With Instagram Stories getting more and more popular, there are filters and apps popping up at every corner to help you take your Instagram stories to the next level.
You swipe through your Instagram stories and there they are: these super cool templates, filters, stickers, fonts and you might be wondering how can I get them too?! As I love sprucing up my stories, I like adding certain elements to make them more appealing. I thought I’d give you a run through my favourite apps and tricks to get those aesthetically pleasing Instagram stories.
Aside from using all the fancy Instagram Filters, I like pre-editing my Stories in primarily two Apps.
Unfold
I have been a fan of Unfold for years now. It’s an easy to understand app with lots of templates you can choose from. There are some free templates, you can add a yearly subscription or buy certain templates for a one-off fee. The prices are quite reasonable.
Besides the templates, you can change the typography, add a background colour or some stamps. It’s amazing how much you can customize your stories and you can use your creations not just for Instagram stories, they can add that something to your blog posts, screensaver, or Pinterest graphics. Basically, with Unfold you have an endless supply of pretty collages.
However, I think you’re mostly here for the nitty gritty on how to create your content for your Instagram stories. So let’s just jump right into it.
How to Instagram Stories
- Open your app, here I’m showing you Unfold.
- Start with the template of your choice. I went with one from the theme Digital Wave 1. Then add your picture. (By double-tapping on your picture, you can move it around, resize it etc. to make it fit the screen just how you like it to be.)
- Now on to your next step. By clicking on the big + on the bottom, you get to your menu. Now you can add a text, choose from different fonts, colours, decide the size, spacing and more. I like to make sure first and for most, that the text will be easy to read and not blur too much with the background.
- If you wanna take it even further, there’s also a tab with stickers or if you use a template with an exposed background, you can colour that in too.
- And your first slider is done.
As you can see, the possibilities are huge. I like to keep using the same theme when I upload consecutive stories but other than that, depending on my content I switch between all the different templates and themes all the time.
Keeping with what I just said, I have to tell you about another app, I love using.
StoriesEdit by Planoly
It can’t get any more instagramable. With cute patterns and colourful themes, StoriesEdit knows the way to our Instagram hearts. Also, it is a great app to create some stories with just quotes or do interactive templates for #followfriday, questions for the community, book reviews: you name it. Oh, and for any Pinterest fanatics out there, they have some beautiful templates to create eye-catching content for the platform too.
The app itself is, like Unfold, very userfriendly and you can use quite a few settings for free. So no need to splurge out for anything.
Instagram filters
If you’re more one for “in the moment stories” you might like the Instagram filters from the app itself or from other creators. I quite like using them on a regular basis, when I am in the flat or out and about and I wanna upload a story now and then. So I just go into the app and choose one of my saved filters.
How to save filters in Instagram
I usually find new filters through watching others stories and you’ll see them in the upper left corner, beneath the user name of the person’s story. If you like the filter they use, just click on the filter name. It then gives you the option to save the filter to your library and will from then on appear with your other filters. Thanks to the steady updates Instagram is making you can now even choose which filters you want to bee shown for your stories. Anyways, once you saved your filter, you’re ready to use it.
Another way is, once I found a new filter I like going on the creators profile and see if they have other filters. If I find another one, I click on it and again am able to save it to my library.
Once you have your picture or video with the filter you are free to add your gifs, stickers, text, questions and more.
Some of my fave ones are from:
but there are many more out there!
Pretty Stories for your Instagram
I could go on and on, on what else you could do to your Instagram stories but for this time, I think it’s enough. Now that you know where to get your filters, templates and theme,s you are ready to spruce up your stories and get creative! Let me know in the comments down below how you get on or if you have any favourite little helpers when it comes to you stories.
And if you wanna learn morn about tips and tricks for your Instagram, blog or twitter, have a look here.
