February 23, 2017

40 Great Ideas For Instagram Captions

instagram captions

In this article, we’re going to teach you how to make the best Instagram captions for your photos! They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but a few extras can make a big difference.

How we’ll help you

First, let’s start by discussing what we’ll be tackling in this article. This article is divided into eight main sections: Instagram Captions For Selfies, Instagram Captions For Boys, Instagram Captions For Girls, Instagram Captions For Summer, Instagram Captions For Winter, Instagram Captions For Fall, Instagram Captions For Art, and Instagram Captions For Videos. 

We’ll be providing examples of captions you can use, alongside explanations of how you can take our caption ideas and make your own unique Instagram captions!

Instagram captions for selfies

First and foremost, Instagram captions for selfies. Chances are you’ll be taking a lot of these as an Instagram user. How, then can you spice them up?

  1.  “Waiting for an Uber.” – People are regularly left waiting for their Ubers, Lyfts or rides. Use this opportunity to take a glam shot!
  2. “Headed to the dance.” – Have a dance or another event you’re going to? Use this opportunity to show off your snazzy outfit, and see what people think about it!
  3. “Out with my crew!” – If you’re out for a wild night on the town, you can always use a caption like this to take a group photo with your friends. Plus, you can tag them on Instagram, too, sending traffic to their Instagram as well!
  4. “Just wait ’til he wakes up…” – Playing a prank on a sleeping or otherwise unsuspecting friend? Taking a selfie with the unknowing victim can always be a good time. Whether you’ve slapped a paper sign on someone’s pack while they walk away obliviously, or you’ve drawn on a sleeping friend’s face, this one will always get a few laughs.
  5. “So say somethin’ stupid- you know that you love to!” – That’s a quote from “What She Came For“, a song by Franz Ferdinand. Replace that quote with one from any song you like that you feel fits with your image!

Instagram captions for summer

It’s summer. It’s time for grills, girls, beaches, and more. Plenty of stuff to take photos of, and plenty of stuff to caption on Instagram!

  1. “Life is better at the beach.” Okay, you caught us- this technically falls under the category of Instagram captions for selfies. Take a selfie at the beach, and show everyone at home they’re missing out with a caption like this!
  2. “Playing with coals.” – You know what else is summer tradition? A cookout! Use this opportunity to show off what you’re cooking on the grill.
  3. “How’s my beach bod?” – The gents have their swim shorts, and the ladies have their swimsuits. Regardless of who you are, show off your beach/pool garments and let the world know how great you look.
  4. “Summer lovin’, had me a blast…” – There’s too many songs about summer to count. Quote one that you like- bonus points if it’s with your significant other!
  5. “Watching the sun set over the ocean.” – Summer has its own assortment of beautiful sights. Find the most beautiful beach or shore you can, snap a picture, and say something that captures the beauty of what you’re looking at.

Instagram captions for winter

We’re walking around Christmas trees, huddling up in warm clothes and paying way more at Starbuck’s, Tim Horton’s and associated joints than we usually would. Here’s some Instagram captions for Winter!

  1. “Following the magical white forest…” – Winter is a time of serene beauty, where the world around you is covered in white, most trees are leaf-less due to the preceding autumn, and it’s freezing outside. Use this opportunity to try and describe the beauty of that winter wonderland outside your window.
  2. “Staying warm.” – Cuddled up with an SO, or wearing about three jackets stacked on top of each other? A simple caption like this one can show that you aren’t just doing it for the Insta- you’re doing it because it’s freeeziiiiing.
  3. “Cold weather, hot drinks.” – Since it’s so cold outside, chances are you’re going to be treating yourself to some hot chocolate or your favorite drink at Starbucks. Take a picture and show it off- people love these kind of pictures during the Winter time, especially when they’d love some of that sweet warmth themselves…
  4. “Take a look under the tree…” – Preparing gifts for any of the various gift-giving holidays during the Winter? Wrap them up, snap a photo and provide a caption…especially if it’s one teasing them about what’s in there.
  5. “Me and the family!” – It’s the holidays. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, group up with all of your loved ones for one great, sentimental Instagram photo that everyone will be able to relate to.

Instagram captions for fall

The trees are going through their cycle. The leaves are changing colors and falling, the world’s between spring and winter, Thanksgiving is on the horizon, and the world is a blend of browns, reds, yellows and greens. Fall is a beautiful time of year- make use of it with these Instagram captions for fall!

  1. “Tag a person you’d walk here with!” – Autumn has some truly beautiful sights. This caption both shows off how beautiful the picture you’ve taken is, and encourages people who see it to share it with their friends!
  2. “Dare me to jump in?” – A classic pastime of Fall is creating the largest bundle of leaves possible. Doing this allows you to show off your hard work, and chances are your friends will be in favor of you flopping onto a massive pile of leaves- just be sure to take a picture of the result, and have enough to cushion you!
  3. “Carving the turkey.” – Thanksgiving is a holiday that makes people think about seeing their families and stuffing their faces. What better way to celebrate than that show off a look at what you’re eating on the big day? Whether you’re carving the bird, preparing the stuffing or just taking a grand picture of all the cooked food in one place, people love pictures of food on Instagram and this one is sure to get a few likes.
  4. “I’m thankful for…” – Take a picture of someone or something you love, then write a caption about why you love it. Make sure that you appreciate all you have, and try to make a caption that’ll help people see why you appreciate the things that you do.
  5. “Getting lost in the forest.” – Take a hike through a blooming forest during the Fall. That’s a life experience you absolutely must not miss out on, and the pictures will often be quite beautiful, especially if you take them at the right time.

Instagram captions for art

Art’s a beautiful thing, and it’s very popular on Instagram. It’d be fairly silly to spend a lot of time working on your art and then not have a caption that supplements it well enough- take some of our tips for Instagram captions for art if you want to avoid this pitfall!

  1. “A skeleton so happy at the sight of such radiant hearts. A sign of weakness, ready to soar.” – This caption adds a lot of character to this image of graffiti in the corner of some alleyway. Think of your caption as an extension of your art, not a separate entity.
  2. “For Her.” – More often than not, we make art based on the people in our lives. Let people know who you’re making art for, and tell us why- the more beautiful the story, the more it adds to the art and allows us to empathize.
  3. “Early designs!” – Working on character or concept art? Feel free to post it on Instagram to get feedback on your process, or to give a sneak peek behind the scene to your fans. Many animators are fond of this kind of technique.
  4. “The Crashing Pines” – Sometimes, a caption can just be the title of your art piece. Don’t explain it- just give it a title and let people use their imaginations from there.
  5. “An old sketchbook, filled with memories.” – If you’re an artist, people are going to love seeing your early work, even if you hate it, because it tells them how far you’ve come. Don’t hesitate to show off an old scrapbook.

Learning more

Our ideas for Instagram captions given in this article is really just scratching the surface of what you can do and come up with. Quote your favorite songs, authors and philosophers. Tell jokes, tell stories- do anything you like to express yourself on Instagram!

Ultimately, you can’t just copy and paste a pre-made caption and expect it to work. Write something silly, or sad, or cool, but make sure above all that it’s true to yourself and what you’re trying to say with your image.

Pictures are worth a thousand words. Good Instagram captions can multiply that impact by quite a bit, if you know what you’re doing.

To learn more about Instagram and growing as a creator, stick around with us at Grin. We have a Grin Platform, which you can use to connect with other creators like you, and a Blog, which is full of other informative articles just like this one!