How to Create Instagram Story Highlight Covers

Instagram story highlight covers are a great way to step up your Instagram game! It adds a clean cohesive look to your page and creates a lasting impression on someone who is visiting your Instagram. There are several ways to add highlight covers to your page; purchase a template, pay for the story highlight covers to be made, or get creative and DIY! I recently created my own –  here is my version on how to create Instagram story highlight covers for free!

You may love: What I’ve Learned in my First Month Blogging

Create Instagram Highlight Covers Using Canva

STEP 1: Start by signing up or logging in to Canva. Do not worry about upgrading to premium, you can create amazing covers, pins, and stories with the free version.

STEP 2: Click on create a design in the top left-hand corner. Search Instagram Story Cover and click on the drop-down option. Canva has a handful of templates you can choose to use and pull inspiration from or you can start from scratch on the blank sheet. 

STEP 3: Click on background on the left-hand side. Customize the background color and pattern to your liking. TIP: try using elements to create a unique background. For example, click on elements on the left-hand side and search dots. You can change the size and colors to add uniqueness to your background. 

STEP 4: Click on elements on the left-hand side. Here you will find icons, effects, lines, stickers, and symbols to add to your highlight cover. TIP: you can change the color of the elements in the top left-hand corner. 

STEP 5: Click on text on the left-hand side. Canva includes ready to use front combinations or you can create your own! My favorite Canva fonts: Playlist script, Lemon Tuesday, Nunito Light, and Montserrat. Also, you can search for a theme in fonts – groovy, cursive, corporate – to explore font options.

STEP 6: Duplicate your page by clicking on the highlighted icon below above your page. Scroll down and change your icons/text for each category. 

STEP 7: Save your highlight by clicking download in the top right corner.

STEP 6: Transfer your highlight covers to your phone via Dropbox or email. 

STEP 7: Upload the highlights to your Instagram story

Completed Instagram Highlight Cover

Here is a quick Instagram story highlight cover I created for this post:  

I USED: 

• Customized background color
• Circle, Instagram icon, dots, and gradient effect from elements 
• Fonts: Nunito Light and Montserrat 

Ta-da! I hope this is useful information and answers your questions on how to create Instagram story highlight covers!

With love,

M

Love it, Share it!