How to Make Instagram Photo Magnets

DIY Instagram photo magnets

I love snapping photos on Instagram – it’s the easiest way to capture a candid moment and share with my friends and family.  I wanted to do something unique with those funky little square photos, so I decided to make them into magnets for my fridge!  It was a super easy and cheap DIY project.  Here’s how to make magnets out of your Instagram photos:

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Magnetic Sheets
  • Photo paper and printer
  • Xacto knife or scissors

How-to-make-instagram-magnets-1.jpg

Access your Instagram account online (it should be http://instagram.com/yourusername) and click on the thumbnail to enlarge a picture on your computer screen.  Take a screen print of each photo (on a Mac it’s command + shift + 4, on a PC you should see a print screen button on your keyboard) and select the area you want to copy.  The image will save to your desktop (Mac) or onto your clipboard (PC).

It’s a little tedious, so you might want to try using a 3rd party app such as instaport.me to download your all your Instagram photos at once.

How-to-make-instagram-magnets-2.jpg

PicMonkey is a free online photo editor and the easiest way to format a collage of all the square images you saved.  Use the “Create a Collage” option to start uploading your photos and use the “Square Deal” layout to get the collage to format the pics into perfect little squares.

How-to-make-instagram-magnets-3

I got the magnet sheets from Hobby Lobby  for $2.99 ($1.93 after 40% off coupon – WOOT!) and it looks like this:

Screen shot 2013-09-23 at 11.56.52 PM

Print your PicMonkey collage on photo paper using your printer. Do NOT print directly on the magnet sheet (that’s just adhesive backing, silly!)  Then, follow the directions on the package:  trim the unwanted parts of the photo, peel off the adhesive backing from the magnet sheet and stick you photo onto the magnet sheet.  Finally, cut the collage into tiny little magnet squares!

Hints and tips:

It’s pretty easy in theory, but I ran into a couple snags along the way.  Hopefully, you’re not as goofy as I am.

  • The number of squares you use will determine how large the photo magnets will turn out.  For example, I used the 3×3 grid and printed on 5×7 photo paper and ended up with 1.5 sq. in. photo magnets.  I tried doing a 4×4 grid and printed on 8.5×11 photo paper and ended up with 2×2 in. photo magnets.  2 sq. in. is what you see on your phone; however, I prefer the smaller ones for some reason.
  • Do not print directly on the magnet sheet.  I thought it would save me a step, but then there were lines printed across each image…#fail!
  • Trim the borders off of the printed photos before you stick ’em to the magnet paper.  If you’re really conservative with the magnet sheet material, you can probably get up to 32 1.5×1.5 in. photo magnets.  At $2.99 per sheet, that’s like 9 cents per magnet!
  • DON’T get the craft magnets that look like the one below.  I thought it was a deal since you get 3 sheets for $6.99, but the magnet itself is flimsy and it requires you to print directly on the magnet sheet.  My printer did not like it at all and the images ended up with yucky lines going across them.

Screen shot 2013-09-23 at 11.55.15 PM

  • I actually prefer my fridge doors to be plain and clutter-free; however, with the uniformity of the squares and the uniqueness of each photo, I thought they would make a beautiful addition to the kitchen decor.  Plus, Arielle had a blast playing with them:

photo (43)

  • Go ape sh!t with these suckers!  I use them for my monthly dry-erase calendar that also happens to be magnetic.

photo (42)

  • These also make great birthday or housewarming gifts!  You can snag your friend’s Instagram photos for a custom, personalized, yet inexpensive gift!

What are some interesting things you’ve done with your Instagram photos?  Did you try my tutorial?  How’d they turn out???

xoxo // gracielle.

Comments

  1. What a great idea! Love it! My fridge doesn’t work with magnets but I have other places in the house to use these!
    Michelle recently posted…Monetize Your Blog: Increase Your Sverve Score PLUS #SverveTurns1 GiveawayMy Profile

    • A fridge that doesn’t work with magnets?! I didn’t know such a thing existed! LOL I’m sure you can find other uses for them like on dry erase boards, gifts, etc. Thanks for stopping by, Michelle!!

