Bring Your Digital Photos Into the Physical World
Of all the social networks out there, Instagram is by far the one I most enjoy. It’s a great place to show off your projects, show off your kids, and show off your adventures.
Having a collection of your favorite digital photographs online is a wonderful thing, but thanks to the Instagram API, you can make cool things with your Instagram photos. Here are my favorites.
Magnets
StickyGram
Magnets are cool, but they’re even cooler when they feature your photos. For $14.99 (that’s post-paid anywhere in the world), you can get nine one-inch square magnets with pictures you select from your Instagram stream.
It has one of the easiest ordering interfaces I’ve ever used, dead-simple pricing, and very fast shipping. There is no StickyGram app for mobile devices, but the responsive website works great across all devices.
I have nothing but love for StickyGram, so go on, give it a try. Use this friend code (we’re all friends here, right?) and save $2 off your first order: FRIENDHGE5
If you’re DIY inclined, See Kate Sew has a great tutorial on how to make your own magnets from Instagram photos.
Postcards
Postagram
Postagram (made by internet gifting specialists Sincerely) will send your Instagram photos through through the mail, complete with a custom message.
Once the postcard arrives, the photo itself is perforated, so the recipient can punch it out and hang it on a bulletin board or on the refrigerator (perhaps with a StickyGram).
To send a Postagram, simply use it to access your Instagram photos via the Postagram website or the Postagram app (iOS version/Android version). You can also send Postagrams from your Facebook photos, your device’s photo album, or even by uploading any photo on your computer.
The Postagram also arrives with a QR Code that can be scanned with the Postagram app so your recipient can thank the sender and save their own digital version of the photo.
Each Postagram costs $0.99 to send, but you get to send your first five at no cost. If your credit card doesn’t like small charges, you can purchase credits in bulk. $9.90 gets you 50 credits (which is 10 Postagrams), $18.80 gets you 100 credits (equal to 21 Postagrams — that’s 1 free), and $49.90 gets you 270 credits (the equivalent of 54 Postagrams, or 4 free). And no, I don’t know why it’s not a credit per Postagram.
Paintings
Instacanv.as
With Instavanv.as, you can use your Instagram photos to make framed prints, stretched canvases, and even prisms (your photo set into one-inch thick acrylic photo glass), all starting at $39.95. They also offer personalized iPhone cases for $39.95 and greeting cards starting at $3.95. And like Postagram, you’re not limited to Instagram photos. You can upload your photos from Flickr, Dropbox, Picasa or Facebook to Instacanv.as as well.
And if you want to take it a step further, you can set up your own online art gallery and put your Instagram photos up for sale so your friends, family, and even strangers can stop by to purchase your artwork. You’ll earn 20% on all sales of items bought through your gallery.
If the idea of a canvas print of your Instagrams is appealing but you like a DIY challenge (or maybe a cheaper option), then Pop Sugar offers up a great way to make DIY Instagram canvas prints.
Bonus: Candy Bars
Cocoagraph
Okay, so I’ll add one more cool (and delicious) thing to do with your Instagram photos. Cocoagraph puts your photos on a tasty, custom-made bar of chocolate. It doesn’t hook up with Instagram directly via the API, but you can upload any photo using the Cocoagraph website.
For $18.00 you can get a 3-pack of bite-sized chocolate bars (each 0.5 ounces), customized with photos of your choice. You can also get a “life-size” 2-ounce chocolate bar with a single photograph for $14.00.
They offer a wide variety of choices for both chocolate (milk, white, dark, and organic options) and add-in ingredients (almonds, sea salt, coffee beans, and dried starwberries) to fully customize your bar.
I haven’t tried it. Yet. But a personalized dark chocolate bar with salted almonds looks mighty tempting.
