that happened in 2021 with photo books you make now.
For your year in review photo book, include the little moments and the bigger events, like local trips and holidays. Rather than having your photos live on your phone forever, printing photos on beautiful pages creates an easy-to-enjoy keepsake. You can review your favorite moments any time and reminisce with family and friends. Photo books also make great gift ideas for family and friends.
There’s no doubt that 2021 has been a year to remember. The end of the year is the best time to find your favorite photos and put them into a photo album full of memories. You can even create a photo book for someone you love, like your parents, friends, nieces, or nephews. Custom photo books are beautiful personalized gifts that they’ll cherish forever.
Follow our guide below for the best year in review photo book ideas.
Memorable Milestones Photo Book
Even though 2021 looked different in many ways, important moments still happened. Design a beautiful photo book that incorporates your highlights. Include photos from graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, and other special milestones like buying a home, taking a new job, or starting a new school year.
Year of Firsts Photo Book
Many firsts happen every year, and not just after the birth of a newborn. Gather photos of your favorite “firsts” at the end of the year, like the first tooth lost, first car, or first time knitting a blanket. It’s fun to commemorate these special moments, especially in a year that’s felt different.
A Year Like No Other
Showcase what a unique year it has been. Commemorate your Zoom parties, wearing masks in public, or spending Saturdays at home together. It’s OK to include photos that highlight some of the year’s challenges, as even our difficult moments are powerful to reflect on. With your year in review photo book, you can really share what a wild ride 2021 has been.
Quarantine Life Photo Book
Spending more time at home has sparked unique moments. Whether it’s working and schooling from home or baking sourdough bread, showcase the ways life has changed and all the fun activities you did to make this year special and unforgettable. Include photos of family dinners, scenic walks, or time snuggled up with a movie. Write little summaries or quotes to help remind you of all the wild happenings of the year.
Local Adventures Photo Book
Looking at the year in review, you’ll likely find photos of you exploring closer to home. Whether you’ve enjoyed local trails, restaurants, beaches, or shops, display your local adventures in a stunning travel photo book. You can even include stories of your area and the special moments you experienced along the way.
Favorite Eats Photo Book
The meals we enjoy and share with loved ones are some of the most special moments of the year. Highlight the best local dining or takeout you enjoyed, from donuts to pad thai. In your photo album, include photos of the food, friends you shared the meal with, and any unique dining experiences like sipping a coffee outdoors around a fire pit.
Pet Moments Photo Book
Your beloved pet is part of your family and life. Why not create a pet photo book to showcase all the ways they make you smile? Highlight photos that show your pet’s unique traits and personality, whether they’re goofy, rambunctious, or mellow. Keep it simple, or add captions and quotes for extra pizzazz.
Hobby & Art Projects Photo Book
Spending more time at home may mean that you’ve been able to work on an art project or hobby this year. Showcase your work from beginning to end, such as a blank canvas that you turned into custom wall art or colorful yarn you transformed into a beautiful blanket. If you’ve done any house improvements or projects, be sure to include those in your book too.
You can also make a “how to” book as a personalized gift to others to share your skills and experience.
Photo Book of Love
Browse the photos on your phone to find the photos with the most love — whether that’s going on a hike with grandma or sharing a cozy evening at home with the kids. At the end of the year, you can see how much love you’ve shared. These books of love make for wonderful personalized gifts for moms, dads, grandparents, and friends.
Home Life Photo Book
Daily life at home with loved ones means special moments like making pancakes together on Sunday morning or playing family games in the evening. Everyday moments are where so much love and fun happens, and creating a photo book is a way to stay in the present and remember all the joy we share each day.
Kid-Friendly Photo Book
Have a little one in your life? Create a photo book dedicated to their best moments of the year. Whether it’s for your own kids, grandkids, or nieces and nephews, a book that’s made for them will touch their hearts and be a keepsake for the rest of their lives. Consider adding photos of them riding their bike, playing on the beach, visiting family, or reading at home.
Holiday Photo Book
Design a holiday photo book that captures the magic of the season. Highlight photos of your family traditions like watching the ball drop on New Year’s Eve or hunting for Easter eggs. The holidays are special times that we cherish, so why not include them all in a cohesive photo book? Add to your collection each year with a year in review book filled with holiday moments.
Family & Friends Photo Book
The best photo books are filled with the faces of those you love. Think of all the friends and family you shared moments with throughout the year. Whether it’s your neighbors, family members, special friends, or coworkers, there’s bound to be a gathering of people who made your year bright and special. From cookouts and pool parties to holiday festivities and playdates, put together a beautiful photo book of your special people.
Garden Photo Book
No matter the size of your garden, each year you see the fruits of your labor. Capture the process in a photo book that highlights planting, harvesting and making delicious recipes with your produce. Reflect the joy of growing your own food and herbs by designing a colorful photo book.
Favorite Traditions Photo Book
Every family has their own traditions, whether it’s camping in the summer or skiing in the winter. Bring to life all of your favorite moments into a collective photo book. Even rituals like stories at bedtime or brunch on Sundays are memories that you don’t want to forget. Arrange your photo book in chronological order for a stunning year in review.
In Memoriam Photo Book
If you lost a loved one this year, put together a book of their recent years in review. Reflecting on the memories you shared together is a beautiful way to commemorate their life. Include favorites from holidays, trips, and everyday moments. Order an extra book as a personalized memorial gift for a parent, grandparent, or sibling.
Seasonal Photo Book
Collate a photo book that highlights the beauties and colors of each season. From snowy sledding to spring gardens and fall hikes, gather the best moments from throughout the year. With your year in review book, you’ll have seasonal treasures all in one spot.
Scenic Photo Book
Emphasize the beauty of your favorite spots, from trails to beaches to mountains. Fill the pages of your photo book with the wondrous landscapes you’ve explored this year. Not only will your book remind you of all the gorgeous places you went, but the beautiful memories you made along the way. You might even decide some photos are worthy of becoming custom wall art for your home.
Final Thoughts on 2021 Photo Books
The year 2021 has certainly been one to remember. The end of the year is the best time to select your favorite memories for a photo book keepsake. You can make a year in review photo album, or create a few books with different themes. No matter how you make your photo book, you’ll be thankful you did.
Consider our Make My Book service or instant books for an easy way to capture all of this year’s highlights.
For more photo book inspiration, check out these guides:
