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August 29, 2024 / 2 min read
3 easy ways to create holiday cards that will become keepsakes
Does making holiday cards feel like a huge project? We’ve got a shortcut. Skip the time (and possibly tears) spent on capturing a staged holiday photo this year, and pick a lovely memory from your phone instead. Our photo prints are perfect for holiday cards, and you can easily make your own collection of unique and personalized greetings for friends and family – all in just a few clicks. Check out our tips below and give cards that are so meaningful they will be kept forever.
Inspiration
November 16, 2024 / 1 min read
Gifts designed to last
One of the best things about the holidays is giving thoughtful gifts to the people that we care about. But let’s be honest. It’s easy to get carried away and end up buying things that will end up forgotten in a corner or never used at all.
Inspiration
August 28, 2024 / 4 min read
Dive into our climate goals: Our journey towards a sustainable future
"It begins already in the forest, our work to reduce the climate footprint and contribute to a book that considers both people and the environment - and it continues until you open the book."
Our footprint
June 19, 2024 / 2 min read
I love this photo of me because…
Here’s a little challenge for you. The next time someone takes a photo of you. Force yourself to think of three things in the photo that you like, about yourself and what the picture shows!.
Inspiration
Real life stories
June 11, 2024
Rethinking beauty standards through family photos
Last summer, we did a summer trip to Austria, stayed by a beautiful clear lake, surrounded by mountains, meadows, and forest. On this day, we had rented a pedal boat to go across the lake. Our child had never been on a pedal boat before – so it was an exciting and special experience.
Real life stories
June 3, 2024 / 5 min read
Breaking generational cycles by stepping into the picture
Photography has played a significant role in my life since childhood. My mother meticulously curated our family albums, capturing every detail in perfectly arranged photos and accompanying texts. These albums provided a sense of comfort, especially when my family moved from the Middle East to the United States when I was just six years old. Flipping through those pages helped me cope with the challenges of leaving behind familiarity and friendships.
Real life stories
May 22, 2024
Make a summer photo book
Make your summer last forever by saving all your sweet summer memories in a photo book. That way you’ll remember all the funny sayings, things that didn’t go exactly (or at all!) as planned, and the pinch-me-moment watching the sunset.
Inspiration
May 15, 2024 / 3 min read
Take her picture
Sometimes it can feel hard, asking someone to take your photo. That's why we created the contract. A fun and easy way to remind people around you, that you want to be in the photo too.
May 10, 2024 / 3 min read
Calling all moms
We asked some moms and every other one of them feels that they don’t have enough photos of them with their children. But what happens to our memories in the long run, when moms aren’t in photos?
April 16, 2024 / 3 min read
Turn your kid's art into a photo book
Facing an overwhelming number of drawings and art pieces when you’re getting started? Involve your child in selecting their favorite pieces. Then you’ll make sure that the book holds the most meaningful and sentimental creations.
Inspiration
April 11, 2024 / 3 min read
7 tips for photographing old photos
Transforming old photos into a photo book will bring your and your family’s old memories to life again.
Inspiration
April 8, 2024 / 2 min read
Make a thoughtful gift for Mom and Grandma
Showing your gratitude for the incredible women in your life is best done with a heartfelt gift made with love. A Mother's Day photo book is the perfect way to show your partner, mom, or grandma how much they mean to you. Here are some helpful tips to make a photo book for Mom:
March 22, 2024
How to make a photo wall
Are you looking for a simple (and very affordable!) way to display your favorite photos in your home? We’ve got a quick and fun project for you – a photo wall of prints. There are so many ways to make a photo wall, so we've gathered some tips to inspire you.
Inspiration
January 31, 2022
Make your photo book bit by bit
Even though it is very easy, and honestly, pretty fun to make photo books in our app (if we may say so ourselves), it still takes time. Simply because there’s typically not just ten photos to look through. More like ten thousand. But you know what? You can get around this way easier than you think – by making your photo books bit by bit.
Inspiration
January 9, 2024 / 1 min read
Five reasons why you should make a year book
2023 is coming to an end and it’s time to take a moment and think about your year. Maybe all your dreams came true this year, or maybe they didn’t at all...
Inspiration
November 9, 2023 / 1 min read
Prints as Christmas cards
Looking for an alternative to the traditional Christmas card? Say hello to our photo prints. The perfect way to get a little more personal this holiday season and create something that your loved ones will want to keep forever.
Inspiration
March 13, 2024
Three Mother’s Day book ideas
All moms out there deserve the best. And they deserve it all year round, of course. But on Mother’s Day, you get a little reminder to recognize all the little (and ginormous) things they do. So whether this makes you think about your own mom, your partner, sister, friend, or grandma, here are some Mother’s Day photo book tips you can use.
Inspiration
June 26, 2022 / 1 min read
Three ways to “my baby’s first year” book
Obviously there are a lot of ways to make your baby’s first year-book. It all depends on the amount of time you have.
Inspiration
June 19, 2023 / 3 min read
Create balance in your photography
A lot of us want to capture memories from when life is at its best. Imagine your camera roll after a wedding, graduation or vacay. Pretty much to choose from, eh? Exactly as it should be!
Inspiration
May 22, 2022
A football book for the ages
Say hello to ten year old football lovers Tuva and Alice. Their photo book passion project completely knocked our socks off.
Meet a Once Uponer
November 5, 2021
The journey behind our image caption
You can now choose to say a little something about each memory in your photo book. We have talked to our Product Designer, David Resoluth, to deep dive in the journey behind the scenes on our image caption feature.
Behind the scenes
September 5, 2022 / 1 min read
Make your photo book on different screens
Now when you can make your photo books on your computer too, it means you can seamlessly make your books on your phone, your tablet and your computer.
Behind the scenes
October 31, 2021 / 2 min read
Make a beautiful wedding album
Your wedding photo album isn’t like any photo book you’ve made before. There’s nothing quite like it. Filled to the brim with love, passion, and pure joy, this will become the gateway to relive one of the best days of your life. We get it though. Starting your wedding album seems like moving a mountain, but we’re here to tell you it’s way easier than you think. Especially with a quick guide from us.
Inspiration
June 22, 2023 / 4 min read
“We don’t have to do something special to have fun together”
How does a single mother of five get through the day? Therese Hellström has found a way. The key? Everyday routines that actually work. But sometimes, she let’s go of everything that needs to be done, all the requirements and expectations, to just be in the moment, something we all need to be reminded of once in a while.
Real life stories
October 31, 2023 / 2 min read
5 reasons photo books are such great gifts
Giving a photo book as a gift can sometimes feel a bit like cheating. Because they’re so awesome. It will seem like you put in a lot of work and effort to them - and sure, they do need some love - but it doesn’t need to take a lot of your time.
Inspiration
November 11, 2021
A photo book to celebrate love
All photo albums are filled with love, but the photo book that Farrah Almira made literally had us crying happy tears when she shared the story with us. The photo book, that the whole family helped put together, is a book filled with 50 years of true love. They made it as a gift for her parents-in-law’s 50th wedding anniversary – and as you can imagine – it was a success.
Meet a Once Uponer
December 15, 2021
10 photo tips to make the best photo album ever
Today we are all photographers in one way or another – whether it be with a fancy camera or your phone. But how do you take the perfect pictures for you photo book? Well, the photo advice out there are many, but here are our 10 favorite, not so common, photo tips for when you’re making a photo book.
Inspiration
June 28, 2020 / 2 min read
Rudy's mouth-watering book
Meet Rudy Dekker, the baker from Zwolle. His yummy Instagram account took us by storm and we’ve been following his mouth-watering feed ever since. Rudy decided to share a few of his dreamy recipes in a Once Upon book and the results are as delicious as we’d hoped!
Meet a Once Uponer
August 17, 2023 / 5 min read
The story of me, is the story of you
Did you know there’s a story about your life? It's true, because everyone's life is a story. But not necessarily one that follows a straight line or any kind of logic. At times it might not even feel relevant, other times much more so. It might feel larger than life, or so insignificant that it hardly matters. But it’s there, and has a context with its own unique DNA. It’s made up of pictures and words. Some of them real, others completely imaginary. But more than anything it’s made up of emotions.
Real life stories
August 29, 2024 / 4 min read
The Forest - One of Our Most Important Stakeholders
Forests cover about one-third of the Earth's land area, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). At Once Upon, we rely on forests for the paper in our photo books and prints, and prioritize sustainability and quality when selecting it. We do this to protect the planet while ensuring our photo books last a lifetime.
Our footprint
August 22, 2024 / 2 min read
Crop Your Photos: Perfect Your Photo Books with Ease
Making a photo book should be as seamless as the memories it captures. And we know how important it is to make each page reflect the moments you’ve captured, down to the tiniest details. That’s why we’re thrilled to introduce in-app photo cropping.
Inspiration
August 28, 2024 / 5 min read
Climate Investments Beyond Our Value Chain
At Once Upon, we acknowledge that everything we do has an impact on our planet. Guided by our ambitious climate goals, we are constantly taking steps to minimize this impact. However, we understand that achieving these goals will take time. That's why we complement our efforts to reduce our own emissions by also offsetting our total emissions through certified projects that reduce emissions faster than we can on our own.
Our footprint
July 1, 2024 / 8 min read
Your motherhood, their childhood
We got the chance to have a chat with Teresa and Sarah about balancing a life in the spotlight with family, the importance of documenting family memories, and their heartfelt advice for mums everywhere.
Real life stories
June 13, 2024 / 4 min read
Nina Pierson on sharing family responsibility and finding your confidence
A recent study reveals that women typically bear most of the responsibility for capturing family memories. To address this, we’ve partnered with Nina to highlight the importance of including moms in family photos. Together, we aim to make a change this summer.
Real life stories
May 24, 2024 / 3 min read
Five reasons to make your photo book together
Instead of trying to send photos back and forth between each other, try making a photo book together!
Inspiration
May 29, 2024 / 2 min read
Celebrating Kids' Creativity with Nike van Dinther
On May 16th, we had the pleasure of hosting an inspiring creative afternoon with the talented writer and digital creator, Nike van Dinther, in Berlin.
Meet a Once Uponer
May 10, 2024 / 3 min read
Why you should be in the picture!
It may not seem very important now, but there will come a time when you flip through your old photo books and regret not being in more photos.
May 10, 2024 / 3 min read
Are you a mom who...?
Are you the one who always captures moments from behind the lens? Do you sometimes feel like your not a part of your own story? Well, we’ve got news for you. You’re not alone! Moms everywhere have the exact same experience.
April 15, 2024 / 3 min read
Questions to ask your Mom while you still can
In a heart-to-heart with my mother I ask the questions I would never have known the answers to unless I asked them.
Real life stories
April 11, 2024 / 3 min read
Step-by-Step guide to reviving old photos
Do you, or maybe your parents and grandparents, have stacks of old photos gathering dust? Transforming those cherished memories into a photo book will bring your old photos to life again – and it’s a very thoughtful gift for your loved ones.
Inspiration
March 27, 2024
Make the perfect gift for Dad
There’s no better way to tell your partner how much you and your kids love them (and appreciate all those little things they do) than by showing it in a book you’ve made with love. A Father’s Day photo book is the perfect gift for your partner, dad, or grandpa.
March 22, 2024
12 ways to decorate your home with prints
Pimp your wall with some printed photos. Here are 12 ways you can display your favorite memories on your wall and make your home even more homey.
Inspiration
September 24, 2021
Make a kid's art book
Who actually keeps all 762398 drawings that your kids make? Anyone? Well, here’s how you make your kid’s artwork into a coffee table book:
Inspiration
January 5, 2024 / 2 min read
How to make a year book
There’s something special about collecting your favorite moments in a yearly photo book. Because just like that, all your photos come to life and the memories they hold will live on in that book. Forever. Pretty awesome, right? So, it’s about time to start your very own collection of memories with these five tips on how to get started.
