10 Creative Things to Do With Photos

1. Canvas Print Photo Wall

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Framed photos are a staple in nearly every home and for a good reason. After all, the easiest way to display your beautiful photos is by hanging them on a wall.

Sure, framing your favorite photo is all well and good, but why not elevate your home decor with a custom canvas print photo wall from CanvasChamp?

Canvas prints are more durable and allow for higher-quality images than their paper counterparts. The sleek, minimalist profile of canvas prints works particularly well alongside contemporary or modern decor.

Canvas prints are available in various sizes, so you can choose a bundled set that meets your needs. If you want your canvas photo wall to tell a visual story, try making a collage using both portrait and landscape photography.

To create a museum-quality gallery wall, hang your new canvas prints with other types of wall-mounted decor. This could mean pairing travel photos with vacation souvenirs or displaying your favorite wedding day moments next to keepsakes from the ceremony and reception. The possibilities are endless.

2. Photo Collage Poster

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There’s no denying the value of high-quality canvas prints. But there are also times when you need a creative photography idea that doesn’t call for a significant investment.

Collage posters are a fun way to give a wide range of photos a chance to shine without bogging down an entire wall. If you’re not a fan of the simple poster look, add a decorative picture frame before putting it on display.

These posters make a wonderful addition to a dorm room, office, or anywhere else drilling into the walls might not be an option. You can also create collage posters to display at a special event, like a birthday, wedding, or graduation, or give them to guests as keepsakes of the big day.

If you’re short on time, you can request a collage poster pretty much anywhere that offers photo-printing services. Even major retailers like Walmart and Target offer these services in their photo departments.

3. Photo Pillow Cases

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Accent pillows are a must in any contemporary home design. Whether you’re accessorizing the living room, a bedroom, or even the front porch, one-of-a-kind pillows are an idea sure to take your decor to the next level.

When selecting photos for your pillows, be sure to work with the room’s existing decor. The last thing you want is to discover your favorite family photo clashes horribly with the rest of your home decor.

Mix and match your photo pillows with regular accent pillows. Displaying just one or two photos will ensure each picture gets the chance to shine. For the other pillows in your design, choose fabric colors and fun patterns that coordinate with your photo subjects.

Photo pillowcases are an especially thoughtful gift for anyone going off to college or in a long-distance relationship. While nothing can replace a loved one’s presence, having a pillow with their picture printed on it will mean a lot.

4. Photo Blanket

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Speaking of warm and cozy ways to display photography, you can never have too many blankets. CanvasChamp lets you design a blanket using your own photos. These blankets are the perfect item to pull a room design together or to give as a gift this holiday season.

You can customize your new photo blanket in more ways than one. For example, you can decorate your blanket with a single image or create a curated collage–no company-name pun intended. Dual-sided printing is available if you need more space.

Blankets are available in a range of different materials and sizes. If you plan to use your photo blanket as accent decor, we recommend ordering a throw blanket. This is the perfect size to drape across a sofa, armchair, or bed.

5. Photo Fridge Magnets

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Magnets make excellent souvenirs and keepsakes. And while you don’t see magnets very often in professional home design, they’re an often-overlooked way to add character to your kitchen decor. They’re also super-handy in real life.

The fridge is the most obvious place to use your photo magnets, but it’s not your only option. You can display your mini photos on magnetic whiteboards, lockers, metal furniture, and much more.

Many places offer custom photo magnets, so shop around to find the best deal for your needs. Buying in bulk typically comes with a discount. But remember, you won’t need more than one magnet for each photo for personal use.

With that said, these magnets are a great way to share memories with friends and family who might not be able to experience them in person. Plus, they’re easy to ship by mail.

6. Photo Wall Decals

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Wall decals are a trendy design idea right now. Traditional wallpaper has its time and place, but decals are easy-to-apply and available in different sizes and styles. You can even remove and reapply some types several times.

Photo wall decals shine when it comes to versatility. You can use a set of decals to liven up a wall in any room of the house. In particular, they’re an engaging yet simple DIY project for a child’s bedroom.

