It’s no surprise that Instagram is one of the biggest social media outlets out there. The platform allows users to share their lives with others through little squares and endless amounts of photos. While it’s great to have a digital page highlighting your favorite moments, it can also be rewarding to materialize those memories. Whether for yourself, a friend, or family member, a photo book is a perfect way to reminisce on the best times with your favorite people. Take a look at the following tips on how to DIY an Instagram photo book for inspiration to get started.
1. Update your filters to match
If you’re not using a cohesive filter on your photos already, run your photos through a filter app like VSCO. The theme will create a cohesive look for your photo book or instant book and make the album feel a little more premium.
2. Design a book around your most memorable vacation
Vacations are always something fun to look back on when you return to a daily routine. Pick 10-20 travel photos from your favorite vacation to date and then select a theme for your photo book.
3. Dedicate time for a photo shoot
When you’re busy at an event or celebration, it can get hard to capture the perfect pictures. Consider setting aside time for photos, designating a photographer, or incorporating a photo booth. This way you have plenty of photos to create a book.
4. Family yearbook
Family is one of the most important relationships a person can have. Design a family-centered photo book to always have that relationship close to you. Don’t forget to include your furry friends!
5. Incorporate hashtags
Hashtags are a part of what connects millions of individuals together on social media. Since they can play such a big role in your Instagram posts, why not also incorporate them in your book as a fun way to add a little bit of text.
6. Tell a story
Depending on what you want, chronological order can either make or break how the book tells your story. For example, if your book is centered around a vacation, try structuring the pages by day so that you remember exactly how it happened.
7. Don’t overstuff
Picking which pictures to include can be extremely difficult when you have so many great options. Do your best to narrow the choices down to your absolute favorites. Too many photos can leave your book looking cluttered and less inviting.
8. Maternity photo book
Pregnancy is one of the most life changing experiences in a woman’s life. Celebrate this special transition by creating a pregnancy photo book from the gender reveal, maternity shoot, and baby shower.
9. Include sayings and text
While pictures are great, also incorporate your creative captions or favorite sayings. This will not only help you remember the context of the photos, but also make your book more memorable as a story.
10. Celebrate your relationship
Love is a great reason to put together a photo book. Whether just dating or married, the photos you take with your significant other are endless. Go deep into your photo albums to pick out your favorites for a love photo book!
11. School year in review
Time flies when you have kids, as they grow up incredibly fast. A rewarding tradition is to gather highlights from every school year to put together in a custom yearbook. Once it’s time to go off to college, you have a collection of memories to look back on.
12. Create a selfie photo book
Give in to your inner vanity and gather all your favorite selfies for a “me” photo book. Include selfies you’ve taken at home, out with friends or during your vacations. Celebrate yourself!
13. Pick a theme for your book
Themes come in handy when you’re making the photo book visually appealing. A consistent theme in regards to layout will give you a smooth and polished final product.
14. Keep layout and format clean
Jumping off of having a consistent theme, it’s also important to pay attention to which theme you decide to move forward with. Some themes out there can feel very cluttered, so if you want a more simple and polished look it’s best to avoid those.
15. Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Grandparent’s day, etc.
Photo books are the perfect gifts for these types of holidays. Make sure to really involve your children when you DIY this kind of photo book to give it that personal touch.
16. Highlight your best friend
The memories made with a best friend never end! Making a photo book of your favorite moments together can be a thoughtful gift, or even just a nice keepsake for yourself.
17. Coordinate colors
For a more put together look, match the color scheme of the book with the color scheme of your pictures. Keep this tip in mind if you’re initially stuck between which theme to use.
18. DIY a portfolio
Photo books can be used to showcase your favorite hobbies. For instance, if you’re an artist, consider making a book around the pieces you are most proud of. This not only showcases your work, but can also help your hobby become a profession if of any interest to you.
19. Sports themed photo book
Sports are monumental in kids’ lives. As a parent, you probably want to capture every moment of your child’s game and sports career. Instead of letting those photos sit on your Instagram page, put them in a sports themed photo book to look back on as they progress.
