How to create a photo book from your Facebook photos

Scrolling through your Facebook pages can evoke powerful memories. When I scroll my Facebook photo archives, I see memories I love, memories that bring happy tears, and even memories I've forgotten amid the hustle of life. My Facebook photos preserve a collection of those memories that remind me how fortunate my now-grown children were growing up.

We moved a lot when they were young due to my role as a case coordinator for a missing children's agency. I always questioned those moves and constant uprooting, but — as my Facebook photos illustrate — those transplants meant my children got to see more of the United States than most people see in their entire lives.

We're Michigan natives. From the Midwest to the South, the West Coast, the Pacific Northwest, and back again, we affectionately call the time in Michigan, Florida, California, Washington, and then back to Michigan from 2013 to 2021 our Slingshot Around America Tour.

When we lived in California, my position with the agency required a lot of travel. I love to travel, but it meant a week or more away from my kiddos at times. Sometimes, I got to bring my children with me, so they've seen much more than the states we've called home. My job allowed me to give my children experiences they'd never have had.

For instance, when we were in Phoenix., Arizona, for my job, we did a lot of hiking. Here's Dustin halfway up Camelback Mountain:

Dustin at the halfway point on the trail to Camelback Mountain | Arizona | 2013

Do you have memories like this locked inside your social media photo archives? What if you could turn those treasured photos into a physical photo book?

A custom photo book lets you rediscover Facebook’s archive of images, select your favorites, artistically enhance them, and produce a high-quality book you’ll be proud to display.

In this step-by-step guide for a Facebook photo book, I'll walk you through all the steps to transform your photos into a customized printed keepsake, like I did. I'll also offer design tips to help you capture and preserve the true essence of your favorite memories.

Step by step: Creating a photo book from your Facebook pictures

Creating a Facebook photo book with Mixbook is easy. You can even log in to your Facebook account from the Mixbook homepage.

Are you new to Mixbook? To sign up, enter your name and email address, and choose a password. You can also use your Google, Apple, or Facebook account:

Immediately after signing up, your My Projects page opens:

To create your first photo book, you must add photos to your Mixbook account. Click on the MY PHOTOS button at the top right:

This brings you to your My Photos page:

From the My Photos page, you’ll see the option to upload photos from your computer. Scroll down to find the option to import your saved photos from other services. Mixbook can connect with your Facebook, Instagram, Google, or SmugMug accounts. To connect your account, click on the Facebook Icon:

Next, you'll see the Upload and Import tabs. At the bottom of the page, click on the Facebook icon again.

The Facebook login page appears in the center of your screen:

Next, you’ll see the permissions page that says Mixbook is requesting access to your name, profile picture, and photos. Click Continue as [Your Name] to connect your accounts:

After connecting the account, you’ll see your Facebook photo albums on the left side of the page. I’ve clicked on my album Timeline Photos:

Select the photos you want to add. If you’re not sure which photos to include in your Facebook photo book, no worries. You can always decide later. Click the checkbox next to Select All to transfer this entire album to Mixbook. Then, click the ADD TO MY PHOTOS button:

Your Facebook Timeline photos are now in your Mixbook account. If desired, you can repeat this process to connect other photo apps to Mixbook.

Note the green message button in the lower right. Besides showing how many photos you uploaded, it gives two clickable options: ADD TO ALBUM and DONE. If you’re finished adding photos, click DONE.

Mixbooker Tip: Clicking ADD TO ALBUM opens a separate page where you can add photos to an existing album or create and name a new one. Create several albums and name them according to your photo book ideas. Then, separate your photos into albums in your spare time. 

Now it's time for the fun part.

Creating your Facebook photo book

At the upper right of your My Photos page, click on MY PROJECTS and select NEW PROJECT. A drop-down menu appears; click on PHOTO BOOKS.

