How to Make a Collage for an Instagram Story

May 19, 2020
By
Hugh Stephens

Are you planning to create an Instagram collage for your story?  Looking for suggestions to make it really pop?

In this article, you’ll discover everything there is to know about creating an Instagram collage for a  Story that will wow your audience right away. We’ll discuss:

  • What is an Instagram collage,
  • How to create a beautiful collage for your Story and how to use the layout mode in the Instagram app, and
  • What are the best apps to help you create the collage.

At the end of the post, I’ll also share with you three tips for making your Instagram layout stand out. Intrigued? Let’s not waste more time, then.

What is an Instagram Collage

An Instagram collage is a collection of photos shared that you share in a single photo or video. I typically compare it to the Instagram grid but shared as one photo. Instagram collages started showing up more over the last few years. It was last year, however, when the trend really took off with more and more users creating visually appealing collages on their Instagram Stories. And it all started as a trend among influencers and brands who wanted to express themselves more creatively. But many users have followed and the rest is now history. Needless to say, we’ve come a long way from the early days of creating basic collages to using a series of apps to combine backgrounds, images, and videos to create stunning visuals. For example, here’s an Instagram collage we’ve created for one of our Stories.

An example of an Instagram collage.

How to Make a Collage on Instagram

Here’s how the process looks like if you want to use the quick hack for iOS or Android to create your own Instagram collage in just a couple of minutes:

  1. Take a picture. Use Instagram filters if you’d like to enhance the photo further.
  2. You can change the background by picking the airbrush and tapping for a second on the chosen color.
  3. Go to your phone’s Photos section.
  4. Click on a photo that you like and choose to Copy the photo through the Share icon.
  5. Go back to your Instagram Story. A new sticker shows up with the copied photo encouraging you to “add sticker”.
  6. Add the sticker to see the photo showing up on your Story.
  7. Repeat as many times as you want to add more photos.

Tip: if you miss the pop-up to add the sticker, you can choose the Text option in the Story to paste the image. The people at Howfinity have created a lovely video tutorial showing how to do it. You can watch it here.

How to Make a Collage on Instagram Story Using the Layout Mode

The hack I described above is just one way to create your own Instagram Story collage. Another is to use the Instagram app, particularly, the Layout mode. Instagram spotted the rising trend and decided to help us create collages directly through the app. Last year, the company introduced the Layout mode for Stories, a collage-maker feature allowing you to create collages directly through the Story. Here’s how to use it:

  1. Go to Stories
  2. Swipe left to see the available options for your camera
  3. Pick Layout
  4. Explore the different grids
  5. Take photos or upload the ones from your Camera

With the Layout app, you can have an Instagram collage on your profile in minutes.

Instagram Collage Apps

The two methods above are by far, the easiest ways to create a collage. However, I admit that they might be limited in terms of creativity. Luckily, there are apps that can help. Let’s explore some of them. Note: There are many apps to help you improve your Instagram Stories. We’ve looked at many of them when analyzing creative Instagram Stories templates here.

Layout

An image showing the Layout app's interface.

Instagram introduced the Layout app as its own collage maker. It was initially used for in-feed photos allowing you to create a collage with two or more photos. The rise of Stories brought a new option to share a grid directly to your Instagram Stories, which gave everyone more flexibility when creating a collage. It’s very easy to create your own collage and it’s a great way to introduce yourself to multi-photo collages.

Canva

An interface of Canva showing its collage-making abilities.

Canva is another creative option that is easy to use. The tool features hundreds of templates to use to push your creative skills without having any design skills or knowledge whatsoever. You can add both images and videos and you can make your feed and Stories look very professional.

Unfold

An Unfold interface showing collage-making process.

Unfold is a popular option for the creative use of Instagram Stories and the templates you can create. Many brands are improving their Instagram presence through their layouts and templates.There are many ways to make your Instagram Story collages look better and it has a free and plus version.

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3 Tips to Improve Your Instagram Collage

Below, I’ve included some tips to help you take your Instagram collages to a whole new level.

#1. Focus on the Aesthetics

Think of your collage as an extension to your feed. The aesthetics should be similar. Split images can make your content more appealing and there are many brands that are experimenting with this idea.

#2. Aim for Engagement

Always think about how you could make your collage more engaging when creating the collage. For example, use the Instagram Collage to ask a question. Add text to make people look at the visual more, and comment on it. Or add numbers to different photos to ask your fans to pick their favorite option.

An image showing a collage with text asking a question.

Tell a Story Through Your Collage

An Instagram collage showing a walkthrough.

A collage is nothing but just a series of photos that you put in some order. As a result, it can also tell a story by turning the visuals into a narrative. For example, you can create a collage that works just like a ‘how-to’ walkthrough. You can guide your customers through a fun FAQ about your new product. Or you can simply include multiple photos and videos to share more about your services. The opportunities are truly endless here.

Closing Thoughts

We love seeing how everyone’s creative when using an Instagram collage. Many brands and influencers love using them to take their content to the next level. It’s time for all of us to start being more creative without necessarily needing the professional skills to design a beautiful image.

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