It was only going to be a matter of time before I created my own Instagram
Hashtag community, I was just waiting for that burst of inspiration to come
along and reveal something like this that was so apt and representative of
what The Rose Glow really stands for.
This blog post is an advertisement feature with Kula Bags but all
thoughts are my own.
Sustainable Gift Guide for Everyone - Under £10
Whoever you're gifting, whatever the occasion, you can now be more equipped to splash that little bit more on a treat. My previous post kept the budget below £10, but now I'm ready to showcase some brilliant items above the £10 mark which would make wonderful gifts for anyone in your life. I've kept everything under £30 too, to keep a reasonable budget.
For the Style Seeker...
Kula Bags are unique, affordable and sustainable bags made from excellent vegan material. The material is a durable, washable paper. Yes, you read that right, paper that can be popped in the washing machine! I luckily got to try out the Whitworth Backpack which is a lovely small bag, ideal for days around the city or popping into Uni, with around 6 pockets, inside and out.
The neutral colour spans across their whole collection and will complement any outfit, no matter what season it is. Vegan Society and Peta approved, with no plastic packaging on delivery, this bag is perfect for anyone looking for a sustainable addition to their bag collection.
At £29, the bag is more than reasonably priced for a gift that is going to last a long time, and have a more positive impact on the environment.
For the Tech Lover...
There are two types of people in the world: those who always have a cracked phone screen and a phone case torn to pieces, and those who have every possible accessory for their phone. Either way, the Pela Phone case will fit perfectly in their life. Made with 100% compostable material, this case is designed to be flexible for your phone and the environment.  |  |
For the one close to your heart...
When you're looking for something incredibly special and thoughtful, it has to be the Recycled Inglot necklace from A Typical Thing. You can add any personalised initials or numbers to this recycled sterling silver pendant which is made by hand, each unique, and packaged in biodegradable gift packaging. This one is definitely on my (very early) Christmas list!
For the BYO foodies...
For a great value price of £13.99, Huski sells the extraordinary Multi-compartment lunch box, made out of recycled rice husks. If improperly treated, rice husks can be a biohazard so Huski has turned the problem around and created this sustainable material, free from toxic chemicals. If you have a friend who likes to take their lunch to work, school, or on their weekend hikes - this is perfect for them!
For the PPE peeps...
In a world changed by a pandemic, face coverings are potentially a new way of life. If you have a friend who is a little tired of those blue paper masks, it may be time to pimp their PPE with Maask. For every order, Maask donates 2 medical-grade respirators to frontline workers as well as working to clean up ocean litter. The coverings are made entirely out of recycled ocean plastic and the filters inside can last up to 69 hours or 1 month.
Don't forget to wrap your gifts in a sustainable way too.Check out my blog post for sustainable gift wrapping ideas.
One of the newest trends for Instagram stories is adding image backgrounds when you share a post to your stories. The trend, however, relies on extra
effort, unlike the other creative tools that sit in the top right-hand
corner.
The idea is that you have an image of your choice behind the shared post but
don't lose the ability to tap and follow the image. So far, it seems there is
only one way to do this and, while it does take a bit of patience and a
technical thinking cap, it soon becomes easier over time and ends up looking
brilliant.
Following this step-by-step guide, you can achieve more creative Instagram
stories...
HOW TO: MAKE THE MOST CREATIVE INSTAGRAM STORIES.
STEP ONE
Download the App, 'Over'. This app is best for this technique, though some claim you can use PicsArt too. Personally, I prefer Over, I find it easier to navigate for this particular job.
STEP TWO
Choose a background. Whether you want to have a look through the great selection of free images available through Unsplash and Pixabay on Over, or have a little look around Pinterest with your screenshot buttons, either way, find yourself the perfect background. I tend to choose something with a
relevant theme or colour palette to the image I want to share. You can also choose the exact matching image to the one you share, but remember that we're going to be cropping these images soon.
Check out a range of my examples below. These demonstrate background images
directly associated with the image, or backgrounds chosen from
Pinterest/Unsplash.
STEP THREE
Upload your image to Over and slide along the bottom to select the appropriate size. Since Instagram stories are 9:16, that's the option you are going to choose. Don't worry if it's cropped your image just yet, select the size, then zoom.
STEP FOUR
Once you've aligned the image to how you want it, tap and selection the 'Edit' option. Once you've done that, you can slide along the controls. If you choose to, you can blur the image a little (I do this sometimes; see above) to draw focus to the image you're sharing. To do this, select the 'Blur' tool and add as much as you'd like.
STEP FIVE
It's getting a bit trickier now. Slide across to 'Mask' and tap your finger wherever you'd like to make a hole in your image. Your circle must be accurate so do not move your finger.
Even the slightest bit of error (sometimes completely unnoticeable to our eyes) can mean the image loses its transparency in the end and, when applied to Instagram, it will just continue to flip. This is the trickiest part of the whole process. It could take you anywhere between 1-100 attempts to get this right and, to be honest, even practice doesn't make perfect, it's just luck. Nevertheless, keep trying and you'll get there in the end.
STEP SIX
Save the image. Before you go ahead, check in the export settings (right at the bottom of the save page) that you are exporting as a png. Then save.
STEP SEVEN
Head over to your photos and select the image. If you pinch the image, you should be able to see the transparent circle. Diving into the sharing options, select copy photo.
STEP EIGHT
Pop over to Instagram and select the image you want to share, opting for 'Add Post to Your Story' via the paper-aeroplane button below the image. Once the image appears on the story editing screen, pinch it to a smaller size. If you chose to add your 'Mask' hole at the centre of your image (like the one shown on my demo images) keep the image in the centre of the screen, otherwise place it around where you added the hole.
STEP NINE
Add the copied photo. Do this by tapping and selecting 'Paste'. Then, once the image appears, adjust it to fit the whole screen. You should be able to see the interactive photo from your feed through the transparent hole.
STEP TEN
Tap on your Instagram image through the hole in the background image; when the image comes forward HOORAY! If it doesn't (and if the background image just flips) you need to rewind yourself back to Step 5 and retry the process until it goes right.
All in all, it's a fiddly process for something so small but, of course, it's worth getting comfortable with new Instagram and marketing trends as a way of demonstrating a fresh, up-to-date, and savvy brand.
Adding interesting, creative tweaks to your Instagram stories are a fantastic way to demonstrate your abilities and create more eye-catching, unique content.
When I was younger, there was a Pick Your Own (PYO) farm just down the road
from us and, much to my parent's expense, it was always my favourite place to
go. Fast forward about 15 years, and I can confirm it is still just as fun to
go hunting for your own little basket of fruit.
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