  2. OMG I don’t even know if it’s possible to Instagram from the computer. Seems like I can only do so on my phone? UGH.
    Kristi Campbell recently posted…Being Here is the Best Part of My DayMy Profile

    • Kristi, you can only take photos and share on Instagram through your phone. If you are on your computer, you can access your account and view your Instagram photos. 🙂

  3. I can’t believe I wasted 30 bucks on sticky gram. I didn’t even think to make them myself and I already had the magnet sheets!!!

    In my defense I only just learned about pic monkey
    Herchel S recently posted…A few hours off: 7 ways to Maximize Mommy TimeMy Profile

    • Oh man! Well, now you know for next time 🙂 They make great gifts, too! Thanks so much for stopping by, Herchel!

      • Guess what the grandmas are getting for Christmas! I really did pay thirty dollars for two sheets *smh* I use them to hold up papers at my desk at work. There are so many possibilities though! I am thinking of taking instagram photos of different things and making magnetic picture squares that can be formed into sentences for the kids to play with (i would have to make verb squares), or chore chart magnets, or maybe a math game. Yes…I am an insta-addict.
        Herchel S recently posted…A few hours off: 7 ways to Maximize Mommy TimeMy Profile

  4. What a great idea! I’ll have to try this.
    Jeanne recently posted…We Got Cool Stuff!My Profile

  5. those turned out so cute!!
    elle sees recently posted…DIY: Candy Corn Sugar ScrubMy Profile

  6. Ooh! This looks like an awesome thing to try! I love me some Instagram, and I have photos on there that I’d love to make into magnets! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog, Gracielle – I always love to see your kind comments!
    Andrea @ Cloud Nine Chic recently posted…Fun Art: Watercolor and Glue PaintingMy Profile

    • Thanks, Andrea! You always have such great projects and posts. The Instagram photo magnets were super easy and love how they turned out on my fridge. Let me know if you end up trying it!

  7. This is an awesome idea! I never end up doing anything with my Instagram pics so I really want to try this out. Visiting from SITS Sharefest!
    Karen
    Karen @ Karen’s Soiree recently posted…Soirees & Sangria – 10 Questions with Andi JenkinsMy Profile

    • Thanks so much for stopping by, Karen! It’d be super fun to do a hashtag campaign on Instagram for one of your parties, then you can take all those photos with that tag and make magnets from that one event. Glad we finally got to connect at SITS Sharefest!

  8. These are super cute!!
    Thanks for the great tutorial.
    Tracie recently posted…I Hit A Knitting WallMy Profile

  9. Gracielle, these are amazing! I see some instagram magnet stocking stuffers in the near future! Thanks for linking up with us for the Monthly Review Linkup. Hope you’ll be back this month…preferably with another AWESOME gift idea! 😉

    Bonus: I just got my MacBook today (switched from Windows because Windows 8 is evil) and so I also learned how to do a screenshot from you! Thanks for all the info this post offered 🙂
    Heather recently posted…A Blogiversary Giveaway!My Profile

    • I’m glad you got a little bonus info out of my tutorial 🙂 Getting a mac does take a bit to get used to, but I love it! Thanks again for hosting the link-up!

  10. What an awesome idea! I have wanted to do this for a while, but was never sure how to go about it! Thanks for sharing! Stopping by from the Pin Party! 🙂 Have a great weekend!
    Sara recently posted…Operation: Get Out of Yoga Pants (Week 4)My Profile

  11. How cute! Love this idea! My fridge is a cluttered mess, haha!
    Amberly Steele recently posted…Keeping Those MemoriesMy Profile

  12. This is such a great idea. I like it when you can find a second use for something that you like. stopping by from SITS Girls

Trackbacks

  1. […] DIY Instagram Photo Magnets by Mommy A-Z […]

  2. […] You also do a lot of DIY. What has been your favorite project so far? My favorite one so far is my DIY Instagram Photo Magnets.  I was so happy to finally get all those photos out of my phone and on to my fridge!  Plus, it […]

  3. […] readers can relate and connect in some way – whether it’s to be inspired from one of my DIY posts, to laugh from one of my mishaps, or to relate to a parenting moment that I’ve gone through. […]

  4. […] that other picture.  And can you see the nod to Mommy A-Z in the background?! Oh, and do those DIY Instagram Photo Magnets on the far right look […]

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