Every year, there are moments that define who we are and shape our memories forever. It's no surprise that year in review photo books have become such a popular way to preserve and share our favorite memories.

Whether you're celebrating your child's first year, or your family's adventures through the seasons, photo books are the perfect way to create a lasting memento, and they're a lot easier to make than you might think.

To help you get started, here are a few tips on organizing your photos to create your year in review photo book.

Check out our guide for the ultimate photo organization tips.

Bring Together Your Photos in One Place

You might have hundreds of photos scattered across different devices - on your phone, tablet, laptop, and in the cloud. To make it easier to create your photo book, save all these photos to a single location, whether it's on your computer or in the cloud.

Review Your Photos

If you haven't already, go through all your photos of the past year and start deleting the poor-quality shots and any duplicate images. Decluttering now will help you feel less overwhelmed when it's time to pick the photos for your photo book.

Create Yearly Folders

Next, create individual new folders for each year and copy over all the relevant photos from each year. This will make it much easier to find what you're looking for in the future. Your photos should already be tagged with dates, so you'll be able to find every photo from a specific year. Most online tools also allow you to view your photos chronologically.

Create Personalized Folders

You can now start to create more specific sub-folders. For example, organize your photos into months, seasons, photos of your children, family events, trips, and hobbies. Choose categories that are important to you and your loved ones. When you've created these smaller groups of photos, it's much easier to find what you're looking for when you're creating your photo book.

Time to Create Your Year in Review Photo Book

Now that you've organized your photos, it's time to reap the rewards and create your very own photo book of special memories. The great thing is, it's entirely up to you how to theme your book. Here are a few ideas for inspiration:

A Child's Perspective

Hold on to the tiny moments - your kids grow up so fast! As well as being a wonderful opportunity for children to reflect on their year, it'll be an amazing memory book that your children can cherish for years to come. You might like our "This Kid's Year in Review" theme, with fun-filled graphics and colorful backgrounds to showcase your special photos.

The Chapters of Your Year

Create a visual roundup of the year, month by month, alongside your own anecdotes. Select your favorite photos for each month of the year and select the "Monthly Year in Review by 1canoe2" theme, which features a handy month-by-month layout. With elegant floral graphics and pastel shades, you can add your photos and personal thoughts from January through December.

Every Season Brings Its Joy

There are moments in every season and holiday that we all love to remember. The "Neutral Woven Year in Review" theme would provide a stylish background for the scenes of your life, with its neutral tones and simple layout.

Highlights of the Year

What were your favorite moments of the year? It could be an amazing place you visited, a special family occasion, your kid's first day of school, or a fun day out with your friends. In the vibrant "Year in Review by Letters by Shells" theme, you can capture all the highlights.

Remember to add a few words of your own to make your year in review photo book even more unique. As time goes by, it's easy to forget the details. And when someone looks through your book, your words will bring your stories to life.

Check out these other year in review photo book ideas! 5 Easy Steps to Creating a Great Year in Review Book

Keep Your Memories Safe Through the Years

From everyday moments to special occasions, why not celebrate your memories by creating your very own year in review photo book? It's a priceless investment that you and your loved ones will treasure for years to come

Start Now