One of my favorite aspects of the creative of Bookstagram is tweaking my photos slightly to match the seasons. Although I’ve only been on the platform for a few months, I’ve seen so many feeds and personalities expressed within them, and I’ve been loving seeing them change for fall and the holiday season.
Despite all this, it can be difficult to come up with new things with either the same books, or similar props. I’ve seen the question pop up often of what to use for props (and how to do so on a budget!), so today I want to share some ideas specifically for this upcoming winter. So far I haven’t bought anything for Bookstagram – I just use what’s already in my home.
Without further ado, here’s a list of ideas for props this winter:
Clothing
Whether it’s used as a prop or a background, clothing is an effective way to make your Bookstagram posts look interesting! Here is what I use most often, as well as some other ideas:
Sweaters
I love layering sweaters on other articles of clothing and blankets to make the picture extra cozy.
Flannels
They may be more of a fall staple, but I love my flannel shirts throughout winter and I think they add to the coziness.
Boots
Some lace-up boots or snow boots would really add to a picture! Whether you take a picture outside with your shoes in the snow, or prop your book against them indoors by the front door, a picture like this would scream winter!
Scarves, Hats, Gloves, and other Accessories
A nice, long scarf would pair well in the background of a Bookstagram picture. Any accessories you have for cold weather can also work well in place of flowers or other accessories you’d tend to use more during other times of the year.
Socks
It’s a common prop on Bookstagram, but a good one nonetheless! Bring out your most unique pair, or your tallest (or even fuzziest) pair.
Food & Drink
I love seeing cozy drinks and warm pastries on Instagram any time of year, but the colder months are the best time to include them! Next time you make your favorite drink or bake something lovely, consider using it as a prop for your next Bookstagram picture. How about trying some of these?
Hot Chocolate
This is a must! Pick a pretty mug and top your creation with whipped cream, marshmallows, cinnamon, or whatever your heart desires! Consider taking a picture on a tray with your book(s) on the other side, a candid reading picture, your current reading on the kitchen table – the opportunities are endless. Plus, you get to enjoy it while taking more Bookstagram photos. And if you’re stuck for caption ideas, consider sharing how you make hot chocolate, or ask your followers how they make their favorite drinks.
Tea or Coffee
Another bookworm favorite! They might not look as interesting as a whipped cream-filled hot chocolate, but they’re just as cozy and work especially well if you travel to coffee shops, bakeries, diners, or cafes often and get a cup. In your caption you could include your favorite places that you get your coffee or tea, and what it’s like there.
Baked Goods
I do a lot more baking during the winter, and it’s the perfect opportunity to use my creations as props! Plus, they’ll pair well with the above.
Breakfast
I think that it’s possible to make any food go (and one of these days I’d love to take a bookish picture in a diner), but there’s something special about breakfast foods. The lighting will likely be better this time of day, too.
Plates, Glassware, and More
Do you have any mugs, glasses, plates, etc that would look nice in a picture? Consider using them during your next photo session!
Around the House
Most of the props that I use come from other decorations we have in the house. Sometimes we look around our home and don’t see things that are necessarily usable as props, but sometimes, it requires just a little bit of creative thinking. Here are some things that I’d recommend:
Holiday Decorations
Sure, the holiday season might be over, but there are still plenty of things you can use beyond the season. In our home, we keep snowflake-themed decorations in the house until spring. Additionally, we have lots of those little woodland animal decorations that would look nice in pictures! Any decorative snowmen, ornaments, silver and gold, white and blue, anything really can be used! You can also continue to use garland and string lights throughout the season.
Candles
While candles are a staple Bookstagram prop year-round, they are especially great this time of year. Alternates could be battery-operated candles or votives, or a wax warmer.
Blankets
Blankets can function as a backdrop or some added coziness to your picture. Try layering a couple of them! Tapestry would also work well here.
Rugs
If you have a patterned rug (or one that is otherwise plush), it could serve as a nice backdrop for your picture.
Placemats
Decorative placemats can be layered in the background (and the book(s) placed on top). I did this for my Christmas pictures and I thought it came out nice!
Pillows
I often like to use decorative pillows in my pictures, especially in the corners of pictures. I’ve even used some throw pillows as a backdrop to make things more interesting!
