What is it that makes vintage photos so inherently beautiful? It may very well be that they’ve been loved for so many years.

And while we’d like to wait around to watch our photos get lovelier and lovelier by the year, it’d take forevs. That’s why we dug our pal Helen Stead‘s idea so much!

She prints photos on mulberry paper, a translucent paper made from the bark of mulberry trees.

It’s the paper’s fabric-like texture that turns your normally crisp digital photos into stunningly soft, muted visions of yesteryear.

Thanks, mulberry paper, for saving us the 50 year waiting period.

Make Vintage Style Prints with Mulberry Paper

p.s. We’re hiring a full-time buyer (a.ka. a treasure hunter!) to join our team in San Francisco. Could it be you?

Why It’s Cool

One of the best things about shooting analog is the mood that it captures with its quirks: light leaks, dreamy grain, unpredictability.

Printing on mulberry paper preserves just that. It’s something about the soft, semi-transparent texture of the paper that gives the photo an ethereal quality that regular glossy photo paper misses.



Another great thing about this project: anybody can do it at home. No need for a dark room or chemicals. Just a simple ‘ol inkjet printer.

What you need

• An inkjet printer
• A digital photo
• A sheet of A4 mulberry or handmade paper
• Glue stick
• 8 1/2″ x 11″ printer paper

STEP 1: Pick your photo

Firstly, pick out a photo that you want to transfer. You might think about upping the contrast or saturation since detail can get lost in transfers.

If your photo is an old-school print from your film shooting days, scan it into the computer and save it as a digital file. Scan tip: scan your photo at 300dpi at the size you want to print it.

STEP 2: Prep your paper

This project works really well with both mulberry paper and handmade paper. Both are textured and that’s what adds extra bit of awesome to your photo transfer.

You can find both at art shops, craft shops and shops that specialize in paper.

With your glue stick, lightly glue a piece of printer paper to your A4 mulberry or handmade paper. Since mulberry paper isn’t as stiff as printer paper, this helps it run smoothly through the printer.

STEP 3: Print Your Pic

Make sure you load your paper so that the photo prints on the mulberry side of your two glued sheets.

Print the image as you would normally on regular printer paper.

STEP 4: Peel It Apart

Your photo’s printed! And it looks rad, right?

Now, just peel the printer paper off the back of your mulberry sheet, and your vintagey print is ready to fulfill its photo destiny. Plant it on your wall or frame it for a friend.

More Ideas to Try

• Try transferring with transparencies for an even softer, dreamy image. Our inkjet transparency transfer tutorial. (Pictured above.)
• Mulberry paper is sturdy enough to withstand stitching. Stitch a border instead of using a conventional frame.
• Make more photo transfers with Impossible Project instant film (it’s like Polaroid)!
• Layer images or words onto one sheet of paper for a digital analog collage!

Helen Stead is a mixed media artist who specializes in alternative photo processes. You can read about her adventures in printing here at The Creative Diarist.

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Pet rocks were the best: your mom didn’t get mad at you if you forgot to feed them, they didn’t chew on your favorite sneakers, and they didn’t need to be house-trained.

What’s just as easy to handle and shows off your favorite snaps?

Why, stone photo holders of course!

Yup, stones aren’t just for throwing, skipping, or keeping as pets—they also help make some rad photo holders.

Your ol’ pebble pets are getting upgraded to photo rock star status with this easy DIY.

Show Off Your Pics with DIY Stone Photo Holders

p.s. The first Hey, Hot Shot! competition of 2012 is open. Get your hot shots in by March 14th to win over $10K in prizes!

Why This Rocks

These stone photo holders are a cheap, easy, and green way to show off your photos.

Why should frames be your default displaying option? These photo holders are one-of-a-kind, and they make it super easy to switch photos in and out.

They’d also make sweet & simple gifts to your best photo pals.

Les Ingredients:

• Medium-sized stones
• Green, cloth-covered florist wire sticks (we got ours at Michaels)
• Wire cutters
• Something cylindrical to bend wire into a round, coil shape—we used a glue pen
• The awesome photos you want to display

STEP 1: Rock Rinse

Make sure your stones are clean from dirt, dust, & bugs.

Give them a good rinse with water & lay them out to dry.

While you’re waiting for them to dry, think of cool names for your new mineral buddies. We’ve got Ferdinand, Maximilliano, & Ted so far.

STEP 2: Wire Wrap

Once your stones are cleaned & dried, you’re ready to wrap the floral wire around your stones.

First, bend one end of the wire around the bottom of one of your stones.

Then, twist that end up & around to meet with the rest of the wire on the other side of the stone.

Make sure the wire is wrapped as tightly as you can get around the stone so it doesn’t slip off the stone.

Note: Floral wire is pretty flexible, but if you’re having some trouble wrapping n’ bending, some flat-nosed pliers will help ya out.

STEP 3: Snippin’ Time

The rest of the wire sticking out from the stone will be the part that holds up & grips onto your photo.

If you find this wire to be too tall, use the wire cutters to snip off wire until you get the height you want for your photo holders.

STEP 4: Do the Coil

Now, take the end of the wire that’s sticking out from the stone and wrap it about 2 times around your coil-making guide—in this case, our glue pen.

STEP 5: Put a Photo in It

Slip your photo between the wire coils you made in Step 4.

Ta-da! You’ve just made one awesome photo holder.

Repeat the steps above to your other stones to add to your collection of photo-holding stone stars.

Keep Rocking On

• Think your stone photo holders could use some more pizazz? Decorate them with paint and/or paint pens to jazz ‘em up to your liking.
• Stones aren’t the only objects you can wrap wire around to make photo holders! We made with a seashell and a glass bottle, as shown above.
• Stick the wires in an old branch to make a branch photo holder—another lovely, natural option to stones.
• Spools & wooden blocks also make some neat bases for DIY photo holders!

This crafty DIY is the brainchild of Danny Seo! See the original tutorial here.

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Quick! Name something that is beloved by millions and is back after a long hiatus.

If you said Justin Timberlake, you’re unfortunately not correct. We’re talking about the SLR Sloop!

The ubiquitous, perfect-for-every-occasion, superfly camera bag is back, and it feels oh-so-good.

With padded adjustable compartments and a mega-durable exterior, you can see why the SLR Sloop flew out of our store faster than a caffeinated toddler.

So snatch up the perfect satchel! Don’t let it be the one that got away…again.

The SLR Sloop Tweet It!
$149 in the Photojojo Shop

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Scratch-off cards sure know how to take you on an emotional roller coaster. First you’re filled with gleeful anticipation and then, womp-womp. It’s a dud!

Lucky for us, our buddy Brit showed us a sure way to always get a winning scratch-off.

She taught us how to turn Polaroids (or any photo) into the best scratch-off card ever.

You can make your own easy scratch-offs using dish soap and acrylic paint. It’s really that easy.

Give one of these away to your crush or BFF for Valentine’s Day! They’ll totally be impressed by your crafty photo skills, and who knows…maybe you’ll really hit the ultimate jackpot: true love. Awww.

How to Make a Scratch-Off Photo

p.s. Today only, we’re giving away $2, $5, and $10 coupons! See how to enter at the Photojojo Shop.

Why Scratch-Offs Rule

That lucky person you give your scratch-off Polaroid to will think you gave them an unexposed photo. That is, until they read the message and scratch away. It’s a guaranteed way to give them the warm fuzzies.

Direct from Brit, here’s a primer on making DIY scratch-offs:

What You’ll Need:

• A Polaroid camera and film OR
• A 3″x3″ glossy photo print
• Black acrylic paint
• Dish soap
• Scotch tape
• Paper plate (or surface for mixing paint)
• Piece of paper
• Paint brush
• Black marker

Step 1 – TAKE A PHOTO

Get creative and remember that your Valentine will have to do a small amount of work to reveal your photo. What type of secret message do you want to send?

