InstaThis Turns Photos into Art

 

Not to long ago I was approached by InstaThis to review their wood or acrylic prints.  This was perfect timing on their part because I was just sharing on Sulia how I never know what to do with all my Instagram photos.  Usually there's not enough photos of the same event to create a photo album which leaves me with a bunch of photos hanging out on my computer/phone.  Now I can say I've converted at least one photo into a lovely piece of art thanks to InstaThis.

How InstaThis Works

You can connect with Instagram to upload your photos or upload directly from your computer.  I uploaded an image from my computer.

 My daughter wearing her ewok hat.

Here's a close up of the image I had printed on 10 x 10 birch wood.  InstaThis also gives you the option of printing on acrylic but I thought the warm tones of this picture would play off with the wood texture nicely.  This brings me to an important point, printing on wood will produce slightly different results than printing on paper.  My image came out a little darker which is expected.  That said, I thought the printing quality was very good.

Here's a couple pictures of what the back of the wood looks like.  I like how the edges are beveled to give it a more polished look.  You'll also notice the groove in the back of the wood.  That's for mounting your art.  Each piece comes with mounting hardware that you place in the wall.  Then you just slide the art onto it.

I don't have a picture to share but my print came very nicely and safely packaged.  The print was neatly wrapped up surrounded by paper to cushion it and packed in a sturdy cardboard box.  When I receive a neatly wrapped package, it tells me the sender takes pride in their product.

Thinking of converting some of your Instagram photos into prints?  InstaThis is offering a 15% discount to Zakka Life readers!  Just use the code KAWAII15.  I do not receive any kind monetary compensation or commission from purchased products.

Free Easter Printables

I just realized that I haven't shared one Easter craft tutorial this year.  How did that happen?  I blame that the holiday falls in March this year.  Yes, it has nothing to with poor planning on my part (sarcasm).  Since I don't have a tutorial for you this week, I thought I would share these adorable Easter printables over at Tiny Me.  They're perfect for a little last minute Easter flare.

That bunny monster cracks me up.  What does it have to do with Easter?  I'm not sure but I like it.

Party Origami Giveaway

Today is the official release date of my book Party Origami! Party Origami is a booklet with step-by-step directions for 14 party decorations.  It also comes with 75 sheets of pretty double sided paper.  To celebrate, I thought I would have a little giveaway.

On to the Giveaway. . .one  lucky reader will win Party Origami. To enter, please share the first origami piece you learned to fold. One entry per household. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The last day to enter the contest is Tuesday, April 2,  2013. I'll announce the winner Wednesday, April 3, 2013 on this post. If I do not hear back from the winner after two weeks, I will choose a new winner. Open to everyone.  International friends welcome :)

Contest Closed

Congratulations to Fashion Lights who is the winner of Party Origami!

Thank you to everyone who entered.  I was surprised to learn many of you learned to fold either a crane or boat as your first origami piece.  For those curious, the first thing I learned to fold was a cootie catcher. 

DIY Mini Paper Chain

I never tire of the humble paper chain.  It's simple, classic, versatile and in my opinion quite charming.  When I look at it, memories of countdown chains from childhood come to mind.  As a tribute to this humble craft, I decided to make a mini version of it.

This craft is pretty self explanatory so I'm not going to write a detailed tutorial but I will share a couple tips.

1.  When making a tiny chain you will want to use a paper that is light weight and flexible.  Card stock is too heavy and will kink when you bend the paper into loops.

2.  Instead of glue, I found washi tape works best for securing each ring.  This way you don't have to wait for the glue to dry or worry about part of the chain popping open.  For the washi tape, I recommend choosing a color that blends in with your paper. 

A few ideas of what to do with your paper chains:

• decorate a dollhouse
• use it in a mixed media art project
• hang it around the edges of pictures on a bulletin board or inspiration board

DIY Card Keepsake

I'm one of those people who have trouble getting rid of cards.  I swear I'm not a pack rat, just sentimental.  I feel like if someone took the time to write something thoughtful in a card or make the card, it's worth saving.  The obvious downside to this is keeping all the cards nice and orderly.  Currently I have them stashed away in a hope chest along with a couple other places.  But soon they will all be neatly organized thanks to a simple card keepsake tutorial I found on Kayla Danelle's blog.  I've already started organizing the cards.  Pictured above are some birthday cards I put together.

As suggested by Kayla, I decorated some chip board for the cover of the cards. I tried to keep the cover relatively simple. I made a little origami cupcake to decorate the front.  I purchased the metal rings at Staples.  I couldn't find them at any of the craft stores.

Here's a cover I made for all the cards my husband gives me.  For the cover I used some paper from the wagashi packaging.  The tan paper is mulberry paper and the gold loop/knot is made out of mizuihiki cord.  As you can guess, that's a wedding picture of my husband and I.