Project Life Just Add Color: Scrapbooking Square Instagram Photos with a Bright Core Kit
The Just Add Color core kit was built for square photos. Its bright cards, tiny 2×2 fillers and card stock stickers were designed so everyday phone snapshots could go into an album without much fuss. Here is what came in the kit and how to get the most from it.
The kit holds 60 title cards at 4×6 inches, 20 journaling cards at 4×6, 80 journaling cards at 4×4 and 400 cards at 2×2. It also came with 20 pages of coordinating card stock stickers, plastic pocket pages with small square pockets, and a matching album. Because every piece shares one palette, you can build a spread without choosing colors one by one.
Why square photos need their own kit
Most pocket pages are planned around 4×6 prints. Instagram-style photos are square, so they leave odd gaps. Pockets sized for 4×4 and 2×2 solve that. Squares of different sizes sit side by side, and the cards fill the leftover space.
It also suits albums built around events instead of weeks. Everyday moments from a phone can sit alongside the bigger occasions, so the album shows ordinary days too.
How to build a spread
A sticker-only layout
The simplest approach is to embellish with nothing except the included stickers. Tuck small flags or flowers onto a journaling card, and the page looks finished. Since the stickers were made to match the cards, nothing clashes.
Using 2×2 cards beyond the small pockets
- Choose a blank grid card in the size you need.
- Cut a 4×4 card in half to make a strip.
- Layer the strip over the grid card with adhesive so the 2×2 patterns form a colorful background.
- Slide the finished card into a pocket as a backdrop for a photo or a few lines of journaling.
Filler cards also work as a pop of color tucked behind a photo. If a picture needs a little context, add a short journaling card nearby. The page then explains the moment without losing the playful look.
Stickers for empty space
Sticker flags along the bottom edge of a large photo fill blank white space and lead the eye to a favorite image. A sticker on a title card adds color too.
Photos that need no explanation
One of the best uses is a pocket page of small photos with no journaling at all. Fill the little square pockets with moments that simply made you smile. Print the tiny images as a contact-sheet style layout, then trim them to fit. Keep the margins consistent so the squares sit neatly in their pockets.
Variations and tips
- Two-sided fillers: each 2×2 card carries the same design on both sides. One side is bright and the other is in muted grays and black. Flip them to match warm or neutral albums.
- Date stamps: if you have never stamped on a layout, start with a small date stamp on a journaling card. Use ink that suits the card surface and let it dry before slipping the card into a pocket.
- Mix sizes: alternate 4×4 photos with 2×2 cards so the page has rhythm instead of a uniform grid.
- Keep journaling short: a few words on a 4×4 card is enough for a day-to-day snapshot.
Work with your photos laid out first. Arrange the cards and photos in the pockets before you stick anything down, and add stickers last. Start with the pictures you care about most, then use the small cards to balance each page.
