Thought I'd Share My Gift Idea New Pics!

I thought about that but I'm not sure how to cut the holes out perfectly and what material to use. Any ideas?

Best answer: Template.
First, set out the family tree on rough paper.
Get the dates down.
Buy the coins, corresponding to the dates.
Buying 5mm foam sheet: if you don't know what it is, it is 2 sheets of glossy paper with foam on the inside, strong and useful.
Stick a sheet of velvet over it.
Create perfect alignments and chart down the family tree IN PENCIL.
Make sure there is enough space for the coin slot and use a circle template and draw it on the velvet.
If you are adding pictures, make sure there is enough space for them.
Important stage: FIND a good stationary/one of them photocopying/design companies. They will be able to laser cut out the circles, with pinpoint accuracy.
Then write name down in pen, if you want, use calligraphy.
Fit the coins in.
Buy a Larger than board frame.
Have a sleek velevet background, red/blue, upto you.
Put it in the frame and your done.
Pros of this design: Faster, More accurate.
Cons: Slightly more expensive.

OR:

Buy a wooden board, Mark out everything in pencil on the board.
where the circle drawings are, drill into the inner lines of the circle, and saw the way around. MAKE sure you leave enough gap when you saw. Sand/file down the final bit left out.
Then fix the velvet sheet over the board, and make small incisions on the velvet where the circles are, tuck the velvet on the inside.
Fix in coins, chart out family tree.
And frame it with a background.
Pros of this design: More "authentic", the tuck in of the velvet to the back of the wood reduces roughness on what may seem to be rough cutting.
Cons: More time consuming, if handywork is bad, project may be disastrous.


Btw, lovely idea!

TheKid!

You could simplify it and have one coin per person and skip the notes

and send me the extras

Hmmm...What you could do is make several octagonal wooden frames, *small*
Hinge it onto the board.
To be honest, in my opinion, a framed board, is much more attractive, than lets say a folder or such. They cannot hook up a folder.
And the board will be very "lounge talk" style.

It is kind of a neat idea, I like it. You should see if you could get an old picture of each person and include it with the coins/notes. I would then do each person on a seperate wood plaque, and arrange them in the proper order.

I wish I had the time for that kind of undertaking !.......
Your friend will find this VERY special and that's a wonderful idea that she will certainly treasure !....

Looks like that will be pretty cool when finished ....

Although this appears to be a fantastic idea, I'm a little on the pessimistic side. For one thing I hope your friends are on the coin collecting side and/or are just interested in coins. To make something like that would really be a great idea but may just get lost in an attic, basement or in a box somewhere. Hopefully you know them both so well that you are aware of their likes and hobbies.
I only mention this due to past experiences with wedding gifts. One friend was a fanatical beer can collector so people for wedding gifts gave him old beer cans full of coins. He rather wanted the money so he cut open all the cans and took the money to banks.
One friend of mine was a photography nut so everyone got a pile of any photos of him and his future bride and put them all on DVD's. At the wedding they placed a computer on a front table and ran a slide show of all those photos. Everyone was impressed. Today, a few years later they don't even know where the DVD is and really don't care.
I once gave a couple a pile of proof sets with dates of their wedding, each kids birthdate, a few other important dates in their lives with tags on each explaining what for. All have long since been sold to a coin store.
I used to and still do give away about 10 to 15 Proof and Uncirc sets and one Red Book for Christmas Presents. Used to be over 20 but many people have passed away as I get older. I wonder what will happen to all them after I leave.