Inspiration
November 6, 2022
Make, copy, paste, repeat
We’ve said it before – and you’ll hear us say it again – there’s no gift like a photo book. So why not give it to the whole fam or the entire friend group? It can honestly be as easy as make-copy-paste-repeat. Here's how!
Inspiration
October 13, 2022 / 1 min read
Three ways to make a recipe book
There are plenty of ways to make a recipe book. And we mean plenty. You probably have recipes saved on print screens on your phone, jotted down on a notepad somewhere, recipes saved on your computer or ripped out from a magazine? Here’s three easy ways to make your own cookbook from all those scattered recipes.
Inspiration
June 22, 2020
Baby book questions
Sometimes getting started is the hardest part. But making a “my first year book” for your baby can actually be quite fun. To help you out a little we’ve created this list of things to write about and photo tips to make it a little easier.
Inspiration
October 25, 2022 / 3 min read
Ylva's Story
It was February, freezing cold and dark outside the first time Ylva felt that little lump in her right breast. She was only 43 years old and could never have imagined that the tiny lump a few months later would turn her life upside down. Read Ylva’s story about her cancer and how it helped her to share it with others.
Real life stories
February 11, 2021 / 1 min read
Que saves her food art forever...
...in a Once Upon book, of course! Que Phuong Tran is a food art expert from Vietnam who has made a Once Upon book showing her favourite art pieces.
Inspiration
September 11, 2022 / 2 min read
Remember all your kid’s funny sayings
All little kids are just straight up comedians, aren’t they? Some of the things they say, ask or just contemplate about makes you bite your lip numb not to burst out laughing. Because you can’t really laugh at them, not then and there, but what if – in a couple of years – you could laugh together about their un-knowling hilarious sayings? Here’s how you remember those funny comments with close-to-zero effort
Inspiration
February 28, 2022
The journey behind our new brand identity
Some things never change…But sometimes a little change is just what’s needed. The same Once Upon you know and love. We had a chat with our CEO, Lina Andersson, and our Product Designer, Evelina Örn, to better understand the in’s and out’s to why and how we’re introducing a new, more once uponier, us.
Behind the scenes
March 14, 2024
Wedding photo list
Your big day is coming up and, of course, you want to capture that day in every way possible. From the small details on the wedding dress to the “I do’s” and the crazy dancing at night. And that’s no easy job. But it can definitely be done. So, here’s our go-to list to capture all those moments:
Inspiration
August 10, 2023 / 3 min read
Five tips: How to get in the photo
Clothes, haircut, makeup and glasses. The list of things that have changed throughout the years can be made long. Did you find your Steve Job style early on or have you experimented with many different styles along the way? Either way, it’s great to be able to look back on photos, travel through time and see what you were into back then.
Inspiration
September 28, 2022 / 1 min read
Make your Once Upon book in our webapp
We all use our phone camera for those everyday photos and a lot of our pics are stored right in the phone’s camera roll. But maybe you do bring out your real-deal-camera to capture certain moments a bit more vivid, a bit deeper and in a bit more special way? And, maybe you have some old photos stored on your computer or hard drives that would be way happier in a photo book? If that’s the case, it would probably save you a lot of time to make your photo book straight from your computer instead of on your phone.
Behind the scenes
November 9, 2021
Our top three caption tips
So, as you might know, we've launched this awesome new feature that you’ve been longing for, but now that it’s finally here – you might find yourself lost and have no idea what to write?
Inspiration
January 19, 2022 / 3 min read
Emmeli's unique art pieces in Once Upon books
Emmeli is a fantastic artist working with ceramics. Her artwork, everything from candleholders looking like knots to vases formed as giraffes, is absolutely gorgeous. She has a studio in Gothenburg where she has been working full time with handmade ceramics for the past five years, which she sells on her Instagram account @emmelihultqvist. By collecting pictures of her artwork in photo books she can look back, get inspired & develop her ideas further every year.
Meet a Once Uponer
August 24, 2022 / 2 min read
The journey behind our webapp
We had a lil’ chat with two of the developers, David Åberg and Peter Lundström, who’s been working on the web app from the start.
