The best thing about Instagram—and other popular social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat—is that it allows you to capture and share special moments in different formats. You can do engaging videos, add your favorite songs, write heartfelt captions, and overall transform any picture or video into an everlasting memory.
One of Instagram’s standout features is its ability to let you combine multiple images and videos into a single layout, creating an eye-catching collage. Collages are perfect for sharing a day in your life, showcasing travel highlights, or promoting brand collaborations. They’re not only versatile but also a great way to make your Stories more engaging and interactive.
In this guide, we’ll cover the step-by-step process to create a collage on Instagram Stories using built-in tools like the "Sticker" feature and explore third-party apps like Canva and Unfold for more advanced designs.
One of the easiest ways to make an Insta collage is through Instagram’s built-in grid that allows you to simply select the pictures you want to use in an organized way. Here’s how it works:
Start by carefully selecting the images you want to use for your collage. Go to your phone’s gallery and pick your favorites. Make sure to select multiple options even if you don’t use them all, so you don’t have to keep going back and forth to the gallery.
In the lower-left corner of your device, you’ll find a Share icon. Click on the icon, and select the option to copy the images. This is useful so that when you’re making the collage on Instagram you don’t scroll all the way down to find the pictures you want to use.
Click on Instagram stories. Here you have two options to make the collage:
The main difference is depending on the type of collage you want. Layouts are a simple way to add up to 6 photos, in a more rigid and organized way. If you want a more creative and flexible approach, stickers are ideal as you can add as many photos as you want (We’ll get to this one below)
To use the layout grid, simply:
Once you’ve added them, you can enhance your collage with captions, adding music, and other effects. Once it’s ready, tap on publish, and there you go!
Instagram provides great features to enhance your stories, including re-built grids and the facility to make creative collages with stickers. You can add music, location, tag people, and more.
However, if you have a more designer eye and want something more aesthetic or that looks slightly more professional, you can also explore other applications that are great for designing.
Available on: iOS, Android, website.
Price: Free version. Pro plan starts $3.25 per month/per person.
Canva is a versatile graphic design platform that empowers users to create professional-quality designs for social media, presentations, and more. With its extensive library of customizable templates, fonts, and design elements, Canva makes creating stunning Instagram collages easy and intuitive.
By typing “Collage Instagram Templates,” you get a variety of templates with already-established size for Instagram stories.
Its user-friendly interface and creative tools make it perfect for both beginners and experienced designers looking to elevate their Instagram Stories. These are a few of the great templates Canva offers:
Available: iOS and Android.
Price: Free version (limited templates and watermark), and plus version starts at $2.99 per month.
Unfold is a storytelling app designed to help users create elegant and visually stunning content for social media. Known for its minimalist and chic templates, Unfold is perfect for crafting Instagram collages with a modern, professional aesthetic.
Its intuitive interface and variety of design options make it a favorite among influencers and brands aiming to captivate their audience. Here are some examples:
Available: iOS, Android, website.
Price: Free, and plus starts at $5 per month.
Picsart is a powerful photo and video editing app that offers a wide range of creative tools for designing eye-catching content.
With features like customizable templates, filters, stickers, and advanced collage-making options, Picsart is perfect for crafting unique Instagram collages. Its editing capabilities and artistic effects make it a favorite for users looking to add a bold and personalized touch to their Stories. Here are some examples of their templates:
Available: iOS and Android
Price: Free version and VIP starts at $4.99 per month.
PicCollage is a fun and user-friendly app that simplifies the process of creating personalized collages for social media. It offers a wide selection of templates, stickers, and fonts, allowing you to design creative and vibrant Instagram collages with ease.
Whether you're crafting a casual Story or a standout post, PicCollage's intuitive tools make it a go-to choice for adding a playful and artistic touch. These are some Instagram collage templates you can use from PicCollage:
Besides using an Instagram layout for your collage, you can also get creative and do a manual collage through Stickers.
To make a collage using stickers on Insta, you need to:
Pro Tip: Choose a single photo to use as the background or "foundation" of your collage. Once this is set, layer your additional images as stickers on top of it. This creates a cohesive and visually appealing design, making your collage more polished and engaging.
With stickers, you can customize your photos in various ways, such as changing their shape (circles, squares, hearts, etc.), cropping them, resizing, and more. Once you’ve arranged your photos into a collage, you can further enhance it by adding music, captions, tagging people, including locations, and more.
When you're satisfied with your design, simply tap the arrow in the corner to publish your creative collage to your Instagram Story!
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Creating a collage on Instagram Story is a fantastic way to showcase multiple moments, add personality, and make your Stories more engaging. Whether you use Instagram’s built-in tools, experiment with stickers, or explore third-party apps for a polished touch, there are countless ways to bring your creativity to life.
By combining photos, music, text, and other elements, you can craft Stories that stand out and capture your audience's attention. Now it’s time to put these tips into action and start designing your own unique Instagram collages—happy creating!