Instant Decoration...

Chances are highly likely that a vast majority of you either have an Instagram account or own an Instax/Polaroid instant camera of some type. They're definitely hot currently and they produce awesome small images that are fun to share with family and friends. I have over 700 photos in my Instagram, 6,500 in my camera roll on my iPhone 4 (yikes!), and several hundred Instax and Polaroids just sitting in a box on my vanity. I want to display them so badly, but we're limited on wall space. 2 of our walls in our loft are solid brick (so that's a no go!), one wall is cabinetry and my Etsy packing station (another no-go), so that only leaves the large wall behind our bed/loft (which is fully taken), and a smal area off to the side above a dresser. Phew! I've seen so many people do so many rad things with their pictures, so I'm here to ask YOU for your opinions!




For starters, here are a few fun places where you can get the most out of your Instagram photos:

PostalPix - PostalPix is a fun app you can download to your iPhone (or Droid?) to choose the Instagram photos you'd like to send off (or any photos from your Camera Roll!) and have printed! They come back in sizes 4" x 4", 4" x 6", 5" x 5", 5" x 7", and 8" x 10". I have more than my fair share of 4" x 4" (they're a really great size!) But no idea of how to showcase them! Elsie has chosen a really fun way to showcase hers, but I don't think we have the wall space to do it sadly. Still, I keep mine in a nice little box until I find a way! Even if we end up just lining them on the wall like E, perhaps I can break them up into smaller sections and spread them around the house...

Blurb Instagram Books-  If you like the idea of making them into a coffee table type book, Blurb might be the answer for you! I love this idea and it's a great idea for a special gift, but I like the option of constantly adding new ones. With this you sort of have to make a decision on where it will end (unless you buy more in the future!). Super cute, but again, not exactly perfect for us!

StickyGram - You can turn some of your Instagram photos into magnets for your fridge! I love this idea and I'd love to order a few for ours (Does anyone have an invite they'd send my way for StickyGram?!). It's a bummer that you need an invite to join but hopefully they'll open up to the public soon! Cute and functional!

What are some other Instagram tools you know of? Feel free to share below!

Now for my giant box of Instax and Polaroid photos! Yeeeesh! I don't even know where to get started with those! They're so very very special to me and I'd love to have them out on display as decoration in our home, but as usual, I'm at a loss for inspiration! I know many people do awesome Polaroid walls or hearts, and they're so super cute (and may be what we end up with), but I want to make sure I exhaust all the other options first! Rachel thrifted the perfect photo album for her Instax pictures! If only we could all be so lucky! But it's good to know I'm not the only one with this problem :) I've strung them up on twine with clothespins. I've stuck them to the wall. I've got a handful in a little wire photo holder, etc. And I still have hundreds I'd love to share! THIS is proof enough that a billion different versions exist of the Polaroid wall! 

How do you showcase your Instax/Polaroid pictures? What are some of your favorite ways you've seen it done? Bonus points if it includes pictures/links of examples!

PS; This is in no way sponsored by or affiliated with anything discussed above! I'm generally just a gal in need of some storage/organization tips for display and wanted to share any resources I currently had! And it's sad that I have to even disclose that... 

32 comments:

  1. It would look really cool to have strings spanning your brick walls with little clothes pins holding your photos to the string : )

    Question, did you design your own blog layout?

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  2. I just do the twine + clothes peg option!

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  3. Awwww man. If only my carrier had iphones... :( I'm missing out on some really cool apps....

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  4. @Carson : i've already tried that sadly. it's a no-go in our house. hard to keep them up. but yes, i did design everything myself.

    @Emma: tried it and didn't really care for it. plus i have wayyyy too many i want to showcase!

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  5. it may not be the kind of thing you are looking for BUT a coffee table topped with scattered poloroids, then a sheet of glass /perspex fastened on top.

    or a huge picture frame, display lots that way.
    x

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  6. Jeez I really need to get some kind of Polaroid again.

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  7. I love the twine and clothes pegs idea. I bet you could get a ton of vintage-style pegs at a thrift store or on Etsy!

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  8. If you could use a drill to put some screws in your brick wall I'd suggest getting a really large poster frame and making collages of all your photos. You could even use pretty paper or fabric as a background for your pictures.

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  9. omg, all those pictures are so amazing.
    personally, I'm so obsessed with instagram! It's like the picture book version of Twitter!


    kisses from kaitlin
    xo
    kaitgirl.blogspot

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  10. I have always wanted one of those clear shower curtains that have pockets for all your photos! I keep seeing them and then moving into houses with shower screens and cubicles.

    One day I'll have one!