Behind the scenes
August 27, 2024 / 4 min read
Holiday cards you’ll keep forever
The holiday season is a time for connection, reflection, and creating memories that last a lifetime. But what if your holiday cards could do the same? Instead of sending a card that gets displayed on the fridge for a few weeks and then tucked away, imagine sending a card so meaningful, it becomes something to cherish, frame, or even hang on the wall.
Inspiration
August 28, 2024 / 4 min read
The perfect gift for everyone
The holiday season is a time for giving, and what better gift to give than one that captures shared moments together? A photo book is the perfect gift for everyone on your list – from grandparents and partners to your kids and friends.
Inspiration
June 25, 2024 / 2 min read
Framing Motherhood: Through a Photographer's Eye
Ina Nederdal, a Swedish photographer, shares a heartfelt story about the significance of getting moms in front of the camera. Passionate about capturing these moments, Ina reflects on her childhood memories and her own experiences as a mother.
Real life stories
June 13, 2024
Capturing moms: A movement for visibility
Inspired by the structural inequality and lack of appreciation for caregiving, Natalie Stanczak and Nicole Noller started the "Faces of Moms"-campaign during the pandemic. As new mothers, they wanted to create a platform for mothers and marginalized parents to share their stories and challenges. . We had the chance to sit down with Natalie and delve into why it's crucial for mothers to be more visible in their own family stories.
Real life stories
June 3, 2024 / 5 min read
The Power of Embracing Life's Imperfect Moments
In a world obsessed with perfection, where every image is meticulously staged, edited, and filtered, the true essence of a memory can sometimes be lost. Because often, the imperfect photos, make the happiest memories to reflect on, and play a big role in holding our loved ones close and keeping their memories alive.
Real life stories
May 21, 2024
Make the perfect travel photo book
Whether you’ve been on a fancy vacay, a long road trip or spent a week on the countryside, you’ll always have tons of precious memories after a trip. And what better way to preserve those special moments than by creating a stunning travel book?
Inspiration
May 22, 2024 / 3 min read
Capture now, cherish later
Forget what you look like! What story is the photo telling? What memories live inside it?
May 10, 2024 / 3 min read
Why aren’t you in the photo?
Are you part of the invisible mom club? Do you feel like you aren’t part of your own story?
May 6, 2024
The importance of letting your kids be bored
In a world filled with constant stimuli, we need to give our kids space to do nothing, maybe even be a little bit bored. Because it is these idle moments that allow our kids to explore their thoughts, be curious about their surroundings, experiment with ideas and let their imagination run wild.
Real life stories
April 11, 2024 / 2 min read
Make a baby photo book
From the tiniest toes to the very first steps. As a parent, you’ll want to remember every moment of your little one’s journey. And the easiest way to do so is to make a baby book. It will be a keepsake that tracks all the milestones, from the cutest smiles to the messiest moments at the dinner table.
Inspiration
April 9, 2024 / 4 min read
The art of food photography
In an apartment with paintings covering the walls, flowers in every corner, and a ceiling resembling a pink summer night sky, we find Therese Elgquist. With her, we discuss the art of capturing food in photographs, covering everything from sunlight and depth of field to the number of raspberries on a dessert.
Meet a Once Uponer
March 25, 2024
Make your own recipe book
Sharing and enjoying food together have a way of uniting us. Whether it’s your grandma’s favorite dish or a friend’s everyday breakfast bowl, adding those recipes into your own cookbook will connect you through generations and kitchens.
Inspiration
March 21, 2024
Strengthen relationships with photo prints
When we look at photos of the memories we’ve shared together, we strengthen our relationship with one another. It’s not really about the photos themselves – it’s about the stories they tell and the emotions they stir.
Inspiration
January 12, 2024 / 3 min read
Four ways to make a year book
There’s not a lot of things that we buy that last a lifetime. We have a tendency to get bored with most things, but memories, on the other hand, become more and more precious as time goes on. So help yourself remember to remember by creating your very own collection of memories.
