What’s better than one quick, easy family photo project? How about two. First up: Photo Project Number One. We’d enjoyed the small cards-turned-art that had hung above our sofa in eight Ikea frames for the past two years. At first we backed them with bright paper, and later we switched to textured fabric for a cozier look.
Recently we wanted something more personal. Sherry and I noticed that Instagram often captures “real life” better than staged photos from big events. We snap lots of everyday moments there, so scrolling back through a year of posts felt like a genuine snapshot of daily life. Those casual images—small, imperfect, and honest—appealed to us as a way to represent our family in a different way.
We still treasure photos from Clara’s birthday, our wedding, and other milestone events—those already live around our home on the hallway frame wall, in an anniversary collection in our bedroom, and even by the laundry room door. But Instagram photos were almost absent from our displays, except for a few stuck to a basement pegboard. To change that, we ordered eight 5 x 5″ Instagram prints from PicPlum for the living room frame grouping so everyone can enjoy them.
They arrived about a week later. Each print cost a dollar, so the project totaled just $8, or $9.75 with shipping. Sherry was so excited she swapped the old cards for the new photos the minute they arrived. The Instagram prints we used include a Polaroid-like border from the Sierra filter, which reinforces the casual, lived-in vibe we wanted.
When choosing images we tried to represent everyone in the family and to include a mix of everyday moments: several photos of Clara, some of Burger, and shots of us together—swimming at the river, biking, and other small traditions. We even included a scenic photo from the state fair we attend each year.
Sherry attached the prints to the fabric backing with Scotch tape, which worked well for the previous cards. The old prints were easy to peel off and we saved them in case we want to use them elsewhere. The new Instagram prints are a bit larger, which is nice, and there’s still plenty of negative space around them so the texture of the fabric and the wide white mats remain the focal point.
With one project complete, we moved on to Photo Project Two.
Project Two focused on tiny Instagram magnets—an idea I’d had for Clara’s play fridge. We ordered nine customized magnets through StickyGram and used a discount code, bringing the total to $12.99 (about $1.44 each). You could DIY similar magnets by printing photos, adhering them to magnet sheets, trimming to size, and sealing them, but in our case ordering was more cost-effective than buying magnet sheets at the office store.
To show scale, we photographed the magnets next to a quarter. Each magnet measures roughly two quarters wide by two quarters tall. We chose nine pictures Clara loves most—she helped pick them herself—so the selection reflects what delights her: Burger being silly, Daddy’s funny glasses, and other favorites.
Now the magnets live on Clara’s play fridge where she enjoys pointing out specific images and naming what’s happening in each one.
In short, two small Instagram-related projects made our home feel more personal: framed prints that reflect everyday life, and tiny magnets that bring joy to a child’s play space.
Are you framing Instagram photos or ordering Insta-magnets? Do you agonize over photo choices or trust your first instinct? We’re Team First Instincts. We used to overthink photo selections, but swapping images more often keeps our home feeling current instead of stuck in the past. We’d rather spend a little each year updating framed photos than hang onto the same images until they become invisible. As Sherry says: you’re not marrying them, you’re just framing them.
Psst—We announced this week’s freebie winner.