For this project we are working with our longtime friends at Canon USA. They make my absolute favorite photo printer, the Canon PIXMA iP8720, which I use nearly daily in my studio. One of the things I love most about it is that it can print 13×19 inch (or large format) photos at amazing quality. For the project, I needed photos that were 12.5×12.5 inches to fit the record frames, so it was super easy to print these out. I LOVE big photos. I used all iPhone photos for this project. It felt good to print out some memories that could have gotten lost in my sea of phone photos.
I should note that this isn’t the first time I’ve done a record frame project. I did one about seven years ago (eek!) that is somewhere deep in my archives. My friend Tara Whitney inspired it with her beautiful record frame wall. (Side note—if you’ve never seen Tara’s photography, it’s gorgeous!)
Also, I got my record frames at Michael’s, but you can find them just about anywhere that sells frames. They’re easy to find and cheap.
Thanks so much for reading! I am working on a post about my home printing process, so if you have any questions at all regarding printing at home, gimme! xx. Elsie
P.S. If you’re in need of a photo printer, Canon has their PIXMA iP8720 on promo $50 off ($249.99) and their SELPHY CP910 is $5 off ($94.99) until Feb. 14!
Credits: Author and Photography: Elsie Larson, Video and Music: Jeremy Larson. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess Actions.
107 Comments
I love it!
Also, where did you find the shelves?
what a cool idea! I can’t believe how clear that printer does photos.
wwww.getchaglowon.com
Great decor!I am planning to do something like that in my new apartment.
-DT
http://hereiscribble.blogspot.com
This looks so amazing. Good job!
such an awesome idea! I bought this printer as an xmas gift to myself and have been intimidated to use it, but after seeing how amazing this looks I’m ready to break it out and start printing.
That looks so cool! What an amazing space! Very creative 🙂
I like it! Ya want to come do my house?! lol Im in a slump and dont know what I want to do with a couple of rooms…..sigh oh well, this looks really nice!
This is gorgeous! I love it!
Sarah
http://thewhimsicalnonsense.com/
I adore this completely! It looks fabulous. I’d love to do this in my home office 🙂
Warm Regards,
Alexandra
http://www.littlewildheart.com
I LOVE this project – I have some white record frames from UO I’ve been wanting to put to good use. I think insta pictures would look lovely mixed in with some record covers too 🙂
Ps. this reminds me: Eggnog (our doxie) is OBSESSED with Dolly. Every time I scroll through your feed and stall on a picture of her, Noggy tries to steal my phone away! Hehe SO cute
xo
Super cute! I love the shelves (need to find/build something like that myself!). What sort of paper do you use to print 12.5×12.5 photos?
What a fantastic idea. It looks great!
Maryland Pink and Green
I used these same frames ($5 each on sale at Michaels) as shadow-box style frames for my boys’ high school patches and medals(the ones that go on letter jackets). I wrapped the back with corduroy and then hot glued the patches in place. The little metal clips on the back are flexible, so they will handle thicker things. I kept the glass in, but for really big things you could take that off or have a couple of mats cut to insert inside to give it a bit more distance from the glass. I was amazed at how inexpensive these frames are and they would be super easy to customize with spray paint. I’ll for sure be using more of them for pics and such. Such a great post.
I absolutely love this. Do you know of any other resources that will print this size photo for you? Not in the market for a new printer as of now 🙁
Thanks so much! The shelf is custom made for my space by Josh. :))
xx- Elsie
Agree. It’s amazing!!
-Elsie
These look great! What a fantastic way to make use of your instagram photos.
What a perfect way to display Instagram photos! I love it!
Sarah
http://www.sweetspontaneity.com/
Eeeek! So cute! & I love the name Eggnog.
xx- Elsie
I use 13×19 inch paper (and then trim it down). 🙂
-Elsie
Thanks Sarah!!
-Elsie
You can get enlarged prints almost anywhere that prints photos. You will probably have to trim it down, though, since 12.5×12.5 is such an uncommon size. 🙂
-Elsie
i really like the selphy printer…what kind erm i guess, what do you suggest using that for? i cant afford a fancy schmancy printer right now so it seems like that would work!
This looks beautiful, love this shelving.
http://www.mintnotion.com
The selphy is awesome if you are looking to print 4×6 size and smaller!
xx- Elsie
is there anyway you might release this diy record shelf??
I love what you do !
I was looking for a good photo printer for christmas and didn’t make my mind because in France we don’t have the Canon PIXMA iP8720 (and can’t buy it in the USA because of the plugs). Do you have another one you recommend ?
Thank you,
Ana
awesome idea!
Fashion latte with vanilla
Hi Elsie,
Can you do a post on all the printers you have and what you use them for/what they print best? I actually bought one of the Canon ones you guys featured (Canon MG7120) a year ago and have yet to use it (totes my fault – some antivirus program was blocking it’s installation so I gave up) but I want to get more insight into its strengths, etc. and to see if I need another one for other needs.
Thanks so much and I cannot believe how well that printer prints. I wonder if the one I bought will print as well. Ha, maybe I should just take the time to connect it. #craftfail
Thanks & cheers!
