| How to Put Polaroid Pictures on a Wall Posted: 31 Jul 2020 01:00 AM PDT Polaroid pictures are a classic type of instant film photos that are still very popular today. If you have a big Polaroid collection, you might be wondering how you can put them up on your wall to show them off or just enjoy them yourself. There are many ways you can do this to complement the other decor of your space, so feel free to get creative and display your Polaroids in a way that shows off your unique taste and style. Consider things like the amount of Polaroids you have available to display and what kind of aesthetic you're going for to choose how you want to put them up. [Edit]Covering a Wall in Polaroids - Choose enough Polaroids to make a large grid that will cover your wall. Decide how big you want the grid of pictures to be and make sure that the size you decide on will fit on the wall that you want to cover. Go through your Polaroid photos and pick out the photos you want to display as part of your Polaroid wall.[1]
- For example, you could make a grid that is 12 photos wide by 14 photos tall. For this, you would need to choose 168 Polaroids.
- If you don't have enough Polaroids to completely cover your wall, that's OK. You can just make a large grid that covers the middle of it, the top half of it, or one side of it. It's totally up to you and the aesthetic you want to create. You can always add more Polaroids later on, too.
- Stick 4 pieces of double-sided tape on the back of a Polaroid. Peel a piece of double-sided tape that is about long off of its roll. Stick it on the back of a Polaroid picture in 1 of the corners. Repeat this for each corner of the photo.[2]
- If you don't have double-sided tape, you can just use regular clear adhesive tape instead. Just double the tape back over itself, with the sticky side facing out, to create a small loop that is sticky on both sides.
- Press the Polaroid photo onto the wall where the top edge of your grid will be. Hold the picture up to the wall and make sure the top edge is straight. Press the photo against the wall and apply pressure to each corner to help the tape adhere to the wall.[3]
- Always start at the top of your grid. That way, you can use the ceiling to help you align the first photo. Otherwise, you might end up with a crooked grid.
- Repeat the process to stick photos below the first Polaroid to create a column. Choose all the pictures you want in your first column of Polaroids. Stick double-sided tape on the back of each photo, in all 4 corners, and stick the Polaroids one-by-one below the preceding photo until you complete the column.[4]
- For example, if you decided that your grid is going to be 12 photos tall, stick 11 more pictures right under the first Polaroid.
- Try to put the edges of all your photos right up against each other, so you end up with a tight, neat grid.
- Create adjacent columns of Polaroids to make your grid of pictures. Stick another Polaroid at the top of the wall, right next to the first photo you placed. Fill in the wall below it with an equal number of photos next to the ones in the first column. Keep adding columns until your grid is the width that you want.[5]
- For example, if you want your grid to be 14 photos wide, create 13 columns adjacent to the first one.
- If you have Polaroids of different sizes or orientations, make sure that all the photos in 1 row are the same size and orientation, so your grid will turn out even.
[Edit]Displaying Polaroids in Creative Ways - Make a photo garland frame to upcycle an old picture frame. Remove the glass and backing from a wood picture frame, if it has them, so you're left with just the frame. Screw pairs of frame hanging eyelets into the inside vertical edges of the frame, across from one another, and tie a piece of string or wire between them. Clip your Polaroids to the string or wire using clothespins, then hang the frame on your wall.[6]
- You could use 1 large frame that takes up a lot of your wall or use a smaller frame and mix it in with other framed art and pictures on your wall. Get creative to achieve the look that you want for your space.
- A cool thing about this way to hang Polaroid pictures is that you can keep the frame on your wall and swap out the pictures whenever you want. All you have to do is unclip a photo that you're tired of and put a new one up.
- Clip Polaroids to string lights to create a boho fairy light garland. Hang string lights from your ceiling against the wall or side to side across your wall. Use clothespins to clip your Polaroids to the string light cables between the light bulbs.[7]
- This creates a magical, cozy wall gallery for your Polaroids. You can turn off your main lights and relax in the dim glow of the fairy lights, all while admiring the photos you've taken and being reminded of the good memories.