The easiest way to get a Polaroid photo is to shoot one! (Psst, you can find Polaroid cameras here. Or if you need film, Impossible Project makes some!)

If you don’t have access to a Polaroid camera, you can always make a faux Polaroid by cutting out a 3″x3″ photo print and crafting a card stock border. Glossy photos work best! A Polaroid print is 3 1/2″ x 4 1/4″, so cut the border out to be that size and paste your print on top.

A short cut to that is using a Polaroid Postcard to frame your photo print.

Step 2 – MIX PAINT + DISH SOAP

Combine one part dish soap to two parts acrylic paint and blend on a paper plate or whatever mixing surface you chose.

We used black paint, but you can use any color (red the color of loooove, mayhaps?).

Step 3 – TAPE EDGES

Use your scotch tape to cover the white edges of your Polaroid photo. The tape will protect the edges from getting paint on them.

Use the same tape to stick your Polaroid down to a sheet of paper. This will be your paint surface.

Step 4 – PAINT

With your paint mixture and brush, paint over the photo section of your Polaroid.

Use a similar stroke (sideways or up and down) throughout so that your paint dries better. Once dry (about an hour), paint a second coat to completely conceal your photo.

Step 5 – REMOVE TAPE

Once dry, remove your scotch tape from the borders of your Polaroid.

Step 6 – PREPARE TO GIVE

Using your black marker, write a note like “Scratch Me” on the bottom of your Polaroid.

Seal it in an envelope (and/or with a kiss) and get ready to surprise your Valentine!

Even More Ideas:

• If Polaroids are scarce in your hood, try a Polaroid Postcard frame. DIY it or pick one up!
• Create a series of photos with hints that lead to the next photo and leave it around your house. Your Valentine will be scratching away with suspense!
• Try taping a penny or quarter to the photo so that your special someone has all they need to scratch.

Started by Brittany Morin, Brit seeks to keep the digital generation up to speed with innovative technologies, consumer products and DIY ideas for creative living. Follow Brit on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest and watch more videos from Brit on YouTube.

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You’re ravenous. A most delectable grilled cheese sits before you, melty sides catching your eye.

It’s too beautiful to eat without photographing first!

On February 24th at 12pm EST, you’ll discover you’re not the only one. It’s a global day of photographing your food!

The Meal is calling all foodie photographers to participate in a global food photo exhibit. Your simultaneously shot photos will be collected and shown at The Brooklyn Art Library on March 31st.

It’s for a good cause, too! The Meal has partnered with Action Against Hunger, a non-profit who battles hunger around the world.

It all comes full-circle: your hunger-induced photo helps end hunger for others. Not even scarfing down a grilled cheese sandwich could beat that satisfaction.

The Meal: Documenting a Global Snack

Heads up! If you do submit, that means they can use your photo for promotional reasons. However, they’ll never sell your photo for profit. Read the deets on the Project Agreement!

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What’s incredibly soft, keeps you warm, and spends its days around your neck?

A) Your cat, Harold. B) A plush dolphin travel neck pillow. C) Solid gold bling. D) Your new favorite DIY camera strap.

If you answered D, you win! Because that’s what this tutorial is all about: how to make a DIY scarf camera strap.

It’s the warmest, most colorful and winter-friendly strap your camera’s ever met.

Our pal Stacie Grissom just so happens to be a leading authority on scarf camera straps. That’s why we asked her to put together this how-to just for you.

How to Make a Scarf Camera Strap

p.s. Today on Facebook, we’re giving away 2 sets of Cell Lenses and a Lens Wallet! Hurry and enter!

Why Silk Scarves Make Excellent Straps:

Here’s the backstory from Stacie:

Why silk you ask? Well, did you know that a silk rope is stronger than a steel cable? (Seriously! Believe it.) Silk is just too expensive to manufacture in those industrial quantities.

