What to do with all those Instax???

Ohhh Instax….you sneaky little nostalgia generator!

I am one of those lucky bloggers that owns a FujiFilm Instax (Mini) camera.  If you’re not familiar, it’s pretty much a modern Polaroid camera, except it looks like a cartoon prop. Seriously – it’s so silly, my friend snapped a pic of me using it & then proceeded to post it to Instagram:

Several shots of Fireball might have been consumed prior to this photo….

Yes, it’s clunkier than any of today’s camera’s BUT it prints the photo out instantly!  And what’s better than instant gratification?

Alright, if I’m being honest: the film isn’t cheap, the prints are pretty small (although, it is an Instax mini) and the quality of the pics is always a crapshoot.  It’s a good reminder of what it’s like to take pictures with film.  You can’t take 10 shots and then pick the best one…you take one shot & hope it’s good.  There ARE digital Instax cameras – but, come onnnn – this is WAY more exciting :P

I’d estimate that 4ish out of 10 times, the pic is good – not the best odds, I know.  And even when they’re “good”, they always tend to range between washed out or over-contrasted.  But, those “qualities” (heh) remind me of the pictures from yesteryear. And to me, that’s what makes the Instax so fun – you get instant pictures that are chock-full of nostalgia!

Some examples of our Instax minis: Paul in the “Kitchen Ninja” apron I made him, Paul and Mischa (& my shadow) at a local park, and me working on the wall weaving I made back in February.

I bring my Instax to every family event, and then leave pics with family members so they can have an actual photo of our time together.  But I also come home with a purse full of pictures.  They’re everywhere.  And at over $1/picture, it would be financially irresponsible to just shove these pictures into a drawer…but what’s the best way to display these mini pictures?  I did a little searching on Pinterest for some ideas.  Sure, Instax wallpaper would be cool, but we haven’t amassed a collection that large (yet).

Fortunately, not long after being inspired by this pin, Paul and I found the perfect backdrop for our Instax shots:

I’m pretty sure it’s repurposed wood.  Best of all, we found it at Redeux, a local store downtown that sells handmade and vintage items.  I then bought some twine & some mini clothespins – and voila: we now have a little Instax gallery!

I love that we can swap pictures out as newer ones come along.  I also love that it’s hung next to our antique window (which is adorned with my paper garland [that I’m still SO in love with] :) )

If you couldn’t tell…I LOVE it!  Our computer is just to the right of the Instax gallery, so I’ve been looking up & admiring it throughout writing this post :)

Thanks for stopping by :)