They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  This is beneficial when you are trying to figure out gift ideas for a 50th wedding anniversary or 50th birthday.  A special gift for these celebrations can be personalized with photos of the couple or custom-made with photos of what the couple holds dear, such as family, friends, or special places.

The classic photo gift idea for the 50th wedding gift is photo mugs; you can create a set of mugs that focuses just on the couple.  Choose a photo of the two of them together, or individual pictures for each mug so they know whose is whose.  You can also create photo mugs with pictures of the couple and their children.

Another gift idea for wedding anniversaries or birthdays is a customized photo calendar.

Another gift idea for wedding anniversaries or birthdays is a customized photo calendar.  The calendar takes a little more planning. Get 12-36 photos, and find a local or online print store to create the calendar.  You can create it with pictures of the couple through their 50 years together, or photos of some of their most memorable moments.

You can create a photo keepsake box.  This is a box that is not only decorated with photos, but provides a nice place for the couple to store favorite photos.  You can convert a big old jewelry box or silverware box into a photo keepsake box with some decoupage and photos.

If you are looking at using photos, another fun 50th gift idea is having a mouse pad created with the picture of the couple or their children.  You can have two or more images on the same mouse pad.  There are also photo placemats that can be fun for family get-togethers.

...have those photos turned into a beautiful painting or drawing.

If you would like to venture on to the more unique, but still use photos for a 50th wedding anniversary gift, you can take a photo or a couple of photos that really express the spirit of the celebrating couple and have those photos turned into a beautiful painting or drawing.  A skilled artist can do this very easily.  This not only gives them a special photo gift, it is unique.  I guarantee that there will not be two of these at the gift table.

You can also take a favorite photo of the couple and have it framed with a poem or lyrics to a song.  The poem or song you choose can either be their favorite poem or song or one that you feel best represents who they are as people, a couple, or who they are to you.

You can take photos and have them made into paperweights.  If you are able to go to a glass blowing shop you can have the piece made for you there.  There are also kits that are available so that you can make your own.

With the scrapbook you tell a story with pictures and props.

If none of these 50th gift ideas tickles your fancy, you may want to put together a scrapbook.  A scrapbook is more than a photo album.  With the scrapbook you tell a story with pictures and props. If you are able to get a hold of some older pictures of the couple, you can create a "Your Life Journey," or a "From There to Here," type book.  If you are very close to the couple, it can be a scrapbook that tells the story of the relationship you have with them.

Be creative.  I do recommend that if you are going to use photos that do not belong to you, make copies before you have a gift created with them.  Use the copy that you made in the gift and make sure that the originals are returned.  People can be very funny about their photos. Sometimes, they are all we have to remind us of where we have been and what we have done.  Plus, it makes the present nicer if they can both see the original and what you were able to create with it.

Tags: 50th, anniversary, birthday, gift, photo, picture, present