Inspiration
March 21, 2024 / 3 min read
At home with Sarah Jane Gottschalk
In the cozy Kreuzberg district in Berlin we met up with Sarah Gottschalk in her cozy apartment to chat about how to make your personality shine through in your home, memories on printed photos, vacations that never happen and as they say in German - Dekofimmel.
Meet a Once Uponer
October 12, 2021 / 3 min read
5 useful tips for the perfect Father’s Day gift
...and let me tell you, this is gonna go straight to the dad-heart. Because that’s the type of gift a photo book is. Though we might be a teeny-tiny bit biased, there’s honestly no better way to tell your dad or partner how much you and your kids love them (and appreciate all those little things they do) than by showing it in a book you made with love.
Inspiration
May 16, 2022
Make a personalized travel book
When we found @lou__lundberg on Instagram we instantly loved her techy tips, tutorials and lifehacks. Louise is a digital designer who runs her own business and when we realized she’d made a Once Upon book, we asked her right away if she would share some of her tips with our Once Uponers.
Inspiration
September 6, 2022
Sweet summer memories
Beach days, barbecues, flowers, freckles and ice creams and much, much more that all deserve more than being forgotten on your phone or in your camera. Time to get cracking on your Summer of 22' photo books to make sure all your sweet summer memories aren’t forgotten.
November 1, 2022
Personalized gifts for everyone
We might be a teeny tiny bit biased, but let’s be clear, there’s no gift like a photo book when you want to give away all the feels. So, here’s how you turn your photos to perfect gifts for all your loved ones.
Inspiration
April 11, 2021
Anna's very own cookbook
Anna grew up with her mom as her big inspiration and together with her interests for healthy living, communication and sustainability – she started sharing her recipes on Instagram (@consciouskitchenstories) and, of course, made her very own Once Upon cookbook.
Meet a Once Uponer
January 18, 2022
The journey behind our image uploader
We’ve had a little chat with our Product Designer, Helena Melender, to take a little peek behind the scenes on how our image uploader feature has been developed.
Behind the scenes
January 31, 2024 / 3 min read
Three photo books that are waiting for you
It's the time to cosy up under a blanket and get started on those photo books that are waiting for you in your camera roll. Having trouble deciding where to start? Here are a few handy tips:
Inspiration
August 26, 2023 / 3 min read
Make room for all the feels
As we all know, things don't always go as planned. Be it falling flat on your face as soon as you arrive at the skate park, the babysitter cancelling or bad weather ruining your day at the beach...
Real life stories
September 13, 2023 / 3 min read
Discovering our new product – photo prints
As you have probably gathered, we’ve launched a new product – photo prints. The perfect match for our photo books, offering multiple ways to make the most of your memories. We got Frida Rindevall, CX Designer, and Linda Ingolfsdottir, Chief Sustainability Manager, to tell us a little more about the latest product in the Once Upon family.
Behind the scenes
May 29, 2023 / 3 min read
Picture perfect photos give a distorted view of reality
With her unfiltered depictions of everyday life, photographer Karolina Horner wants to give both parents and children real portrayal of what family life is actually like. Dirty clothes, sibling squabbles, toy chaos and tired parents are recurring features in her photos as well as lots of laughter, tears, bonding and all kinds of interaction.
Real life stories
March 3, 2023 / 2 min read
New feature – a game changer for photo books
Autofill. Doesn’t that just have a good ring to it? Autofill is what we’re calling our brand-new feature that allows you to upload your images to your photo book in one go. Not sure what we mean? Alright, let us explain.
Behind the scenes
April 23, 2020 / 1 min read
Karin’s green garden
It was during the summer of ’19 that Karin tagged us on Instagram with her photo book ”Green Garden”. An album that stunned us as well of all of her followers. Karin’s photo book became so popular that she’s ordered around 200 copies for her family, friends and followers.
Meet a Once Uponer
March 28, 2022
Meet our new drag and drop feature
You can drag and drop photos between spreads. So what does this mean? All you have to do to change the order of your photos is to press the photo, then drag and drop it where it belongs. The best part, if you have added image captions to a photo, they’ll tag along to the new spread too!
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