LAY IT OUT

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When I started my blog, I was introduced to the flatlay. What started off as a simple layout of a few fun items has now evolved into one of the biggest Instagram sensations to hit your feed. All these years later, it’s stil going strong and is now also a regular appearance on my page as well. The response from you all to my flat lays have been overwhelming and after a lot of trial and error over the years, I’ve picked up some amazing tips to help you, my TSS family, get the dreamiest flatlay around. Traditionally a flat lay is exactly what the name suggests, a group of items laid out flat. Usually they are organised in a specific way and taken from above. This is not necessarily the case anymore! Of course those still work a treat, but now you can create more minimal versions or even “messier” versions of the same.

So, scroll down and enjoy my flatly tips! I would love to know what your favourite flatlay has been so far and what your special tips are!

START WITH A FOCUS

Make sure your flatlays are highlighting something specific. This could be a colour or shades you love (rainbow anyone?), a theme, your favourite bag, lipstick or simply your favourite things! This is always a great place to start. It’s always good to choose something that makes you happy, even if it’s your morning coffee or your newest flower arrangement. In this photo, it was all about my new Chanel lipsticks that I was trying out during my morning coffee to see how well they lasted!

A few other instagrammers who do an amazing job of this are Tara Milk Tea and Design by Aikonik.

CHASE THE LIGHT

Naturaly light always works better. It also creates soft shadows and does not distort the colours, I always gravitate towards spots with beautiful natural light. The best spot is always by a window or outside at a cafe table. You can even be really adventerous and do it on the sidewalk! I am known to create flatlays everytime we go out for a coffee or to an event. This photo was taken at the Jo Malone town house,

I think a huge misconception people have is that they can fix any photo with a filter. Yes, filters are an amazing way to express your aesthetic but don’t rely too heavily on a filter to fix the lighting in a shot, especially a flatlay!

It’s always good to choose something that makes you happy, even if it’s your morning coffee or your newest flower arrangement.

CHOOSE A BACKDROP

Keep your background simple! Textured tiles like marble work really well. Sometimes I like toa dd an addtional texture to my backdrop like a scarf or a knit for more dimension. If you decide to go for a bolder background, nake sure the pieces you use contrast the background and stand out enough. Also keep the items you choose simple! This photo was taken on a balcony. My backdrop had a lot going on with the beautiful buildings so I kept the items minimal.

Remember not to have too many points of focus if you are creating a more non traditional flatlay like this one!

USING THE GRID

Your iPhone camera has a grid that you can use as a guide to your flatlay. I never use a ruler (much to the contrary of what everyone thinks!) but instead I rely on the grid to help me make sure everything is aligned; perfect when you’re out for brunch, cause lets be real, pulling out a ruler would just be strange.

Remember that the grid operates on the rule of thirds so you want your focal points to be in line with the lines on the grid and the crosses between them.

THINK ABOUT COLOUR

Colours are super important, especially when choosing what goes in your flatlay. Choose colours that compliment each other. You can occasionally add pops of colour that act as contrasts (ex: all blue with a pop of orange! Think about opposing colours on the colour wheel). Essentially, make sure your colours go well together and don’at clash. Make it soothing on the eyes! In this photo the pink bag is my pop of colour and it goes well with the denim.

You are now fully geared and ready to conquer that flatlay you’ve been wanting to share forever. I think after all these tips that I’ve learnt over time, the most important one is to not be afraid of trial and error. Flatlays can take time and if you don’t get it right the first time, don’t worry about it. I usually move things around and take 500 shots before I get that one perfect one so be patient with yourself and always look for the beauty in the everyday around you.

Make sure to tag me in all your flatlay creations and use #TSSflatlay for a chance to be featured on my stories and blog! You’re going to want to get practicing, especially because I have a very special flatlay giveaway coming up next week! Stay tuned!

I hope you guys enjoy these special tips and tricks to creating the perfect flatlay.

Do you have any more questions about how to create a flatlay? Comment below and I will answer them!

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