Decals are also the perfect alternative to framed and canvas prints when you’re short on space. They can tuck behind furniture or adhere to awkward surfaces (like around corners).

You might be in for a surprise with how easy it is to turn your favorite photograph into a wall decal. Just upload a photo from your digital camera, smartphone, or Instagram feed and select your desired size. You can have the image printed exactly as is or choose from fun editing effects to create a custom piece of modern art.

When arranging your new photo decals, don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. You can place decals separately or create a multi-dimensional collage across multiple walls. Try complementing your photos with decals bearing your favorite quote or decorating accents, as well.

7. Hanging Photo Display

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It’s true that Polaroid stopped production of its classic film years ago. But that hasn’t stopped new-and-improved cameras from reviving the instant photo trend. Now, you can even print instant photos from your social media or iPhone camera roll.

Instant photos are lots of fun for students or big events like weddings, graduations, and birthday parties. When the night is over and you want to show off your photography, though, it can be hard to come up with an aesthetically pleasing display idea.

Rather than stuff your instant photos into a tiny frame, try showing them off with a hanging photo display. This is a stylish alternative to using thumbtacks or tape to hang your modern Polaroids.

Of course, you can use a hanging photo display with any printed pictures. For more variety, hang up inspirational quotes or doodles alongside your personal photos. You can even turn your display into a wall-mounted scrapbook with fun stickers and washi tape.

8. Photo Lamp

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Wall art isn’t the only way to show off your most cherished memories. If you’re looking for a creative idea to display copies of your favorite images, why not put them on a lampshade?

At first glance, you might think Memory Shades’ photo lamps are screen-printed fabric. But you’d be very mistaken.

Instead, Memory Shades carves your images into the lampshade’s hard material. Turned off, the finished product resembles an abstract piece of contemporary art. As soon as you power the lamp on, though, the picture collage inside instantly springs to life.

The coolest thing about this fun photo idea is you can display it anywhere you’d use a regular lampshade. Memory Shades offers pre-assembled lamps, or you can create a custom lampshade to fit a fixture you already own.

Digital photos are the easiest to upload, but the company can also reproduce film photographs with this carving method. So you can use a photo lamp to display pictures of loved ones while keeping the original copies safe and sound.

If you’re on the hunt for a timeless keepsake, these lamps make the perfect gift. We guarantee your giftee will have nothing like this one-of-a-kind display idea.

9. Photo Shower Curtain

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The sheer variety of print-on-demand products is astounding, with many options available for fun home decor. This means easy access to countless ways to display your favorite picture.

One such idea you probably haven’t thought of before is a custom shower curtain. With today’s printing technology, you can adorn your bathroom with any picture you want, printed in high-resolution.

There’s no shortage of photography ideas that would look great on a shower curtain. Showcase your latest outdoor adventure with a breathtaking picture of natural scenery or wildlife. You can also pay homage to your hometown with a stunning downtown skyline or landmark portraiture.

With such a large canvas at your disposal, a shower curtain is a perfect place to highlight artistic photography techniques. Look through your photo collection for images featuring bokeh, timelapse effects, or taken with a macro lens.

10. Photo Wallpaper or Mural

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When deciding how and where to display your photos, bigger is often better. And your home has one canvas, in particular, that’s bigger than all of the rest: its walls.

With custom-printed wallpaper, you can turn the walls of your home into a makeshift photo album. This could mean showing off a beloved family photo or leveling up your home decor with your most artistic snapshot.

Full-scale wallpaper can quickly overwhelm even the largest space. Instead, stick with using your picture to create an accent wall.

While you should keep your photo mural free of clutter, don’t leave the surrounding walls bare. Opt for fun wall-mounted decor that doesn’t include photographs (your wallpaper will just outshine them).

Choose complementary colors for the rest of the room–you want your photograph to be the focal point. If you’re feeling particularly creative, try painting a “photo frame” around your mural to make it stand out even more.