- Use a glass picture frame to display Polaroid arrangements. Open up a glass picture frame and lay out multiple Polaroid pictures however you want to display them. Close the glass to sandwich the pictures in place, then hang the frame up on your wall.[8]
- For example, you could use a bunch of overlapping photos to create a busy collage. On the other hand, you could space out just a few to create a more minimal look. It's totally up to you, so do whatever you think looks best.
- You can even try sandwiching other things along with the Polaroids in the glass frame to give it a unique touch. For example, you could use dried leaves to give the framed photos an Autumn look.
- Put your Polaroids on an old wooden shutter for a shabby chic look. Use clothespins to clip photos to the slats of an old wooden shutter. Hang the shutter up on your wall to display the Polaroids.[9]
- You could make 2 of these shutter galleries and hang them on your wall on either side of a window to make the shutters look like they actually belong to the window.
- If you don't have clothespins, you could also use double-sided tape to stick the photos to the slats of the shutter.
- Pin Polaroids to a cork, foam, or magnetic board to create a useful decoration. Put a cork board, foam board, or magnetic board up on your wall. Use thumbtacks or another type of pin to stick your Polaroids to a cork board or foam board. Use magnetic clips to put your photos up on a magnetic board.[10]
- These types of boards are great for spaces like home offices or even kitchens, so you can pin up things like work notes or recipes as well.
- Stick Polaroids to your wall using colorful washi tape to add fun accents. Washi tape is a decorative paper masking tape that comes in all kinds of different colors and patterns. Place it across the corners or edges of your Polaroid photos and stick them anywhere you want on your wall.[11]
- Washi tape is easy to remove without damaging the surface it is stuck to, so you don't have to worry about damaging your photos or your wall.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Covering a Wall in Polaroids - Polaroid pictures
- Double-sided tape
[Edit]References |
| How to Preserve Cherries Posted: 30 Jul 2020 05:00 PM PDT When you have a plethora of cherries, there are plenty of ways to preserve them so you can enjoy them for months to come. Try canning cherries to keep a stock in your pantry for pies, desserts, or other baking needs. Make maraschino cherries for a tasty treat or addition to cocktails. You can even easily freeze big batches of cherries to add to smoothies, or to use in recipes later down the road. [Edit]Ingredients [Edit]Canned Cherries - of cherries, either sour or sweet, stemmed and pitted
- of water
- 1.5 to 2 cups (300 to 400 grams) of white sugar
Makes about 32 ounces (2 pints) of canned cherries [Edit]Maraschino Cherries - of maraschino liqueur
- 16 ounces (1 pint) of sour cherries, stemmed and pitted
Makes 16 ounces (1 pint) of maraschino cherries [Edit]Frozen Cherries - of cherries, stemmed and pitted
[Edit]Making Canned Cherries - Rinse, pit, and stem your cherries. For canning cherries, you can use either sweet or sour varieties. Rinse them under cool water and remove all the stems and pits. To pit the cherry, cut them out with a knife or invest in a cherry pitter to help you pit quicker. While you're processing the cherries, discard of any that are mushy or rotten. Set the cherries to the side on a clean dish towel when you're done.[1]
- of cherries will fill one 16-ounce (1 pint) jar.
- Use sweet cherries, like rainier or bing, for desserts or to eat on their own.
- Use sour cherries, like early richmond or morello, for future pie-filling and danish-making purposes.
- Make a simple syrup to store the cherries in. Because cherries are already so sweet, you can use less sugar in your simple syrup than you normally would. Depending on your preference, use 1.5 to 2 cups (300 to 400 grams) of white sugar and of water. Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat once it's done.[2]
- If you want softer cherries, cook them in the simple syrup for about 5 minutes before you take the pan off the heat. Otherwise, you don't need to cook the cherries at all.
- Add about of syrup to each jar. Your of cherries will fill 32 ounces (2 pints), and you can divvy up those ounces between different sizes of jars. Pour about of syrup into each jar you decide to use.[3]
- Make sure to use clean jars with tight-fitting lids.
- Fill each jar to the top with cherries. Take your stemmed and pitted cherries and fill each jar to the brim. Once you've done this, tap the jar on the counter or table several times to help the cherries settle into place. If there is excess room after doing this, go ahead and add a few more cherries.[4]
- Wash your hands before working with the cherries again.