My little brother also told me this story about silk that he heard on Mythbusters:

Mongolian warriors used to wear silk shirts underneath their armor. When they were shot with arrows in battle, the silk wouldn’t break. That made it easier to remove the arrow from the wounded warrior’s flesh without digging around too much and causing more damage. (Sorry for the gross image.)

So the whole silk strength discussion with my brother got me thinking. If a silk shirt can protect a Mongolian warrior, then a silk scarf can totally support the weight of my cameras. So I made a camera strap from a scarf!

What You’ll Need:

• A silk scarf or cut fabric; 60″ long (Surprisingly affordable!)
• 2 key rings (Sturdier the better)
• Scissors
• Chalk
• Needle and thread
• Leather, pleather, or ribbon (optional)

Step 1 – Measure it out

Pick a scarf, any scarf. Patterns are nice, but hey, how about this solid colored one? Your choice! You can even go to a fabric store, and have a custom piece cut for you.

Now, put your scarf or piece of fabric on around your neck as if you were going to wear it like a camera strap.

Use your piece of chalk to mark where you want the strap to meet your camera.

Then, mark about an inch and a half below that. (You need to have room to stitch the bottom of the scarf up.)

Step 2 – Cut Along the Lines

Cut along the bottom line that you made. Easy.

Step 3 – Add the Key Rings

Slip the end of each scarf into a respective key ring.

You’re going to sew these guys in place with some needle and thread. Leave about an inch of wiggle room between the key ring and where you sew the fabric down.

It’s a short way to go, so you can do this by hand pretty quickly.

If this is your first time handling needle and thread, here’s a little guide.

If you have a sewing machine, all the quicker!

Step 4 – Spruce Up Your Strap (Optional)

This part is just a little added flare to make your strap look more finished. So, it’s optional.

You’ll be making two little tubes to slip over the end of each strap. If you’re advanced with sewing, try something sharp like leather (or pleather). Sew two little tubes as pictured.

If you’re not into sewing leather, you can make a tube out of ribbon by hand stitching two ends of the ribbon together.

Slip one tube over the each end of your strap, and sew it in place (so it doesn’t fall off!).

Step 5 – Wear and Be Admired

Attach your strap to your camera via the key rings, and there you have it.

Now wear it, and let the compliments roll in.

Mix it Up With More Ideas:

• Now that your original strap is replaced, you can use it to make a DIY sling bag.
• Think neck straps are so 2011? Make a DIY hand strap!
• If you don’t want to throw out your o.g. strap, make a colorful cover for it.
• Add a DIY lens cap keeper or get a Lens Cap Holder

.

Stacie Grissom is a DIY-er and photography-lover who runs Stars for Streetlights, a blog about crafts, fashion, and photography.

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Check out that sweet collection of lenses for your smarty-pants phone. You’re prepared for everything, aren’t ya?

Alas, it never fails. Somehow, the lens you need is always nestled in the deep recesses of your bag.

Your solution: the iPhone Lens Wallet! It keeps all of your favorite cell lenses in one handy case. It’s as if someone fired a shrink ray at your camera bag.

The Macro/Wide Angle, Fisheye, 2x Telephoto and 8x Telephoto lenses all have a home in this durable case. A fool-proof way to always have the right lens at the right time!

The iPhone Lens Wallet Tweet It!
$15 for Lens Wallet
$79 for Lens Wallet with Lenses

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You’ve taken #From Where I Stand shots in a snowy field, in line at the market, on 8 mile hikes and down alleyways in far-off countries.

The last frontier? The ledge of your town’s highest skyscraper.

Sounds scary, but once you scale your way up and point your camera down, you’ll fall in love with what you see.

Dennis Maitland can attest to it. He’s been documenting his rooftop adventures in Detroit by photographing his feet over ledges.

The result is an awesome collection of aerial views with a touch of self-portrait.

#Fromwhereistand → #Fromwheremyfeetdangle.

Dennis Maitland’s Skyscraper Self-Portraits
via Fubiz

p.s. Looking for unique ways to print your photos? Our pals at Nations Photo Lab have great new prices on their solid wood Gallery Blocks!

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