Fake (or real) Plants
It may be winter, but I think white flowers would still look really nice in a winter-y picture! Additionally, any plants or stems that you have could add a pop of color in a white picture – eucalyptus leaves or similar plants come to mind.
Snowflakes
Taking pictures with real snow might end up with a wet book, but if you’re indoors and still want some snowflakes in your picture that scream “winter,” consider making some paper ones! As a kid my sister and I would make and decorate them and hang them up. A mixture of ones big and small, plain and decorated, can make for cheap and easy props. Additionally, any other paper origami you can make (such as origami stars) would work well too.
Glitter
If you already have some glitter in your home, you can use some to frame your book too. Glitter reminds me of the sparkle you see on fresh snow, so it would work especially well here! To reduce the mess, consider laying your glitter out on a white foam board or paper so that it’s easy to get the glitter back into the jar when you’re done.
Hobbies
Since the winter weather usually keeps us inside, I like to think of it as a great time to work on other things, such as our hobbies! If you have a journal, layer it under your book with some supplies scattered around. If you knit or crochet, the yarn and needles would make things extra cozy. Plus, incorporating other aspects of your life gives you a topic of conversation for you and your followers (and helps your followers get to know you better).
The Great Outdoors
Finally, the outdoor climate itself can provide some good props and backdrops for winter Bookstagram photos. And while it might not be cold where you live, there are still some things you can do to replicate a wintry atmosphere.
Dead leaves
I used these in my fall spread, but I think they would work just as well during winter (especially with a cool-toned filter). Even when I lived in Florida we had trees with falling leaves, so for the most part you should be able to find some!
Pinecones
If you have some around, this is a free and easy prop you can also use for fall and winter. We get hundreds in our yard from just one tree! And if you don’t have any, you should be able to find some at the craft store. (An added benefit of craft store pinecones is that they don’t come sticky!)
Evergreen Trees and Leaves
Some would consider this Christmas-y, but they do keep their leaves in the winter! Books would look nice propped up against trees like this.
A cloudy day
Not necessarily a prop, but a gray sky for a background would emulate winter weather perfectly no matter where you live. Gray skies are generally not the best for taking photos indoors, but it may be the perfect opportunity to start taking some outdoors.
Bare branches.
Whether you nestle a book between the branches of a dormant tree or collect some on the ground, bare branches are representative of the winter season. Paired with everything above, you can create a wintry scene (without the snow!).
Rocks
This might sound a bit bizzare, but I’ve used decorative pebbles in the past as props for my Bookstagram photos. And if you’re taking pictures outside, some duller colors will really blend in with a winter theme.
Wilted Plants
This likely depends on when/if you do garden cleanup, but if you still have wilted plans from the past season in your yard, nestling a book between these can be indicative of the changing seasons.
More Tips for Winter Bookstagram Photos
As I wrote this post, I realized that there are plenty of other tips I’d like to share on winter Bookstagram photos that don’t necessarily fall into the ‘props’ category! So if you’re trying to keep your theme while transitioning into the winter season, read on for some tips on how to do that:
Change your Filter
If your theme contains more warm-colored props and backgrounds, for example, you may want to consider changing your filter to something more cool-toned – just for this season. My theme is the reverse – I have more cool-toned props that I use throughout the year, so I struggled to transition my theme in autumn where the colors were warmer. If this is your situation (and you don’t want to change up your props), consider just changing the filter.
Colors for Winter
My theme primarily consists of gray, silver, white, and blush, so I’m going to emphasize silver and white more this season. If you’re open to changing your color scheme completely this winter (or just want to transition a little bit), silver, gold, and white would be good colors to include. A cool-toned green (thinking of evergreen trees) would also look good! You could also go for a winter cabin theme (think browns, reds, buffalo-check pattern, etc).
Create a Scene
Instead of taking photos with the books as a centerpeice, consider creating a cozy scene with some photos. Whether it’s holding a book with the fireplace going in the background, a book on a window ledge with the snow falling outside, or being curled up with millions of blankets and a cup of hot cocoa, creating pictures like these are very unique and tell a story. Whether you want to show your face on Bookstagram or not, these photos are still acheiveable!
I hope these ideas gave you inspiration for your next Bookstagram photoshoot! What are your go-to props for Instagram? Let me know in the comments.
-Julie Anna
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