- How packed you make each jar is up to you. It won't hurt anything to really stuff them in there. The only risk you run with lightly filling jars is that you might run out of simple syrup and have to make more, but even that doesn't take much time.
- Pour more syrup into each jar, leaving of headspace. Once the cherries are in the jars, add more simple syrup to each one. Stop filling the jar once the syrup reaches the headspace level.[5]
- This extra space is important in keeping your cherries safe during the hot water bath. Overfilling the jars could potentially cause them to break.
- Process the cherries in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. Fill the water bath canner halfway with water and heat it to . Place the filled and sealed jars into the bath, then add more water to cover all the jars by . Put the lid on the canner, and let the jars process for 15 minutes before removing them with rubber tongs or a jar lifter.[6]
- If you don't have a hot water bath, use a large, deep pot with a lid instead. Use a thermometer to make sure the water gets to .
- Keep unopened, canned cherries for up to 2 years in your pantry. Store the jars of cherries in a cool, dry location. If left unopened, they'll last for 18 to 24 months, or possibly even longer. Once they've been opened, store them in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.[7]
- If the cherries have an odd smell when you open the jar or develop mold, discard of them immediately.
- Label the "Date Made" on each jar of cherries.
- Use canned cherries to make pies and other baked goods. You can also spoon them over ice cream or blend them into a milkshake.
[Edit]Making Maraschino Cherries - Rinse, pit, and stem 16 ounces (1 pint) of sour cherries. The morello cherry is the best known sour cherry, but you can also use the montmorency cherry or the early richmond. Rinse the cherries under cool water and remove all the stems and pits. To remove the pits, cut them out with a sharp knife, or use a cherry pitter to make the process go a little faster.[8]
- You can buy a cherry pitter online or at a home goods store for less than $10.
- Simmer of maraschino liqueur on the stove. Measure out the liqueur into a saucepan and simmer it over medium-high heat. Stir it occasionally to keep the liqueur from burning.[9]
- If you don't like maraschino liqueur, you could also use equal amounts of bourbon or brandy to preserve your cherries.
- Add the pitted cherries to the simmering liqueur. Once the liqueur is simmering, transfer the stemmed and pitted cherries to the saucepan. Stir them in to coat them in the liqueur.[10]
- Be careful to not burn yourself on the hot saucepan.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool. After you've added the cherries, turn off the heat and remove the saucepan from the burner. Let the cherries and liqueur cool down for about 30 minutes.[11]
- If you were to add the cherries to the jars right away, the heat might cause the glass to shatter.
- Transfer the cherries to a glass jar, and then refrigerate them. Use a 16-ounce (1 pint) jar or 2 8-ounce (1/2 pint) jars for the cherries. Carefully spoon the cherries and liqueur into the jar, and then seal the lid on tightly. Put the cherries into the fridge right away.[12]
- Maraschino cherries make great gifts. Double or triple your batch and make extras to give away to friends and family.
- Let the cherries macerate for 2 to 3 days before you eat them. The longer the cherries soak in the liqueur, the more flavorful they will be. You can even let them sit for as long as 2 months before opening them. Just make sure to keep them in the fridge so they are safe to eat.[13]
- If you eat the cherries too soon, chances are the flavors won't have had time to mix together yet. They'll be safe to eat, but they won't taste as good.
- Use opened maraschino cherries within one year. If you keep the opened jars in the fridge, the cherries should be good to eat for 6 to 12 months. If you notice any mold or strange flavors, though, you should get rid of them.[14]
- Label the jar with the "Date Made." This will help you remember to use them before they go bad.
[Edit]Making Frozen Cherries - Stem, pit, and sort the cherries before freezing them. Freezing cherries is a great option for whenever you have leftover fruit that you won't be able to use before it goes bad. There's no limit for how few or how many you can freeze, except for your available storage space. Remove the stems and pits, and discard any cherries that are mushy or rotten.[15]
- Don't rinse the cherries before freezing them. The water will affect the skins and may change the taste and texture after they're frozen.
