Extra photos for bloggers: 1, 2, 3, 4.

It’s that time of the year again…

…Polaroid Week!

Also Known As: A magical week when photographers around the world celebrate all things instant and make photos like crazy.

We’re already having a blast celebrating,
and want you to join us!

Because we ♥ you, we’ve rounded up our favorite projects, tips, & inspiration to get your instant ideas developing! (See what we did there? har har.)

Grab your camera, feed it some film, and read on to learn how to use instant photos to decorate, stay organized, make hand-made photograms, and even see-through instant prints!

Tips, DIY Projects and Where to Get Film

p.s. Wanna win the smartest & comfiest camera strap your shoulder’s ever met? Follow @Photojojo and tweet this for a chance to win a Split Strap!! *squeeeee!*

First & Foremost: Find Instant Film!

Is your instant camera hungry for film?

Worry not, we’ve got ya covered.

Have a Polaroid 600-series or SX-70 camera?

• Find color & black/white instant film made by The Impossible Project at the Photojojo shop!
• Impossible Project also sells their own special edition instant films. (In beautiful custom packaging to boot!)
• Original (now expired) Polaroid 600 film can still be found on sites like eBay and Craigslist, but usually at a hefty price.

Have a Polaroid Spectra camera?

• You can find Impossible Project’s spectra film in color & black/white on their site, as well as the original expired Polaroid brand variety.

Have a Fuji Instax camera?

• We’ve got your instant film right here! Pick your format: Instax Mini or Instax Wide.

Looking for a a Polaroid camera to call your own? Yep, you guessed it.. Impossible Project‘s got those too.

The Pola-Wall

Ah, the Pola wall. Perhaps our favorite way to decorate with ‘roids.

Simple, fun to make, and impressive to see.

It’ll double your wall’s self-esteem in 3 steps:

1. Grab as many instant prints you can.
   (About 200 are shown here.)
2. Arrange by format/color/date. Or don’t.
3. Attach to your wall in a grid pattern with artist tape, poster putty, and/or fotoclips. (Other tapes, like scotch tape, will fall off your wall.)

*Note: We also recommend using a level to keep your grid straight as you go along.

Instant Photo Noteboards

You can use instant photos as mini dry-erase boards!

The plastic coating on Polaroid and Instax films allows you to write & erase on their surface with dry-erase markers.

• How to use instant photos as reusable noteboards.

Leave messages, write to-do lists, …or just draw a sweet ‘stache on your best friend!

Pola-Calendar

Polaroids and Instax prints can be used to make a perpetual photo calendar you can change every month!

You’ll need:
1. 44 Instant prints.
2. Magnets, tacks, or Fotoclips
3. To be ready to answer tons of questions you’ll get about your amazing new calendar.

Read our perpetual photo wall calendar tutorial for more on how to construct it once you’ve picked out the prints you want to use.

Film Pack Frames

Don’t throw away your empty instant film cartridges when you’re done shooting.

They can be used as frames to display the prints!

Here’s how:
1. Look for springy metal or black plastic sheet inside the empty cartridge.
2. Hold down the sheet, insert photo into small slit opening on the bottom of the cartridge.
3. Depending on the film type, you may want to tape the photo in place.

They look great standing freely on a desk or shelf, but can also be easily attached to your wall with thumb tacks!

Experiments & Special Films

Certain Impossible Project films can be used to do extra special things:

• Using PX Black Frame film, you can turn your instant prints into see-through photos in under 5 minutes!
• You can turn any PX instant film into a watercolor image transfer!

You can also make old-school photograms with your instant film:

• How to: hand-made exposures & photograms using any instant film!.

Different film types and brands all react differently to experiments, so why not try some of your own as well? (Just remember: Always wear gloves if you’re going to touch instant film chemicals!)

Even more ways to celebrate the best week ever!

• Sign up for the ‘Roid Week 2011 group on flickr. You’ll find a heap of information on Polaroid week itself, prizes for participating, and a growing gorgeous collection of instant photos that were all taken this week.
• Check out this amazing video of how Impossible Project instant films are made (with an inside look at their factory!)
• Don’t have an instant camera? Get inspired by Homemade Polaroid, a collection of adorable Polaroid illustrations.
• Two is better than one: Join two Instant photos together for a great looking diptych. (Check out some great ones from our pal Heather Champ)
• Love a special print despite it being a ‘mistake’? Other photogs are right there with ya in the Polaroid Mishap group on flickr.
• Make a self-portrait! Join the Polaroid Self-Portraits group on flickr & upload your photo to a gallery of over 2,5000 Polaroid portraits!
• Want to make your regular photo prints look like Polaroids? We’ve got some lovely Magnetic Polaroid Frames in our shop that’ll do just the trick.

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