Instagram is rapidly becoming one of the most popular social media sites out there. I mean, it’s genius. Combining the power of social media with photography is pretty much one of the best things ever! But as we take more and more photos with our phones and they fill up with images… are we really doing anything with those photos? Does anyone ever print their photos anymore?
I love a good print or photo book in my hands.. I love looking at photos on a computer, but it just doesn’t compare to the tangible, in your hands feeling of a print, canvas, or photo book. I love giving homemade gifts or even gifts that are photos taken by me. It’s something person and often times something that people won’t buy themselves. I mean, I am a photographer so you would think the walls of my home was lined with my art work? Wrong. It’s just something I don’t usually spend the money on, but I am getting better thanks to ideas like these.
Here are a few great gifts you can make simply using your Instagram photos:
Instathis: Put your prints on aluminum, wood, or even make coasters out of your Instagram images. They offer a variety of sizes for prints from 6×6 ($25) all the way up to 24×36 ($250). The coasters run you $5 each and come in packs of 4. Ordering is easy as the site connects to your Instagram and you can pick and choose images without even having to upload them.
Prinstagram: You can order gifts for anyone and everyone STRAIGHT FROM YOUR PHONE using the Prinstagram app! They feature a variety of prints, contact cards (Instagram photos on your business cards!?), stickers, greeting cards, frames, and posters. I love the ease of ordering straight from your phone! My favorite product of theirs is a tear off calendar, great gift for those who love the 365 photo-a-day challenges.
Blurb: I use many different resources for making photos books, but Blurb is becoming one of my favorite! They offer so many different types of books and integration to download your media into the books. For example, I just figured out you can make a BLOG book! How cool is that!? Blurb also offers you the ability to make a photo book. They run great specials so I figured I needed to make a book of my Instagram photos. It now sits on our coffee table. I have it dated so I know when the images are from. It’s neat to pick it up and walk down memory lane to what we were doing this time last year, for example.
Cocoagraph: Turn your Instagram photos into CHOCOLATE! Such a clever idea! I mean who doesn’t love chocolate!? It’s a little spendy at $14 for 3.5 x 3.5″ piece of chocolate BUT you are paying to put your image on some chocolate.
Stitchagram: Order a handmade pillow, clutch, totebag, or wristlet using your Instagram photos! The pillows come in at $68 which isn’t too bad considering throw pillows are expensive to begin with and these are handmade! I think this would be such a fun idea and something totally unexpected in your living room or even bedroom! Talk about a conversation starter!
StickyGram: Stickygram allows you to make iphone and ipad covers, but what I love about Stickgram is you can make magnets out of your Instagram photos! I just recently ordered some and whenever we have people over, they just love it! A sheet of magnets runs you $14.99, but they run specials quite a bit.
Postrgram: Postrgram allows you to take your instagram photos and put them together to make one big photo! There are a variety of sizes from 18x 18 ($39.95), 24 x 36, ($49.95) and up to 44 x 44 ($69.95). All you need is 50 photos minimum and you can create a personalized poster. I think this would be a super fun and unique gift, plus once people get closer on it, they can see each individual image.
Inkifi: Inkifi offers many different types of products from prints and magnets, but I thought the t-shirt idea was great! You can choose a solo image or a mosaic of images to print on a t-shirt, starting at $31.00.
Origrami: Origrami handles strictly prints, but Origrami allows you to customize the backsides of prints. You can use a photo map which would be fun for those who travel a lot to share where they’ve been. A set of 36 prints starts at $19.95.
Canvaspop: I have used Canvaspop before for creating awesome collage style canvases. I just recently discovered they offer Instagram prints on canvas. Their work is wonderful and they run sales regularly so you can pick up canvases for 30-50% off. Your Instagram photos on canvas start at 39.95 and go up depending on the size and if you want it framed or not.
These are just a few of the many ideas for printing, chronicling, and sharing your Instagram photos! Don’t just let your photos sit on your phone or online, print them and share them with the world!
Anyone else have any ideas for gifts using your Instagram photos?
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Great ideas, Jenny!
Great collection of ideas. At the end of every year I order an Instagram collage poster 20×30 from Social Print Studio! My new one is on the way!
If you love magnets also have a look at Picpack (getpicpack.com).
Great idea, it really brings smile on our closest one. Thanks for sharing this.