The guest book is a traditional staple at many types of events. But when the event is all said and done what do we really do with this special book full of loving words? We store it away in some closet space with all the rest of our unused event supplies never to be seen again. We’ve collected some of our favorite unique guest book ideas (that are not really books) to share with you so you can truly keep and cherish the memories from your next event.

So many people and families love game night that this one had to take the top of our list. What better way to remember the memories from your special event than by sharing them with family and friends over and over again each time they get brought out for game night? This idea can be used in a couple different ways. You can have guests sign a favorite gameboard or sign individual Jenga game pieces. If you’re event is a party for a young child like a baby shower you could have guests sign and decorate blank wooden blocks to create a unique block set for the child. You could also have guests sign the back of a favorite puzzle, or have a personalized puzzle created with your photo or the guest of honors photo on it. Finally, you could use larger yard games for this idea by having guests sign corn-hole boards.

Having your guests use their thumbprints to create a new piece of art is not only a special way to preserve the memories of your guests but can also add a beautiful new piece of art to your home. You can have your guests stamp their thumbprints onto branches of a tree as the leaves, onto ends of a string as balloons, as sprinkles on top of a cupcake, or you can have them combine their thumbprints into a shape of a heart. The possibilities with thumbprint art are as endless as your imagination allows.

Shadowboxes are a great idea for a guestbook because there are many different ways you can use them. You can simply have guests sign small pieces of paper cut into the shape you choose that you later attach to a piece of art work to be placed into the shadowbox or you can have guests sign small wood pieces cut into the shape you choose and drop them into the shadowbox. You could also use old wine corks for your guests to sign and drop into the shadowbox. You can also add an extra commemorative decorative touch to this by adding other memento items from your event into the shadowbox such as an invitation or a picture from the event.

If you love to be outdoors and garden, then using an item that can be placed into a part of your outdoor landscape is a great idea for a guestbook. You could use small stones or rocks for your guests to sign that you will place around your garden for decoration, or even larger stones that will be used as a walking path. You can also use a large flowerpot or a tree stump for your guests to sign as a decorative piece to add to your garden.

You might like the idea of having something you can hang in your home as your guestbook. With this idea you could buy a favorite painting or picture to have your guests sign, or you could create your own canvas painting for them to sign. Or maybe you want your guests to be a part of creating the artwork themselves – so you can have them add their own drawings to a canvas or fill balloons with paint and have your guests pop the balloons on the canvas. You could also use a wooden letter initial for your guests to sign. Once again, when your guestbook is a piece of art the possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

This one is as straightforward as it sounds. You can have guests sign an already completed patchwork quilt or you can have them sign small fabric pieces that you will create into a customized quilt later on.

Using a heavy item that can be used as a bookend or just a decorative piece that can be placed on a bookshelf is also a great idea for a guestbook that can be displayed all the time. We love the idea of using a round globe for your guests to sign, but really you could use anything that you can use to decorate with on a shelf!

Wood furniture is great for events where you’re going to have a large number of guests and want something that you can keep forever. You can use a wood rocking chair, a bench, a swing chair, or even just a piece of wood that will be used to create a picnic table later on in the future. This is a great idea for a wedding as the piece can be added as a piece of furniture for the newlyweds’ home.

If you want to have your guests sign a picture frame that you can use along with a picture from your event (or your diploma for a graduation party) there are two ways you can do this. You could buy a frame with a thicker outer edge that your guests can sign, or you could use a matted picture frame and have your guests sign around the picture on the mat.

If you’re a music lover, you will probably want to use this idea to incorporate your love for music into your event with your guestbook. You can use a favorite instrument such as a guitar or drums, or you could also use old vinyl records.

Looking for a professional event planner to help with your next special event? Call Byrd Nest Events & Design today to discuss your dreams for your next event with an experienced professional event planner!