Select one of the options (seen here in the four colored boxes), and choose the photos you want in your book:

Or, scroll down the page. Choose the paper, binding, size, and shape for your photo book before you add photos:

To start my photo book, I clicked on ALL PHOTO BOOKS (in the blue box above), which brings you to the All Photo Books page:

From there, I clicked on TRAVEL PHOTO BOOKS (because I love travel, and look at these covers!).

Landscapes are so inspiring to me. Like this two-page spread of our backyard at our home in Washington state:

The south-facing view from our backyard. I miss seeing that every day. Like a real-life painting! | Washington | 2014-2021

Scroll down to the third row, and click on Minimalist Portfolio Extended Edition (for the purposes of this tutorial; you can choose a theme and layout of your choice when you're ready):

Now, you see the popup for the Minimalist Portfolio Extended Edition. Click the purple START BOOK button:

Clicking START BOOK opens the photo book editor. You’ll be prompted to choose from your existing photos or upload others:

I chose IMPORT FROM MY PHOTOS.

Now, go through your photos and click on each one you want to add to your Facebook photo book. Alternatively, you can click the circle next to the date. The importer tool automatically selects all photos from that date. I liked that I could arrange the photos chronologically from 2013 to 2024 or vice versa.

Old memories help us reminisce. But new memories can be just as fond, if not more so. In Summer 2023, we visited Grayling, Michigan, to spend some time with my second-oldest, my son Ian. Here's all four of my children from that day:

Left to right: Ian, 25; Dustin, 19; Destiny, 27; and Rainijane, 20. | Michigan | 2023

After lunch that day, we went to a beautiful disc golf park. We were walking to the next basket when we came across a huge, uprooted tree. Here, my oldest is peeking through its roots:

My oldest child, Destiny, peeking through an old, uprooted tree. | Michigan | 2023

Once finished, click on ADD TO PROJECT:

The Mixbook photo book editor opens. A simple drag-and-drop interface makes populating your pages fast and easy.

Dragging the photo:

And dropping it inside the Drop photo here space:

Update the text for the cover by double-clicking it. Type your desired text, and hit enter.

Then, click on the thin, horizontal rectangle to the left of your cover design. Here, you will update the text on the photo book’s spine:

Click the purple arrow beside Page Spine to go to the next page. This is a shot of Destiny proudly holding a truly big catch:

Continue dragging and dropping photos, turning the page as necessary.

Once you've filled the photo book’s pages, click the white PREVIEW button at the top of the editor:

Your pages appear as they’ll look in your printed Facebook photo book. Use the purple arrows at the bottom to flip through the pages. If you want to change something, click the white EDIT button to return to the editor.

Once you’re satisfied with your book, click on the purple ORDER button in the top right.

Designing the physical look and feel of your special photo book

Book Type options include Lay Flat, Hardcover, and Softcover:

This is my Facebook photo book's cover (Hardcover, size S).

Front cover:

Front cover | The old, red barn next to our house in Washington. | Washington | 2014-2021

Back cover:

Back cover | So many pictures...I need to make more Facebook photo books. | Various locations | 2013-2023

Sizes range from XS to L:

Then choose your Paper Finish. Options include Everyday Semi-Gloss, Signature Matte, and Premium Lustre:

Finally, choose between Glossy or Matte for your Cover Finish:

Note: The purple-outlined options are the preset design choices. 

Click the purple ADD TO CART button.

Your cart shows the photo book you ordered and your shipping options:

When you’re ready, scroll down and click the purple CHECKOUT button.

Check your information on the Checkout page, and add your payment details. (New customers, click Add New next to Shipping Address.)

After you complete the payment, you’ll receive an email from Mixbook confirming and thanking you for your order. You’ll receive another email when your Facebook photo book ships.

Tips and strategies for preserving your favorite Facebook memories in a photo book

The steps above are a basic walkthrough of how to create a photo book from your Facebook photos. But there's more you can do in the Mixbook editor. From choosing the right photos, theme, and layout to adding stickers and captions, here are a few tips and strategies for the perfect photo book of Facebook memories.

