If you are as obsessed with taking pictures as most of us are these days, chances are you have made some sort of New Year’s resolution to print more photos or make your first physical photo album. Always a good goal, but it can feel a little overwhelming at times to actually sit down and make it happen from start to finish. This year I thought it would be a fun idea to make a year-long photo book, but to make it easier, I’m only printing out 5 photos a month in hopes of making it a more attainable goal. 5 photos a month? I can totally do that!
We got to work with Canon USA on this, and I used my PIXMA MG7720 to print the photos and months for this project. It’s actually an extra perfect match for this project because you can print directly from your Instagram account with the Canon PRINT app. As always, super easy to use and the best quality prints!
I created colorful 4×4″ month squares that you can download, print and cut out, and place in your album to divide the sections. Jan-Feb, March-April, May-June, July-Aug, Sept-Oct, Nov-Dec (right click to download).
You can take photos especially for this mini album idea, but if you pull pics from your favorite Instagrams of that month, you’ll make your job even easier and it won’t require any extra photography. Gotta get my kitty pics in!
To make the gold 4×4″ album
I picked a little more special, I used a record player stamp to stamp a pattern on the inside of the album for a little personality.
Once your month dividers are printed and put into the album, you’ll print out 5 photos at the end of the month, and by December, you’ll have a full chronological account of your whole year! Not too shabby for a small amount of effort. I’m really excited about this idea because it sounds really doable even in busy seasons of life. So, what do you think? Are you up for the challenge with me?? xo. Laura
Credits // Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
47 Comments
Hi Laura,
Did you print on photo paper for the divider months?
Any format issues with printing off Instagram?
Hi Laura,
When you printed the month spacers, was this on photo paper? Do you have to always print on photo paper with this printer?
Thanks!
So cute! I love yours. Cling stamps are my favorite and i lOVE that record player one! Heres’ my scrapbook!
http://www.runtoradiance.com/2015/08/27/a-peek-inside-my-scrapbook/
That’s such a lovely idea!
http://www.rumbii.blogspot.co.uk
why not just use chatbooks?
This is so cute! I always want to make whole albums of holidays I go on but it’s just not realistic 🙂 so this is a great alternative! Thanks for the idea 🙂
Lucy xoxo
http://lucyannblog.blogspot.co.uk
So cute! Love this!
Kristi | Be Loverly
that’s a great idea! and I need one of those printers!
Love it!! I have a couple mini albums laying around that I haven’t done anything with!
This is easy enough that I might actually do it!
<3 Patricia
themoderntexan.com
I absolutely love this. I find it hard to make albums when I have it all available online, but definitely seems like something worth making.
http://www.kelseymarie.co
Too cool! My new year’s resolution for 2015 was to take one picture a day for the whole year (the first resolution I actually stuck with until the end!)
I just got one of those mini-albums and a whole bunch of photo slips from Hobby Lobby and printed out my photos once a month! I printed 2×2 and 4×4 ones to give a little variety… The only problem is that the album is forever open because of all the pages and the thickness of the photos! But it was so much fun!
I love this idea. Constantly looking for ways and reasons to get my pics off my phone!
what a great idea…I can totally do this. I love to scrapbook, but usually feel overwhelmed by the amount of photos I want to scrap, so nothing gets scrapped. lol
this is a cute idea! and would make a nice gift for someone at the end of the year, i think!
Yep, just used photo paper for the divider months and I just pull the pics from my phone photo library and resize them in photoshop 🙂
Laura
Yep, just on photo paper! You don’t have to use photo paper but it will give you the best results and you get matte, glossy, or really glossy finish 🙂
Laura
That’s always an option, this is more of a hands on approach and you can include other little memories in the pages too (like movie ticket stubs, etc)
Laura 🙂
okay I can totally do this. I have been wanting to do more with our photos but it seems SO overwhelming…this is so obtainable and simple and seems like such a good relaxing thing to work on while watching a show or something at night. Amazing!!
This is such a cute idea! I actually have the exact same printer and it honestly does the most incredible job printing photos!
Brittany | thechicette.com
Absolutely love this idea. I got a super cute 4×4 album from SC that I’ve been meaning to fill and this will be perfect!
