Instajunction allows you to create all sorts of photo gifts from your Instagram photos – magnets, keyrings, calendars, coasters, you know the sort of thing. When I was asked to try the service out I was drawn to two things that looked quite unusual; a 15 x 15cm aluminium plate and some wrapping paper.
Creating my photo gifts was very very simple. I linked my Instagram account to Instajunction, chose which product I wanted, and then very easily selected the photograph(s) I wanted to use. Because your photos are already online there is no time wasted to upload your shots, and no cropping or editing to be done. Once I’d placed my order I had both within a few days.
I had very high hopes for the metal plate; I was anticipating something totally stunning – especially as the photo I chose of a stranded boat at Wells-next-the-Sea taken in the summer is a nice bright and clear shot with great punchy colour. The plate is 15 x 15cm of high gloss scratch resistant aluminium and is designed to float 1.5cm away from the wall so it stands out.
But when the plate arrived (it was very well packaged), I was left a little disappointed. Only a little but enough to mention it here. The photo was more pixelated than I was expecting it to be. The colours have been reproduced as I’d hoped, but when you look closely you can see the image is not as clear and crisp as I was wanting. I suspect that this is because I chose to use the Instagram version of this photograph rather than uploading the original; compression on Instagram has meant that the 15cm square size of the plate is too big to reproduce this clearly enough.
The plate still looks fabulous from a short distance – it’s currently sat up on the window ledge about half a metre away from where I’m sat and it looks really great, that reflection in the water stands out very well. This is an unusual way to display a photograph and this particular one makes me smile. But when I go in for a closer look I can see the blocks.
The wrapping paper, which arrived very safely in a tube (hooray for no folds!), looks absolutely brilliant. I chose 40 of my Instagram photos to feature on it (harder than it might seem!), which are tiled over and over again to create a 60 x 75cm piece of good quality 150gsm high gloss wrapping paper.
I love the idea. Only problem is I can’t bring myself to use it. I don’t want to spoil it!! It would be a lovely thing to create personalised birthday wrapping paper tiled with photos of that person. It might get a bit expensive if you did it for everyone, but it is a lovely idea for certain people. The alternative is use this colourful sheet as a poster instead… I think mine is going to end up on the wall for sure!!
While I was a teeny bit disappointed with the aluminium plate I would still recommend Instajunction – ordering is very simple (and quick), and there is a good wide range of products.
If you want to turn some of your Instagram photos into gifts then I have a code you will want to use… put FRIEND25AJ in the box to receive 25% off your order before 8th December 2013.
What do you think? Comment below...