- You definitely don't have to remove the stems and pits from the cherries, but it does make it a lot easier to use them later as you won't have to take the time to do it then.
- Use a cherry pitter to make the process go faster. If you don't have a pitter, use a sharp knife to cut out the pits.
- Spread the cherries on a baking sheet and freeze them for several hours. Make sure there is a little bit of space between each cherry so that they don't freeze in clumps. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet, then place that sheet in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours.[16]
- Freezing the cherries on the tray before transferring them to the storage bag will keep the cherries separate, making it easier to remove however many you need for a given recipe. If you put fresh cherries into a bag and froze them, they would form one giant mass.
- If your freezer isn't deep enough to accommodate a baking sheet, you could also use a plate.
- Transfer the frozen cherries to a plastic bag or freezer-safe container. Once the cherries have frozen through, remove them from the baking sheet. Put them into a large resealable plastic bag or a lidded container that can go in the freezer. Put the bag or container back in the freezer.[17]
- If you use cherries regularly for things like smoothies, portion them out into snack-sized bags to make your smoothie-making routine a little easier. That way you won't have to take out the entire bag every time you need a handful of cherries.
- Use the cherries within one year of freezing them for the best flavor. The cherries will be safe indefinitely, but the flavor will start to decline after 12 months. To defrost the cherries, put them in a bowl on the counter and let them thaw until they're no longer frozen, which should take about 30 minutes.[18]
- Label the bag or container with the "Date Made."
- You can also dry cherries if you have a dehydrator.
- Always store your cherries in the fridge until you're ready to preserve them. This will keep them fresh for longer than if they were to sit out on the counter.[19]
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Canning Cherries - Cherry pitter or knife
- Dish towel
- Saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring cups
- Glass jars with lids
- Water bath canner or deep pot with lid
- Silicone tongs or jar lifter
[Edit]Making Maraschino Cherries - Cherry pitter or knife
- Saucepan
- Measuring cup
- Glass jar(s) with lid(s)
- Spoon
[Edit]Freezing Cherries - Cherry pitter or knife
- Baking sheet(s)
- Resealable plastic bags or freezer-safe containers
[Edit]References |
| How to Promote Your Art Online Posted: 30 Jul 2020 09:00 AM PDT Thanks to the meteoric rise of social media, promoting your art online is more important than ever. Though advertising your work on the web may seem complicated or unnerving, especially if you're a more traditional artist, actually doing it is a fun and engaging process. [Edit]Increasing Your Online Presence - Create an online portfolio to showcase your best work.[1] Your online portfolio should show off 10 to 15 of your best works of art. Try to pick pieces that give a good sense of your style and technique, and make sure to include relevant information like each piece's title, description, medium, and size.[2]
- Some artists create unique portfolio websites using services like Squarespace and Wix. Others host their portfolio on free sites like Behance.
- Make sure to upload high-resolution versions of your art so people can see all the details.
- Start an art blog to drive traffic to your portfolio. In addition to your portfolio, consider starting an online blog to keep people updated on your life and work. Online search results rely primarily on text, so posting on your blog regularly will help direct people to your main portfolio.
- If you really enjoy writing, you can also use your blog as a platform to discuss your artistic inspirations, favorite creators, and anything else you're passionate about.
- Some popular blogging services you can sign up for include Blogger, Wordpress, and Medium.
- Create social media accounts to reach new fans. To give yourself a real online presence, sign up for a variety of social media services. Posting on these platforms regularly will allow you to connect with new fans and keep people interested in your work over long periods of time.[3]
- Post your art on social media so people can share it around. If you're lucky, 1 of your pieces will go viral and direct lots of potential fans back to you.
- Some great social media platforms for artists include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest.
- Put your work on specialty websites to reach people interested in art. Unlike standard social media networks, specialty art websites can give you access to people who understand and appreciate the craft itself. Upload your work to as many of these sites as possible so your art has the greatest amount of reach.[4]
- Search online for websites related to your style or medium of choice.
- Some websites to consider uploading to include DeviantArt, Artstation, 500px, CGSociety, and ConceptArt.