    Hope you find a solution, I'm sure you will. Your collection is amazing, I always say I need to take more photos.

    x

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  11. I saw on mucho mucho bueno bueno blog where they bought a couple of large white canvases and made a "polaroid" with their polaroids/instax pictures. I realize wall space could be an issue but you could get several of them and I think they used about 30ish actual polaroids (depending on the canvas size of course.

    I'll go back & see if I can find the link and comment it.

    Seems pretty affordable & a great idea!!

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  12. @ Derby Grrl: oh my stars, a shower curtain?!? i love! our shower is less than half the size of a normal shower, so that'd have to wait until we moved next year, but i really like that idea! so fun!

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  13. If you have too many to put up how about making a semi-scrap book with some then use shadow boxes to display a mixture of the rest them?

    Also I noticed Elsie at A Beautiful Mess doing a grid for her instragrams.

    Hope these ideas help!

    xo Amber P.

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  14. Just had a look online and they have them in Urban Outfitters!

    It's called 'Pockets Shower Curtain' on their website.

    We will both have to keep it in mind for the days of a bigger shower haha!

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  15. Can I just say I'm excited to see how you dress for winter?? Heh. (since I've only been reading your blog a couple of months!)

    Hmm you couldn't use blutack or something similar to stick them to the brick walls? Or maybe you could chop up some drinking straws and glue a little piece to the back of each photo, then thread some wire/string through te bits of straw...good luck!! :)

    Kc

    http://a-sparkley-silver-lining.blogspot.com/

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  16. I display my polaroids by hanging them from long streams draped across my ceiling, (like a bunting almost) and tape another polaroid to the backside so you don't see the black side

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  17. I was about to suggest clothes pins on a line, but that was your first comment, so I second that! It would also look great and fit the industrial feel to use picture hanging wire as your "clothes line".

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  18. Oh wow, I just saw that you said you can't do the clothes line. Do you have any exposed poles or beams? Your could cover them in photos. Or make a garland of them and wrap around a pole. Or....lamp shades, luminaries...

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  19. Downloading PostalPix now. Thanks for the tips!

    ♥ sécia
    www.petiteinsanities.blogspot.com

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  20. My idea is similar to the shower curtain idea i had seen this on some other blog a while back.
    I think it's the cutest thing and it is much less of a hassle than dealing with tape.
    but you can do this same thing and hang it from the ceiling right next to your brick walls (so that you don't damage your walls, or have trouble sticking them on brick)

    http://cdn.home-designing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/slide-curtain-kodak1-recycled-art.jpg

    and

    http://cdn.home-designing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/slide-curtain-kodak-recycled-art.jpg

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  21. I like the garland idea but have them top to bottom, a string of pictures hanging from the ceiling or something.
    Just don't make them too long in case the pups get to them.

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  22. yay this post has made me sooo excited, I LOVE the idea of the fridge magnets, I'll definately be ordering some of those.
    Great post, thanks for sharing!!
    xx

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  23. I like to pop my Polaroids into spent film cases in display them that way - you can either hang them on the wall or set them on a shelf. It works well for Instax photos, too. Instant (free) frame!

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  24. Awesome post! I had no idea about these things. And I take a million pictures! Thanks so much. xo, rv

    http://aneclecticheap.blogspot.com/

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  25. hmm my original idea has already been mentioned; putting them on a table with glass over the top!

    but I think a cool idea would be to make a 'patchwork quilt' out of them.. pierce two holes in each side of them, but some little metal jewelry hoops and link them all up.. time consuming but at least they create a pretty art piece and something thats easy to move! plus, you can always keep adding to it or edit it over time with changing living conditions (display space).

    And I know you said you cant hang the bunting garland thing from your wall, but I remembered your wardrobe tour.. you could make a short strip of your favourite ones to hang above your dresses, attached to the chain?
    xx

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  26. i really really wish that i could afford an iphone so i could do this! :(
    xx
    lyndsey of hellolyndsey

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  27. I use some kind of string and clothes pins or even just tape or paperclips and hang them up like a sort of bunting. adorable!

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  28. I love Instagram.I'm also thinking about puting them out. Truly amzing photos and memories that have to be seen. xxx

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  29. Make a lomowall on your honeybean =) Should be a cool way to show off your polaroids~ Hang on your clothes hanger too

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  30. I saw a picture somewhere on the internet of the twine/clothespin idea, except the twine was suspended within fancy wooden picture frames. It was a bit of a classier look.

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  31. I have always wanted one of those clear shower curtains that have pockets for all your photos! I keep seeing them and then moving into houses with shower screens and cubicles.

    One day I'll have one!

    Hope you find a solution, I'm sure you will. Your collection is amazing, I always say I need to take more photos.
    jenny

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HEY! Thanks for dropping by. xo KB