Ooh, can’t wait for the home printing post! I’m having a hard time deciding between making do with a 4×6 printer or just going for it and getting the big guy.
Love this idea, by the way! Never would have occurred to me to put anything but a record in a record frame. Silly but true! 🙂
I LOVE this! The pictures look amazing! I can feel a project of my own coming on!
I can’t wait for your upcoming post! I bought a similar printer (its a Canon Pixma 100) after I read your scrapbooking posts a year ago last December. I would love/dying to know how to able to print several different sized photos on one 13×19 sheet. Do you resize them and then plot them onto a collage?
Well, that was fun!
Just got this photo printer for Christmas and now I have an awesome project to try!! What photo paper do you use? Love the look of this!
This idea is just wonderful!
http://www.angerawrs.co.uk
OMG that dinasour photo reminds me of “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure”!!!
So fun, thanks for sharing such a fun photo idea!
So awesome! I have an ‘awkward’ space as well (don’t we all): A super visible hallway with tons of vertical wall space. It’s in desperate need of a makeover, but I’ve been at a loss. It’s a stone’s throw from our record player… So color me inspired! Thanks!
Truly a fantastic idea! So simple and yet it totally transformed the space. I would have never thought of using record frames for instagram photos, but it looks absolutely perfect. I have a wall in desperate need of art. I may have to do this on Sunday.
this is such a cool idea! I absolutely love it!
http://alittledoseoflove.blogspot.ca/
Super cute !!!
Brilliant project! LOVE the new look for the site! Your hand drawn buttons (below) are just so COOL and the colour scheme is wicked! Sigh….you guys just get better and better xxx
LOVE 1-day projects! They are so much less intimidating, so I actually DO them! 🙂 XO
Thank you for this lovely idea! Such an easy way to add so much character to an otherwise unremarkable space 🙂
Hey Elsie! I love this so much! My living room has a wall with a similar look: http://pinkcoffeephoto.com/blog/2013/08/02/5-tips-for-printing-your-photos/ The square look is my favorite part. 🙂
Love the video and the project! Also, I recently got Happy Handmade Home and am having a dinner party this Saturday to test out all my new projects! Thanks for all the ideas.
Also, I LOVE the new design! I would love to see a Blog Re-design course. xoxo
I dig this SO much! Fantastic styling 🙂
Very very cool! I also have an “awkward space” in my house and this might be just what I’ve been looking for! It’s so nice to see an Elsie project on here – and I loved the video!
x Kathryn
Through the Thicket
Elsie, I love this! I am always inspired by your photography, and these happy photos really brighten up your space. It’s like taking a instagram mini album and super-sizing it! This is the most comfortable I have seen you on camera. 🙂 Keep up the good work! 🙂 I hope you do more of these!!!
PS
I Loooooooooove the blog update!!! From the bright colors of the post titles to your hand-drawn icons, it is all perfectly ABM! 🙂
I love the video! Great job!
Christina
http://www.cityloveee.blogspot.com
i love this project… the shelves and photography all look fantastic!
but side note question… those Crosely record players have such a fun look to them and we were going to get one, but when my husband did some research, the reviews were awful! just lots of bad reports of them not working well. so he’s using an old ugly thing to play his records, so i’m just curious if your experience has been fine??
That’s such a nifty look!
Connie | Sponsored by Coffee | Bloglovin’
Hold up on that shelf! I can’t believe it was custom made, gorgeous.
This is such a great idea!
Your space looks so fresh. I’m in love with all the vibrant colours!
Ainslie
“one day makeover” should be a series!!!
Love this, really gives the room some colour 🙂
courtneyglitter.wordpress.com
I love this post and the video! Can’t wait to try this for myself.
I’d love to see your photo process (re-sizing + printing) that you do for scrap booking! It’s the only reason I haven’t started making them yet.
It looks like you use and love Canon printers a lot and I’ve heard good reviews all round about them. Which one would you say is best for printing on cardstock? Also is it pricey to replace the inks?
Been looking for a new printer for soooooo long it’s about time I just got it sorted. Thanks xx
This is such a great idea! And I love the shelves!
http://weareatlove.com
This is a great idea! I’d be a bit worried about making my iPhone pics that big though, do they keep their quality when made bigger?
Cat x
That is such a fantastic idea!
I have so many photos on Instagram that I’d LOVE to display. And I love that with this idea, you can customize it so much! I could do thicker, more colorful frames (more my style) but the main idea is still the same! Awesome! Thanks!
Can you use the printer for regular printing as well? I need a new printer since I work from home and would like to combine if possible
Love this so much http://www.hannamarielei.com
Pictures taken by yourself makes it so much more worth watching – the memories comes flowing.
jeansandmacaroons.blogspot.com
My heart skipped a beat when I saw your Joanna Newsom vinyl. She’s the real deal. It makes me so happy to know other people appreciate her as much as I do 🙂
love this!
Did you print on regular office paper, or did you use something heavier or more photo appropriate?
Thanks!
-Erin
You did an amazing job with this space – love the pictures!