Selecting the right photos

Turning Facebook memories into a printed photo book starts with finding the right photos. Remember, you want to choose Facebook photos that illustrate a theme or emotion and capture the story you want to tell. Select a mix of high-quality images of friends, family, pets, activities, or locations.

Consider photos that capture major life events, family milestones, intimate gatherings with friends, vacation adventures, or holiday traditions — whatever you want to preserve. For the best effect, choose photos that put you right back in the moment.

Like this one. I was out for a walk and couldn't believe my eyes. I had to include this image in my Facebook photo book because it's one of those things you don't see everyday:

The actual end of the rainbow...at the end of our road! | Washington | 2018

Choose 15 to 30 (or more) to begin creating a photo book from Facebook pictures. You can always add more later.

Organizing your photo book

Once you’ve imported your photo collection into Mixbook’s editing tool, use the drag-and-drop feature to arrange your photos into a cohesive narrative. The editing tool offers a convenient built-in timeline feature that lets you quickly sort pictures from newest to oldest or oldest to newest. Of course, you’re free to arrange your photos however you choose.

You can organize related shots into distinct sections or chapters of your book. Need some tips? Consider arranging them by event, time/season, location, or theme. These chapters can act as a guide for anyone viewing your Facebook photo book.

For our Facebook photo book, I added the year to each section:

A collection of my favorite nature shots. | Washington | 2017

Consider balancing indoor décor and outdoor venues that set the stage for candid captures between friends and family.

Customizing the design and layout

Mixbookers have the advantage of gorgeous templates, decorative artwork, and fanciful fonts to create aesthetically pleasing photo books — no design skills necessary.

Browse themed templates across various categories or filter by occasion, such as:

• Holidays
• Anniversaries
• Weddings
• Birthdays
• Family history

You can also view other Mixbookers’ stories for inspiration and preview template designs with your uploaded photos. It’s like getting a sneak peek at your results.

Alternatively, choose a fully customizable blank template and pick unique layouts and vibrant color palettes. Drag and drop your images onto pages and experiment with alignments, boundaries, frames, backgrounds, and other imaginative features.

Using personal captions and stickers to take storytelling further

Want to reminisce with friends or family over shared memories? Customized captions let you set the scene, identify faces, convey a mood, or share inside jokes, like this photo that perfectly captures the night-and-day difference between my youngest two children:

Raini and Dustin posing with a wax version of Michael Myers at KDB Kitchen-Den-Bar (closed in late 2014). | California | 2014

Personalized captions help preserve the stories behind the pictures. You can add customized text to share heartfelt event names, complete with dates and locations, or consider witty captions or creative sayings.

The caption sizing, colors, and styling can match or contrast your page theme. You can also consider longer narratives for panoramic shots or chapter collections for a multidimensional storytelling experience.

Mixbook stickers are like physical emojis you can add to your pages, making your Facebook photo book as "you" as you want.

Editing and enhancing photos

It happens: Sometimes, you’ll find a favorite image from years ago that looks great on its original device but returns an error message when uploaded to Mixbook.

As you format your layouts and add touch-ups, use Mixbook's tools to optimize these images for better printing. Consider adjusting:

• Sizing
• Brightness
• Saturation
• Contrast
• Shadows

You can also use the sharpening tools to eliminate red eyes and blur facial blemishes. For larger photos that limit action to one part of the photo, use the crop tool to keep the focus where intended.

Ordering your photo book

When you’ve created the perfect Facebook memories photo book, it’s time to place your custom photo book order.

Ordering a custom photo book from Facebook photos takes a few simple steps:

• Step 1: From the design and editing tool, click on ORDER to begin checkout.
• Step 2: Choose your preferred book size, paper finish, cover finish, and shipping speed.
• Step 3: Confirm the automatically calculated price, including discounts, coupons, or first-order promotions.
• Step 4: Proceed through checkout, providing your mailing address, payment method, and additional details.
• Step 5: Triple-check order specifics, such as size, page numbers, and preview book, before final submission.

Are you a new customer? You can get up to 50% off your first order.