Hope you’re planning on sharing your December Daily this year – last year’s was amazing!
The phonebook is such a good idea! http://www.hannamarielei.com
That’s a great idea!!! I will try it :). Thanks for the inspiration!
Such a cute idea! Love your blog girlie.
XO, Jessi
mywhiteT.com
AH! I wish I would’ve had this a few days ago. It snowed here in Portland and I decided that it was finally time to put that adorable little gold album to work. I looked forever for a great 4×4 template to use in Photoshop!
This is so stinking cute. It feels really simple and so good to get those photos out of my phone and onto the coffee table.
I love this challenge! This is a great way to capture all the highs and lows that make a year special & memorable.
Happy Thursday!
http://www.lovecompassionatelee.com/thinkoutloud
OMG I absolutely love your blog! Your have great content and your photos are amazing! I’m still learning how to take better photos, definitely a work in progress.
http://cecescorner.com/2016/01/08/233/
You know what? I read this post and I was like, “Yeah, I can do that!” And I ordered my prints from Walgreens just now. I think this is a solid project to try and ease into the world of scrapbooking. I’m really excited to get started, so thanks for the nudge, Laura!
Shelby 🙂
Love it!
Last year I took 365 pictures and did a photo book. A whole year in pictures! You can read more about this here:
https://carolinespassion.wordpress.com/projects/paper-projects/365-a-picture-a-day/
xx Caroline
Love this idea. Seems so simple and doable. Should probably finish my December album before I start something new though… How are you doing with your December album? Will you be sharing that soon?
That is such a cute and cool idea, especially making a year-long photo album is great! Thank you for that!
https://www.makeandmess.com/
This is such a lovely idea, i like thats its only small i feel you would be much more select about your photo choices.
Zoe
http://www.bohomixology.com
Great idea, i don`t even know about this little folders for instagram pictures, I searched the web and here in germany it costs 16 Dollar without the sheets and chatbooks is not shipping to germany, so we are a little backward with this, sadly. Greetings from colone Kathrin
Such a lovely challenge! Love this mini version!
Ah love this idea! Perfect!
This would be a great idea for a new mom or dad to be able to photograph a baby’s growth throughout the first year! I do a yearly scrapbook album, so I’m trying to think of ways I could incorporate your idea to make something different than just a yearly scrapbook. This mini album is so versatile, though! And I adore how you used a stamp to personalize it even more.
http://www.enchantinglyemily.com
This looks like a neat and EASY (keyword) project!
What kind/size of photo sleeve did you use?
Thanks!
Love this idea! I’m doing a 52 week photography challenge to improve my photography skills (by the way – i’m taking the DSLR basic class from ABM and it’s so helpful!!) and this will be a cool idea to print my weekly photos and make an album out of it!
Where did you purchase the book itself to put the pictures in? Thank you!~ (I’ve never seen 4×4 photo albums) 🙂 Thank you for sharing!~ Great blog and ideas!!!
Love this idea! I’m trying to get back into physical scrapbooking too, you know, with like actual pictures. 🙂 Side note, do you know if there will be a monthly messy box this year too?
Hi Sarah! Yes! The next one will be coming out on January 10th. :)) -Jacki
This is a really cute idea but can you tell us how much it cost you if you had to do the whole year? After a little research online the album with plastic inserts would be $50. That seems expensive for a little scrapbook.
This looks like a neat and EASY (keyword) project!
What kind/size of photo sleeve did you use?
Thanks!
I’m in! This is such a wonderful idea! I’m currently purchasing the gold album for myself (because I’m firmly seat-belted into the gold bandwagon right now) and one in mint for my oldest daughter. I also downloaded the Canon app which I didn’t know existed so thanks for everything in this post! 🙂
love the look of this. I want to print out more photographs this year.
Kemples xx
I’m not one to do scrapbooking but I LOVE Instagram and this is such a great idea. Definitely taking this little project on.
http://www.throughmyowneyes.com
What will you do with the phones when the new year comes? Start another book or throw the 2016 pics away, and use the same book?
Will you ladies be doing an update on this for 2018?!