20. Birthday celebrations
As mentioned before, kids grow up faster than you can keep up with. Birthday celebrations are so much fun in the moment, but sometimes are forgotten about with time! This is a great way to see how much your kids have grown over the years.
21. Consider incorporating captions
Captions can be one of the hardest parts of coming up with an Instagram post! Don’t let all the time you spent on thinking of that clever caption go to waste. Add them into your book as fun little reminders of what each picture is about.
22. Holiday festivities
The holidays call for cheerful times with family and friends, as well as endless amounts of photos. Theme your photo book around your favorite holiday memories and favorite pictures spent having fun with loved ones.
23. Convert a friend’s Instagram account
If you’re looking for a unique gift for a friend, try turning their Instagram page into a custom photo book! More often than not, their favorite pictures will be showcased on their profile, so you won’t need to worry about picking your own.
24. Favorite seasons
A creative way to design a photo book is based off of seasons. This narrows down your pictures from the whole year, to just a handful of months. Play around with themes to create a spooky collectable or a sunshine filled keepsake.
25. Year in review
Create your own version of a school yearbook, but make it all about your life! So many things can change and happen within the span of a year. If you decide to make one for every year, it’ll be rewarding to look back and see how much you’ve grown.
26. Make sure your pictures are high quality
At times, Instagram dilutes the resolution of your photos, making them appear lower quality than they actually are. To avoid this, lower the “Lux” setting that Instagram automatically applies on your photos. If this fails to work, try resharpening or clarifying your images on apps like VSCO. Even in a fast photo book, your images will be clear and high-quality.
27. Fitness Motivation
Instagram is a great outlet for fitness influencers to inspire others in the community. If becoming fit has been a goal for yours, a fun way to keep motivated is to take posts from your favorite fitness blogger profiles and make it into a motivational photo book!
28. Convert your favorite motivational account
Likewise, Instagram is also full of motivational accounts whose posts are meant to keep you positive and on top of your goals. By making a book out of your favorite screenshots of motivational posts, you’ll have a physical reminder that you can achieve anything you desire.
29. Instagram recipe book
Up to debate, foodie Instagram pages are one of the best parts of the social media outlet. If you enjoy cooking and trying innovative recipes, take your favorites to make an Instagram inspired personalized cook book for your kitchen.
30. Furry friend scrapbook
Our pets deserve so much love! If you’re a pet owner, it’s likely that your Instagram and photo albums are full of funny and cute pictures of your trusty companion. Try your best to narrow them down to your top favorites for a photo book showcasing your furry friend.
31. Highlight your work efforts
A modern twist on the traditional photo book is to make a portfolio for your work. This could be a great addition to your office space, or even a great way to sell your products and brand to customers. Not all jobs would benefit from this idea, but it may be worth the consideration.
32. Free for all book
This idea gives you a little less structure and a little more room for creativity if that’s something you prefer. Pick your favorite posts or pictures from anytime and of any kind. With all your favorite moments, you’re sure to smile while flipping through the pages.
33. Newborn photo book
The first few months of your child’s life move incredibly fast. Consider making a baby photo book for the both of you to look back on of their first photo shoot and milestones as a newborn. Once they grow older, they’ll be amazed at how small they once were!
34. Consider sizing
Sizing depends on your personal preference, as well as what you intend to do with your book. For example, if you want a coffee table style book, a smaller or more generic size may be better.
35. Wedding album
Your wedding day is one of the most special days of your life! Wedding albums are great to relive the moment once your magical day is over. While you most likely have tons of wedding photos, a fun idea is to ask guests what they captured. You never know what you might get!
Endless Possibilities
These tips are to serve as a starting point for you to jump off of. Feel free to have fun and be creative with it! At the end of the day, the best part of designing an Instagram photo book is that it’s custom and unique to you!
For more ideas and inspiration on all things Instagram or photo book, check out these additional resources:
