DIY Photo Display Using CD Jewel Cases

Who has two thumbs, an Instagram habit, and just bought a stack of jewel cases? This guy. I had a small art project in mind.

After joining Instagram in April, I wanted to get some of our photos printed, but I hesitated because I wasn’t sure about print quality from different services. Then I found a Facebook coupon for five free Instagram prints from Picplum and gave it a try. The free 5×5″ prints arrived looking great, so I ordered more at $1 per print.

Something accidental made the purchase worthwhile: with a slight trim on two sides, these square prints fit almost perfectly into the front insert of a slim CD jewel case. I only noticed because my free prints happened to be sitting on an old CD case and they matched the size closely.

I picked up a $10 bulk pack of slim jewel cases from Office Depot—30 in the pack, more than I needed, but it was the smallest package of thin cases available and they looked best for this idea. I slipped some favorite prints into a dozen of the cases.

This isn’t about making custom CD covers or mixed-tape gifts, although it could work for that. I wanted an affordable way to display photos in my basement workshop—a space I now call the Man Cave Complete With Pegboards. With sawdust and wood shavings flying around, I didn’t want to put delicate frames down there. Jewel cases protect the photos and still look tidy and casual.

The result is simple and low-stress. If a frame gets scratched or broken, replacing it costs less than a dollar. They also look great against my navy pegboard background.

All told, each “frame” with the printed photo inside cost about $1.30. You don’t find much framed art at that price. As my partner likes to joke, geek is the new black—and maybe CD cases will be the next retro collectible alongside mixed tapes and eight-tracks.

To hang the grid, I used 3M Command strips—specifically the velcro-style strips meant for damage-free picture hanging. I apply the strips perpendicular to one another rather than stacked; that orientation offers more flexibility to shift the cases slightly up, down, or sideways after both halves are attached.

The pegboard’s hole pattern made it easy to line everything up as I pressed each case into place.

Ta-dah!

Here’s a little secret: I slipped extra photos behind some of the front images. That way I can easily open a case, swap photos, and refresh the display whenever I want.

With more prints and cases on hand, I can expand this inexpensive art installation across the entire pegboard. For now I’m leaving some space open to hang other workshop items or a new find that suits the space. Surrounded by hammers, drills, and saws, I’m pretty happy with how it’s turning out.

While organizing the basement, a few other projects moved up the to-do list:

• Stain some of the wood elements down there, like the burned shelf and the lightweight counters that show dust easily.
• Consider staining the concrete floors to make them more forgiving and less prone to visible wear.
• Repaint the old, scratched basement door—thinking of matching it to the yellow on the front door.
• Address the exposed ceiling; it’s more complicated than drywall because of visible plumbing and ductwork.

Anyone else trying Instagram-based art projects? I’d love to hear ideas—especially good printing options for paper or canvas. And if you want to follow our photo updates on Instagram, you can find us at @younghouselove.

P.S. A reminder about the Cultivate quiz mentioned in yesterday’s giveaway: some users reported slow performance or crashes. It looks like they weren’t quite ready for high traffic. We hope they fix the issues soon—the giveaway still includes a $200 gift card for one lucky winner.