[Edit]Networking - Join online art communities to find other creators. Perhaps the easiest way to connect with artists online is by joining and actively posting in art forums and social media groups.[5] There are thousands of different communities on the web, so search around to find ones that appeal to you.[6]
- Different communities have different membership guidelines, so read through a forum or social media group's rules before joining.
- Large communities are best for getting ideas and promoting your work. Small communities are best for meeting new people.
- Some popular online communities include the WetCanvas forums, the Artist Daily forums, and Facebook's Artists Trying to Make a Living Creating Art group.
- Comment on and share other people's work to build goodwill. When you come across an awesome piece of art on a social media network or specialty art website, take a few moments and leave a comment explaining what you like about it. Then, consider sharing it with others through your social media accounts. Not only does this promote the overall community, but it will make the artist feel good and can help you foster a professional relationship with them.
- If you really like a piece of art, consider remaking it or transforming it into something new. Doing this will bring attention to both yourself and the other artist.
- Try making fan art of your favorite creators and sending it to them. Many artists will share this type of content, and a few may even start following your work after.
- In addition to promoting their work, consider reaching out to artists directly on social media.
- Participate in community projects to meet new people and gain exposure. In real life, artists get together to participate in things like gallery openings and street shows. In the same way, online artists often work together to create artwork compilations, fan magazines, and similar things. Though these projects rarely pay anything, they're a great way to meet other artists and get your work in front of new people.[7]
- Participate in projects that match your style or center around subjects you enjoy.
- These projects are often poorly advertised, so the best way to find them is by following your favorite artists on social media and keeping an eye out for any announcements they share.
- Submit your work to online competitions for publicity. Enter your art in as many online contests as you can. Whenever you win, you'll expose a whole new group of people to your art. However, even if you lose most of them, you'll still make the contest's promoters and judges aware of your work.[8]
- If a judge or promoter liked your submission, they may start tracking your work. This can lead to jobs and publicity down the road.
- Some online contests give out monetary prizes, though most simply offer feature spots or other forms of exposure.
- Websites like Fine Art America and Artists Network host a number of competitions throughout the year.
[Edit]Creating Online Content - Upload lots of different art pieces to engage more people. When promoting yourself online, the key is quantity. The more artwork you put up, the higher chance you'll have of attracting new fans and keeping your current fans happy. These pieces don't need to have the same level of detail as a gallery submission, but they should still be clean and relatively polished.[9]
- Try to make at least 1 art-related post every day.
- Put up 2 or 3 unfinished versions of each piece in addition to the final product. This will help you turn a single work of art into multiple online posts.
- You can also upload content that isn't your art. Share photos of other art that you like, images that showcase something that inspires you, or other related content that can help people understand who you are as an artist.[10]
- Create artwork based around popular topics to help people find you. Even if your art is jaw-droppingly beautiful, most people won't be able to find any of it until you gain more popularity. However, if you create small, topical pieces and post them online, people may stumble across them during their normal browsing sessions. Then, they can follow the piece back to your social media accounts.
- Try making pieces based on popular movies, TV shows, video games, and musicians.
- Pay attention to the trending sections of sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Doing so will show you what's popular on any given day.
- Make sure to tag your pieces so that they show up in people's search results.
- Make content that shows off your personality to develop a supportive fanbase. When promoting your work online, your personality is just as important as the art itself. People like to support creators that are honest and engaging, so try to make pieces of content that showcase your unique perspectives and opinions.
- Share posts on social media that show your studio space, your inspirations, and the process behind creating artworks. This helps to understand how you work and is a very interesting glimpse into the life of an artist.[11]
- If you have a camera, record yourself talking about the things you're interested in. These types of videos, known as vlogs, are incredibly popular and will make people feel closer to you.
- If you have a webcam and computer, try hosting creative livestreams on sites like YouTube and Twitch. Doing this will allow you to show off your personality while working on your art.
- If you're worried about people stealing your art, use a graphic editing program to add a personal watermark to everything.
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
Photo by Christian Charisius/picture alliance via Getty Images 
Illustration by Alex Castro 
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge 
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge 
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge 
Photo by Eduardo Sanz / Europa Press via Getty Images 
Photo illustration by William Joel / The Verge 
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge 
