Top tips for best-ever baby books

Sarah, mum to Esme, 16 months, says: “I really love making my baby photo books! My top tip would be to include lots of day-to-day photos as well as the big milestone ones. While your baby’s first birthday and first Christmas will be remembered for years to come, I like to include photos from the little moments you’re likely to forget. A day when you’re just at home relaxing, for example, is a great excuse for a mini photo shoot to include in your baby book. You’ll want to remember everyday life as well as the important events.”

Dan, dad to Carmen, says: “I’m about to make our fourth baby book – I find them a bit addictive as there’s nothing like seeing it come to life and showing it off to everyone when it’s done! This sounds a bit over the top, but I organise my photos in monthly folders on my computer so I can look back on specific dates easily. I know I sound like a geek but it’s really useful!”

Alya, mum to Samira, four and Feras, six months, says: “I didn’t make a baby book until my first baby was nearly four – that was a lot of photos to sort through! I found it quite overwhelming to go through all those photos and mementos at once. In the end, I decided to do a few months at a time. I spent an hour or so each time, and broke it down into chunks. It was worth it as I didn’t get stressed by the enormity of the job!”

Valerie, mum to twins James and Joshua, aged two says: “I love the fact that you can put anything in a photo book – it doesn’t just have to be photos. You can scan in anything you like, such as congratulations cards or an invitation to their first birthday party – it’s a great way to make the photo book really meaningful.”

Janette, mum to Sonny, nine, Stanley, six and Scott, four, says: “While it’s easy to just want to showcase your baby on every page, I also make sure I include photos of special family members and friends. My kids will want to look at this book years down the line, and it will mean a lot to have some photos of them with Great Grandma, as well as their first playdate mates!”

Sammy, mum to Delila, four, says: “My tip is to be really selective. It might be tempting to include every photo of your baby – after all, he’s the cutest thing ever! But unless you want to wade through a book the size of a telephone directory, choose the best photos that represent your child’s milestones and important happenings for each month.”

Sophie, mum to Patrick, ten, says: “I think it’s really nice to include photos of all those cute things like baby bootees and hats, as well as close-up shots of tiny feet and cute little fingers… They’re only tiny once, and you’ll want to remember them! Trust me, my son is nearly ten now and it’s hard to believe he was ever so small! He absolutely loves looking at the photo books I’ve made.”

1. Choose the type of book you want – there are so many wonderful options, including premium layflat , faux leather or mini photo books .

2. Upload your photos. There’s no limit – you can have as many as you want (we recommend at least 43 to make a book, but you can choose a mini book if you’d like to use fewer). Then choose your page designs and other customisations. If you’re not sure exactly what you want, the automatic page layout is great for first-time users. It puts your photos into your book in chronological order and you can then move and swap them around, add or remove them, and put in text and embellishments.

3. You’ll then get the opportunity to customise each page, choosing things like backgrounds and borders, until you’re completely happy with it. Then simply order your book, sit back and wait! It really is that easy!