Shipping and delivery

Printing and processing take one to two business days after placing the order. Expect an email confirmation when production begins and another email with tracking information when your book ships.

Shipping options are:

• Budget: ~15 days; $6.99
• Standard: ~14 days; $8.99
• Priority: ~10 days; $19.99
• Express: ~7 days; $29.99

You can check the status of your order at any time in your account dashboard.

Cost and pricing

Mixbook photo books are quality lay flat, hardcover, and softcover books with your choice of size, cover finish, paper, cover image, and more.

All photo books come with 20 pages included. Additional pages are $1.79/each. When creating your book, you’ll choose:

Size

• XS: 6" X 6"
• S: 8.5" x 8.5"
• M: 10" x 10"
• L:  12" x 12"

Paper finish

• Everyday Semi-Gloss (included)
• Signature Matte
• Premium Lustre

Cover finish

• Matte (included)
• Glossy

Share the gift of memories with Mixbook photo books

For proud creators, Mixbook photo books make meaningful keepsakes to display in your home or office space. Visitors and guests will admire your custom visual storytelling every time they stop by.

Photo books create thoughtful, personalized gift ideas for loved ones, and they can resonate based on shared nostalgia and memories. Surprise family, newly married couples, or faraway friends with mailed gifts or hand them out in person during reunions.

Gifting these visual capsules also provides a fun excuse to take recipients through pages and indulge in all the memories. Have a big family? Ordering school yearbooks? Larger orders receive volume discounts. Calculate precise estimates using Mixbook’s easy quote tool.

Mixbook offers all the tools you need to create themed photo books using your social media photos from Facebook, Instagram, Google Photos, and other popular apps. Speaking of, try our new Mixbook mobile app.

Now that you know how to make a photo book from social media pictures, get started today. It's time to preserve your fondest Facebook memories with Mixbook.

FAQs

What are the key steps to selecting the right photos for my book?

Carefully curate a collection of your most meaningful Facebook images that illustrate memorable events, family milestones, intimate gatherings, vacations, holidays, or standalone creative shots. Aim for 15 to 30 or more quality shots.

How do I organize the photos for a coherent and meaningful narrative?

Once you import the photos into Mixbook, thoughtfully arrange them to craft a story. This story should convey why these memories hold significance. Ideally, organize shots chronologically or by event/theme and create separate sections or chapters with brief introductions.

Can I customize the design and layout of the photo book?

Absolutely. Mixbook provides breathtaking page spreads and designs across many artistic styles. Tailor layouts, backgrounds, frames, and filters, and touch up images without needing any design experience. Add customized text sections as desired.

Should I add captions and personal touches to my photo book?

Personalized captions convey rich backstories, emotions, inside jokes, and connections that images can’t do alone. You can identify people by name, explain contexts, share reactions felt in the moment, and preserve the cherished stories behind your photo book memories.

Are there any tips for editing and enhancing the photo quality?

Mixbook’s user-friendly editing tools allow for optimizing brightness, contrast, shadows, and saturation. It also lets you eliminate any red eye, unwanted blemishes, or other distractions and apply sharpening filters so images pop. Cropping and resizing also focus attention on the key elements you want to highlight.

Recommended reading: Photo Editing Tips & Tricks to Make Your Next Mixbook Stand Out

What is the process for ordering the photo book?

After finalizing layouts, review pricing details (including current discounts and coupons) for the best value. Confirm order specifics, and enter payment information and necessary addresses. Mixbook delivers expected print production and shipping updates via email and in your Mixbook dashboard.

How much does creating a Facebook photo book cost?

Pricing depends on size, binding, paper quality, number of pages (first 20 pages are included), and the design theme you selected. Discounts are available to first-time customers. You can also get other coupon codes throughout the year.

How can I share my photo book with friends and family or use it as a gift?

Give the gift of treasured memories. Share a photo book with friends or family by collaborating on projects, or send them a finished photo book. Treasured photos can become family heirlooms you pass from generation to generation.