Free guide for salons
Make a week of Instagram posts from your phone photos with Canva Free
Steps written from Canva's help pages on 20 Oct 2026; we'll walk them through in a live account and add screenshots.
What you'll have at the end
Seven Instagram posts made from your own photos, saved as image files and ready to post one a day.
Time needed
About an hour, in one sitting, once you've picked your photos.
Cost
£0. Canva Free has no monthly charge. Checked on 20 Oct 2026 (source 12).
Free tier: Yes. Canva's AI writing tools come with a limited allowance on the Free plan.
Before you start
- A free Canva account, on canva.com or in the Canva app on your phone.
- Seven photos of your work on your phone. Only use photos of clients who've said yes to being posted.
- Your measurements card, if you'd like help writing the captions.
- Instagram on your phone, signed in to your business account.
Your measurements card
Fill in the measurements card once: ten short lines about your business, such as your opening hours, your tone and how you sign off. Every prompt below starts with it, so the drafts sound like you.
Steps
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Search Canva for an Instagram post template.
Where: Home > search bar > type 'Instagram post'
Example screenshot to come. It will show: Canva's home screen with 'Instagram post' typed into the search bar and template results below. From source 1
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Pick a template with one large photo and a short line of text, and open it.
Where: Template results > select a template
Example screenshot to come. It will show: A simple one-photo template open in the editor. You'll know it worked when the template opens in the editor, ready to change.
From source 1
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Upload your seven photos.
Where: Editor side panel > Uploads > Upload files
Example screenshot to come. It will show: The Uploads tab with seven demo photos of finished hair and nails. You'll know it worked when your photos appear in the Uploads tab.
From source 3
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Drag your first photo onto the template's photo until it snaps into place.
Where: Uploads tab > drag the photo over the template's picture
Example screenshot to come. It will show: A photo being dragged onto the template's picture, with the frame highlighted. You'll know it worked when your photo has replaced the template's picture.
From source 4
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Move or resize the photo inside its frame, then select Done.
Where: Double-click the photo > drag it, or drag the white corner handles > Done
Example screenshot to come. It will show: The photo inside the frame with its corner handles showing. From source 4
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Change the words. Double-click the text box, type your own line, then click outside the box.
Where: Double-click the text box
Example screenshot to come. It will show: The template's text box selected, with new wording typed in. From source 5
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Make six more copies of this page.
Where: Upper corner of the page > Duplicate page, six times
Example screenshot to come. It will show: The page's upper corner with the Duplicate page button marked. You'll know it worked when you can scroll through seven pages.
From source 6
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On each new page, drag in a different photo and change the words.
Where: Uploads tab, then double-click each text box
Example screenshot to come. It will show: Seven pages, each with a different demo photo. -
Read every page once for spelling, prices and opening times.
Where: Scroll through the pages
Example screenshot to come. It will show: One finished page shown full size for checking. -
Download all seven pages as JPG images.
Where: Share > Download > File type: JPG > choose All pages > Download
Example screenshot to come. It will show: The Download menu with JPG chosen and all pages selected. You'll know it worked when seven image files are in your downloads, or in your phone's photos if you're using the app.
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Post one a day from the Instagram app, with a caption. Or post a page straight from Canva.
Where: To post from Canva: Share > Instagram, and connect your account the first time
Example screenshot to come. It will show: The Share menu with Instagram shown in the list of apps. You'll know it worked when the post shows on your Instagram profile.
From source 9
Planning and scheduling posts in advance from Canva is part of Canva Pro, so this guide doesn't cover it. (source 2)
Ready-to-paste prompts
Paste these into ChatGPT, or into Canva's Magic Write, which uses your Free plan's limited AI allowance. Check every caption before you post it. (source 10, source 11)
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1. Seven captions for the week
Use my measurements card below. Write seven short Instagram captions, one for each day of the week, for photos of my work. Keep each one under 150 characters, write in my tone, don't use any of the words I never use, and end each one the way I sign off. [paste your measurements card] This week's photos: [one line about each photo, for example 'balayage on long dark hair']
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2. Photo ideas
Use my measurements card below. Suggest seven photos I could take in the salon this week that show what we do, without showing a client's face. Give each idea in one line. [paste your measurements card]
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3. Opening hours and booking
Use my measurements card below. Write a short Instagram caption about my opening hours and how to book, in my tone, under 200 characters. [paste your measurements card]
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4. Make a caption sound like me
Use my measurements card below. Rewrite this caption so it sounds like me, in under 150 characters, and sign off the way I do: [paste the caption] [paste your measurements card]
Common snags
- If your photo won't snap into the template, the template's picture isn't a frame. Delete that picture, click your photo in the Uploads tab to add it, then drag its corners to resize it. (source 3, source 4)
- If the Download button says 'Fix issue', open it to see what's wrong. It can mean a photo is still uploading or you've hit a daily download limit. (source 7)
- If Canva asks you to pay when you download, the design has a paid (Pro) element in it. Swap that element for a free one, or delete it. (source 7)
- If sharing to Instagram from Canva doesn't go through, download the JPG and post it from the Instagram app instead. (source 9)
Before you rely on it
General guidance, not professional, legal or clinical advice. Check the vendor's current terms. Not affiliated with Canva.
Sources
- Canva: Instagram post templates (opens in a new tab)
- Canva: Instagram post creator (opens in a new tab)
- Canva Help: Upload media from your device (opens in a new tab)
- Canva Help: Use frames and crop images into a shape (opens in a new tab)
- Canva Help: Add and edit text (opens in a new tab)
- Canva Help: Add, duplicate and delete pages (opens in a new tab)
- Canva Help: Download or save designs to your device (opens in a new tab)
- Canva Help: Download file types (opens in a new tab)
- Canva Help: Share on social media and messaging apps (opens in a new tab)
- Canva Help: About Magic Write (opens in a new tab)
- Canva Help: AI access on each plan (opens in a new tab)
- Canva: UK pricing (opens in a new tab)
Spotted something out of date?
Last checked: . Menus and prices change. If something here doesn't match what you see, report a change and we'll recheck it.
Changelog
- : First version, written from Canva's help pages. Screenshots to come after a walkthrough in a live account.
The full Salon Kit
We're putting together the full Salon Kit: all three salon guides, the ‘same settings in other apps’ sections, more ready-to-paste prompts and a one-page chart of which app fits you. It isn't ready yet.