“Who has two thumbs, an Instagram habit, and a stack of jewel cases?” If you were thinking of me, you’re right. I had a small art project brewing and finally pulled it together.
Since I started using Instagram in April, I’ve wanted to print some of our photos. We didn’t have a good place to display them and we were cautious about print quality from different services. Then I found a Facebook coupon for five free 5×5 prints from Picplum and decided to try them. The free prints looked great, so I ordered more at about $1 per print. The prints were exactly the little push I needed to start a simple DIY photo display.
What I discovered by accident made the project feel even better. After a small trim on two sides, those square 5×5 prints fit almost perfectly into the front insert of a slim jewel case — the same clear plastic cases CDs used to come in. I only noticed because my free prints were on my desk sitting on top of an old CD case and I realized they were almost the same size.
I picked up a bulk pack of slim jewel cases at the office supply store for around $10. The pack had thirty slim cases; I didn’t need that many, but it was the smallest quantity available in the thin style and they look nicer for this use. I slid some of my favorite Instagram prints into a dozen of the cases and put together a small gallery.
This isn’t a project for creating mixtape-style CD covers — although it would work for that if you wanted — but rather a low-cost way to display photos in my basement workshop, which I’ve jokingly renamed the Man Cave Complete With Pegboards. The space sees sawdust and tools constantly, so I didn’t want anything delicate or expensive down there. The jewel cases protect the prints while giving the display a clean, modern look that stands up to a workshop environment.
It’s far from fussy, but I like how quick and low-stress the whole thing feels. If a case gets scratched or broken while I’m working on a project, replacing it costs less than a dollar. They also contrast nicely against the navy pegboard I mounted on the wall, which makes the photos pop.
When you break down the cost, each framed photo — print plus slim jewel case — came to about $1.30. That’s a very affordable price per framed image compared to store-bought framed art. Maybe Sherry was right when she said geek is the new black: repurposed CD cases could be the next nostalgic format to make a comeback.
To hang the grid, I used 3M Command picture hanging Velcro strips for damage-free installation. I prefer attaching the strips perpendicular to each other rather than stacked, because that gives a little extra adjustment after they’re stuck down. With the pegboard holes serving as a handy guide, aligning and spacing each case was quick and easy.
Ta-dah!
Here’s a little extra tip: I tucked an extra photo or two behind some cases. That way I can swap images quickly by hinging the case open and sliding in a new print whenever I want to refresh the display.
I still have extra prints and cases, so I can expand this inexpensive art installation across more of the pegboard if I feel like it. For now I’m leaving some space open so I can hang other found objects or workshop-themed items on the right side. Surrounded by hammers, drills, and saws, I’m pretty content to keep things practical and playful.
While working on this project we also made a short list of other basement updates we plan to tackle:
- stain some of the wood surfaces down there, like the burned shelf and the light, less-forgiving counters
- consider staining the concrete floors to hide wear and brighten the space
- repaint the old scratched-up basement door — maybe match the cheerful yellow of the front door
- address the exposed ceilings where possible, although plumbing and ductwork make that a more complicated job than simply installing drywall
In the meantime, does anyone else have creative Instagram-based art projects to share? I’d love to hear about other printing services, paper or canvas options, or creative display ideas. If you want to follow our photo experiments on Instagram, you can find us at @younghouselove.
Psst — we heard the Cultivate quiz from yesterday’s giveaway has been running slowly or crashing for some people. It looks like their systems were overwhelmed by everyone trying the quiz. We hope they get it sorted soon. There’s still a $200 gift card for one lucky winner, so good luck if you enter.