Guide

How to make a family cookbook from handwritten recipes

The recipes that matter most in a family usually live on index cards in someone's handwriting — and handwriting fades. This guide walks through the five honest steps to gather those cards, read them, and turn them into a family cookbook your family will actually open or print.

A faded handwritten family recipe card, the kind this guide helps you preserve — A typical family recipe card — faded, stained, and worth keeping.

Gather your family recipe notebooks

A simple first step

Bring together your family's handwritten recipes, from old notebooks to loose recipe cards. No need to sort or organize anything. Just gather the recipes you'd like to preserve, and let us take care of the rest.

Take a photo of each recipe

All you need is your phone

Simply snap a photo of each recipe in your family's recipe notebook or collection. If a page contains two recipes, take a separate photo of each one. No scanning or special equipment needed. We'll take it from there.

Send us your photos

Easy and convenient

Send us your recipe photos, and we'll turn your handwritten family recipes into a beautifully organized digital collection. No need to type anything or prepare your recipes in advance. That's our job.

A quick review, just in case

Keeping every recipe true to the original

We carefully transcribe your recipes and check them against the originals. If something seems unclear or needs correcting, we'll flag it for you. That way, every cherished ingredient and family secret stays just as it should.

Your family recipes, beautifully preserved

A book to keep for generations

We take care of the layout, organization, and design, turning your recipes into a beautiful, personalized cookbook. Every recipe gets its own page, with an optional photo of the original handwritten version alongside it.

With Keep Old Writing, you receive a print-ready PDF and a digital version of your cookbook that you can browse online and share privately with family, wherever they are in the world.

A handwritten apple crisp recipe card beside the same recipe typeset in a printed family cookbook — The same recipe, before and after: the original card and the printed cookbook page.

At a glance

Gather the family recipes you want to preserve
Take a photo of each recipe
Send us your photos we'll take care of the rest
We transcribe, check, and organize your recipes
Receive your personalized cookbook, ready to print and share

Start with one card

A free preview of your first recipe shows you exactly how well the reading works before you spend anything. Upload a photo and see your card become a cookbook page.

Try it free

Books from $9.90 — see pricing.