How to Make a Collage on Instagram Story Without Layout

Ditching Instagram’s stiff Layout mode for collages is easier than you think. Forget wrestling with rigid templates - you can create beautiful, freeform photo collages directly within your Instagram Story using a simple, built-in feature. This detailed guide will show you exactly how to do it, step-by-step, along with some tricks to make your collage content stand out from the crowd.

The Easiest Way: Using the Add Photo Sticker

The secret to making a custom, template-free collage is hiding in plain sight: the photo sticker. Instead of starting with the "Layout" grid option, you start with a clean slate and add your images one by one. This method gives you complete creative freedom over the size, shape, placement, and layering of your photos.

Here’s the simple, step-by-step process:

Step 1: Set Up Your Story Background

First, open the Instagram Story camera. Before you start adding photos, you need a canvas. You have a few options for your background:

• Solid Color: Tap the "Create" mode (the "Aa" icon). You can then tap the circle in the bottom right corner to cycle through different background colors. For a custom color swatch, you can snap any photo, select the draw tool, use the color dropper to pick a specific color, then tap and hold the screen to fill it with that background.
• Photo Background: Swipe up to open your camera roll and select an image to use as the backdrop. A pro tip is to use a photo with lots of empty space or blur a photo to make the collage elements pop.
• Pre-Made Background: You can also use a pre-made background graphic from an app like Canva and upload it as the base of your story.

Once your background is in place, you’re ready to build your collage.

Step 2: Find and Use the Photo Sticker

This is where the magic happens. After setting your background, tap the sticker icon at the top of the screen (the little square smiley face). This opens the sticker tray where you find polls, questions, GIFs, and more.

Scroll down a little bit and you’ll see an icon that looks like a simplified photo gallery - often it will be a circle with a small preview of one of your recent photos from your camera roll. It might also have a plus sign or mountain icon on it. Tap this photo sticker.

Step 3: Add and Style Your First Photo

Tapping the photo sticker will open your phone’s camera roll. Select the first image you want to add to your collage.

Once it’s on the screen, you can:

• Resize It: Use two fingers to pinch and zoom, making the photo larger or smaller.
• Move It: Drag the photo with one finger to place it anywhere on screen.
• Rotate It: Twist with two fingers to rotate the image.
• Change its Shape: This is the secret weapon. Simply tap on the photo you just added. Instagram will cycle through different shapes: a square with sharp corners, rounded corners, a circle, a star, and a heart. Keep tapping until you find a shape you like.

Go ahead and place your first photo where you want it to go. Don’t worry about perfect placement just yet, you can always move it later.

Step 4: Repeat the Process to Build Your Collage

Now, just rinse and repeat. Tap the sticker icon again, select the photo sticker, and choose your next image. Place, resize, rotate, and choose a shape for it.

Keep adding photos until your collage feels complete. You can layer images on top of one another, overlap their edges, or create a clean grid - the choice is yours. This method gives you the ultimate control, far beyond what the standard "Layout" option offers.

Step 5: Add Finishing Touches

A photo collage is great, but a multimedia collage is even better. Once your photos are in place, feel free to layer on other Story elements to bring it to life:

• Text: Add titles, captions, or call-outs. Use different fonts and brand colors to make certain words pop.
• GIFs: Search for subtle animations like sparkling stars, directional arrows, or funny reaction GIFs to add motion.
• Music: Add a song that fits the mood of your collage by tapping the sticker tray and choosing the music sticker.
• Drawings: Use the pen tool to add borders, accents, or underline text for a custom, handcrafted feel.

Pro-Tips for Creating Better Story Collages

Knowing how to create the collage is just the first step. To make your stories truly eye-catching and effective, use these creative strategies to take your collages to the next level.

Master Classic Design Principles

Even though this method is freeform, a little design theory helps ensure your collage feels more curated than chaotic.

• Create Hierarchy: Make one photo significantly larger than the others to serve as the focal point. This draws the eye in and tells the viewer where to look first.
• Stick to a Color Palette: The most compelling stories usually have a consistent color scheme. Plan to choose photos that have complementing palettes already or use a background that complements the subjects of your photo collage.
• Let it Breathe: Resist the urge to cram everything too close together. Let the photos on your background stand out with whitespace so your user can focus on what each image offers. Good art direction takes discipline.

Use Your Story Background Intentionally

Don't treat your background as an afterthought. Use it to enhance your collage. First, snap any photo and select the Draw tool. Then, tap on the eyedropper icon to select a specific color from one of the photos you'll be posting to the collage for your background. After you select the color, press and hold on the screen. The background will automatically fill with the color you’ve selected. Voila! An authentic and on-brand color palette using your existing images.

The "Copy and Paste" Hack for Any Image

The sticker method is great, but sometimes you want to add a non-photo asset like a logo without saving it to your camera roll every time. The copy and paste trick is perfect for that.

For iPhone Users:

1. Open your Photos album and find the image, logo, or screenshot you want to use.
2. Tap the Share icon (the box with an upward arrow) in the bottom-left.
3. In that menu, select "Copy Photo".
4. Reopen Instagram and open the story you're working on. A small sticker with your copied image will appear in the bottom-left corner. Tap "Add Sticker," and the image will appear on your story.

This is a particularly strong branding technique because it allows you to easily layer logos of brand partners in a collaborative way.

Create Visual Depth by Layering

Your stories don't have to be a flat plane. One major advantage of this method is the ability to overlap layers to create depth and dimension between the frames. A few tactics to master layering include adding text on top of your pictures, using GIFs like glitter that overlap frames, or placing several stickers in a way that mimics a real-world scrapbook.

What Should You Be Communicating?

Your collage is a great way to communicate multimedia messages for a brand's social media presence.

• Behind-the-Scenes: Share exclusive content that gives your audience a look into your process or workspace.
• Event Recap: Highlight key moments from a conference or event with a variety of photos.
• Get to Know Us: Introduce your team. A collage can feature photos of each team member with a text box for their name and role.
• Tutorial Sneak Peek: Showcase the key steps of a tutorial, with the final product as the focal point.

Final Thoughts

Creating compelling Instagram Story collages without restrictive templates is a skill that gives you complete creative freedom and unlocks a more organic and authentic look for your content. By mastering the simple photo sticker and exploring pro-tip techniques like layering and thoughtful color palettes, anyone can create dynamic, attention-grabbing visuals that capture and hold their audience's loyalty.

Creating eye-catching content is only the first part of a great social media plan. For your brand to deliver a consistent message and grow organically, you need to plan ahead. At Postbase, we designed a platform where Reels, TikToks, and Instagram Stories can all be scheduled from a single visual calendar. Our platform allows your team to prepare your online media ahead of time, ensuring consistent posting without constantly logging in and out. Postbase is built for the new era of social media, with short-form video at its core, not as an afterthought.