@Carolyn Selheim-Miller I did a wall in my living room like this and I used Persnickety Prints, they did a great job. (no association, just love them). 🙂
a music post would be really awesome, would love to hear what everyone’s love and like do you work and listen to music and other random stuff like that!
This is awesome! Glad to hear the iPhone photos print well at that size.
Carrie
http://www.wearwherewell.com
Super cute!
http://www.misadventuro.us
Love the photos! This gave me some ideas for my extensive record collection and how to display some of the old albums I have!
Love this shelf! It’d be great to see a diy!
This is such a great idea! I love this little cozy space. Can’t wait to try something like this in my home.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this! I have an ikea shelf simmilar for my records and books, but i would love to have some of my favorite Insta pictures blown up and framed like that! GORG! A new cute record player would be nice too! xx
I love the colors! And what a fun way to brighten up space!
I love the pics of the pups. Such a cute way to display photos!
i absolutely love this!!!
xx nikki
http://www.dream-in-neon.com
LOVE how great this looks! I think we may try it in our apartment.
-Kaitlyn & Sarah 🙂
What video editing software do you use?
This is stunning and so creative! <3 my 2015 resolution is to use Instagram more as I'm rarely on it.
Hi Elsie..Iam Gita from Jakarta Indonesia, what best for printing at home is more valuable to have a printer or a selphy? iam little bit confuse about what the best to choose.
Thank you..
Amazing as always! I LOVE the look of this wall! I have so many great Instagram photos I’d loved to see framed. Wonderful!
Circus & Bloom
♥♥♥
Amazing as always! I LOVE the look of this wall! I have so many great Instagram photos I’d loved to see framed. Wonderful!
Circus & Bloom
♥♥♥
One of my absolute favorite ideas for vinyls! Love that they are making a comeback!
This is perfect!
Love it. I also have a lot of Instagram pictures that I would like to print and hang in my room, but I didn’t really know how.
So this is a great tip!
And I love the record cabinet :). We also have some records, but we don’t really have a nice way to put it in the room. That cabinet is just lovely, perfect, and now that you filled it up, it looks amazing like this!
Lovely frames! I wanted to ask, what dpi/ resolution did you use? Doesn’t blowing up images make them blurry?
I love this D.I.Y! I have been following this blog for years and I still love it. You guys are doing a fabulous job and I will continue looking forward to more posts!
Unique Geek
I love everything about this idea. I am definitely using this for a wall in my room. Bring on the DIY projects.
http://www.thrumypeepers.com
I would also love to see a DIY on how to build theses shelves!
Super cool idea, so Dainty and Chic!
http://www.daintyandchic.com
Super cool idea, so Dainty and Chic!
http://www.daintyandchic.com
I absolutely adore how this came out!
I love it! This really makes me want to print out my Instagram photos and make a gallery wall! I am totally crushing on that record player too!
I love to play “what-if”, so what if you use a couple of your great images in the frames for doors on the great shelving unit. It would not be too hard to do. So cool!
Quick question! I am getting started on this project right now and am super pumped! I’ve never acted on an ABM idea so quickly before. 😀 But I’m not sure how to make sure my pictures will print out 12.5″ x 12.5″. How do you format them to that size? I’ve tried looking for an answer online, but can’t find one. Sorry for my ignorance.
(Oh and I don’t have Photoshop. Do you need it to do this project?)
Thank you!!! 🙂
Hi Christina! That’s awesome! Elsie printed 13×19 photos and then trimmed them down to fit. You won’t need Photoshop to do this DIY, just access to a printer (check out your local print shop if you don’t have one at home. 🙂 -Jacki
Thank you! 🙂
So fresh!!! Love it!!!
love, polly
Love this idea – we have a Canon printer that I really need to use more AND a huge blank wall in our living room that would really benefit from an Instagram photo gallery!
Can I ask if you used a special type of paper (photographic, matte, glossy, a specific weight) for this project? And do you customise the printer settings before you print? I find that my photos don’t print quite as crisply / brightly as I expect. Thank you 🙂
I’m obsessed with this. It almost makes me want to settle down and stop traveling the world! lol
http://www.adventurousappetite.com
fun wall! love it and really into the simple space makeover.
i am most curious about your home printing process! a few of my questions re:
printing pictures – about how long does an ink cartridge last (how many pages/photos? i would love a breakdown of costs for home printing and an approximate cost per photo. what program do you use to set up photos to print (i’m guessing photoshop)? would love a tutorial on importing photos and setting them up to print at different sizes!
hi elsie! love this wall/project. question for you about home printing, i always see you guys mention the canon printers that you love and was wondering how you feel it compares to getting your photos printed at a store or photo lab. your thoughts on the quality versus cost for supplies, paper, ink, etc. at home would be greatly appreciated! just debating if it’s worth the cost to buy everything, it seems like you use yours pretty frequently though. thanks 🙂
Hi Elsie, what resolution did you print the pics at? I know instagram usually scales down the size.
They are 12.5×12.5 inches, 300 DPI.
I used iPhone photos (without instagram filters) and sized them from there and they are not very blurry or pixelated. 🙂
This is absolutely adorable!!! I am literally walking around my house trying to find an empty spot on the wall to do this.