7 Ways to Keep a Family Recipe in Her Handwriting
The card is fragile. The handwriting isn't coming back. So people look for a way to keep it, and there are more ways than you'd think. Here's an honest look at each one, including the ones we don't make.
1. Scan it and share it
The first thing to do with any card, whatever you decide next. A good phone photo by a window, saved somewhere the whole family can find it. It costs nothing and it means the card can never be lost again. It also lives in a folder no one opens.
Best for: everyone, first.
2. A family cookbook
Collect the cards, scan them and print a bound book. It's the most complete way to keep a whole recipe box, and it's the right answer when there are fifty cards and nobody can choose. It also takes the longest to make, and books go on shelves.
Best for: the whole box, and the family member who will actually organize it.
3. A tea towel
The handwriting printed on cotton. Warm, affordable and easy to give in multiples. It also gets used, washed and eventually worn out, which some people love and some people can't bear.
Best for: a stocking, or a set for every cousin.
4. A cutting board
The recipe engraved into wood. A beautiful object, and it ends up in the kitchen where the recipe belongs. Engraving turns ink into a single tone, so the stains, the pencil notes and the crossed-out quantities don't come through.
Best for: a wedding or a housewarming.
5. Jewelry or an engraved keepsake
A single line of her handwriting, often just her name or "love, Mom," on a pendant or a bracelet. Small, personal and carried every day. Not the whole recipe, just her hand.
Best for: memorial gifts.
6. Frame the original card
A frame shop can mount the card itself behind glass. You see the real thing, at its real size. It also means the card leaves the recipe box for good.
Best for: someone who wants the original on show and doesn't cook from it any more.
7. A framed print of the card
This is what we do. One phone photo becomes a large print of the card, 11x14 to 16x20, with the background cleaned up, the handwriting sharpened and every stain and crease kept. The card is big enough to read from across the room, and the original goes back in the box.
Best for: the kitchen wall, and anyone who wants to see her handwriting every day.
How to choose
Ask where the person will see it. A tea towel is seen on Sundays. A book is seen at Thanksgiving. A cutting board is seen every time someone cooks. Something on the wall is seen every morning. Most families end up doing two of these, and the first one should always be the scan.
At a glance
- What it is
- Your handwritten recipe card, printed large on fine-art paper and framed, exactly as it was written.
- What you send
- One phone photo of the card. The original stays with you.
- Prices
- Prints from $39. Framed from $109.
- Sizes
- 8 × 10 to 16 × 20 inches. Frames in 8 colors.
- Preview
- Free, before you pay.
- Shipping
- Ships in 3 to 5 business days. Free on every US order.
Questions
What is the best way to preserve a handwritten recipe?
Scan it first. A good phone photo by a window, saved somewhere the whole family can find it, means the card can never be lost. After that, choose how to keep it: a family cookbook, a tea towel, a cutting board or a framed print.
Does the original card have to be sent to you?
No. One phone photo of the card is all we need. The original never leaves your hands, or her kitchen.
What if my recipe card is faded, stained, or hard to read?
That's the best material we work with. Stains, fades, and tears tell the story of how often the recipe got made. We prepare your photo for print and keep every stain and crease. If a card is so faded that words are illegible, you'll see it in the preview before you order, so there are no surprises.
