If you’ve been following me for a while, you already know that my carousels grew my Instagram book account to 50k followers and my business to over $20,000 since last September, just by selling one 80 Canva Templates Pack.
In this article, I want to show you exactly how I create my carousels in under 20 minutes. My favorite tricks. My go-to fonts. My templates. The whole behind-the-scenes.
A quick note on why I share my numbers
I always share my income, not to brag, not to convince you to buy anything from me, but because I genuinely want to motivate you to start your own creative dream. Sell your digital products. Monetize your hobby. Because if a random girl from the Balkans with zero design or marketing experience can do this, anyone can.
Quick story. Years ago, at my corporate 9 to 5 job, one of my male colleagues who had been hired less than a year in decided to quit. Before he left, he was kind enough to let me know how much he was making.
It was 60% more than me. Same exact position. The only difference was that I’d been there four years longer, and I’d never asked for a raise that matched my worth.
Because of him, I got the courage to ask for more. Every time I see other creators being honest with their numbers, I remember Wagner, and how much he changed my life.
So that’s why I’m always going to tell you the real numbers. Transparency is the whole point.
Part 1: The Canva basics (skip if you already know)
If you’ve never opened Canva before, here’s the absolute starter pack. If you already know this, jump to Part 2.
First, you need an account. Canva has a free version and a Pro version. The free version is great for beginners who are just testing the waters. I recommend Pro if you’re serious about monetizing, and I’ll explain exactly why in a bit.
Once you create your account, your home screen will look something like this:
Press the Create a Design button and either pick a pre-sized template or choose Custom Size and add your own measurements. I usually pick Instagram Post 4:5, which is the format that looks best in your grid AND in the feed.
Now we have our baseline. Let’s get into the actual fun part. ❤️
Part 2: How I create aesthetic carousels fast
I know what you’re thinking. “Here she goes again about her Canva templates.” This article is genuinely not a promo for them. Yes, I use them, and yes, they help me create posts even faster, but there was a long stretch in the beginning where I created everything without them. So here’s the real process.
I still used templates, just Canva’s built-in ones. With Canva Pro, I had way more options to choose from, but there are plenty of beautiful free templates too.
My favorite Canva search keywords
Before we get into how I actually use templates, here are the search terms I use ALL the time inside Canva. These pull up the aesthetics that actually work for bookstagram:
- Scrapbook
- Book review
- Aesthetic
- Notes
- Retro
- Dark academia
- Social media
- iOS
- Tutorial / how-to
Before I start creating any post, I need an idea. I need to know what the post is actually about. Throughout the week, I gather every idea that pops into my head in my Brain Dump file, because inspiration always shows up at the most random times. On the rare occasion my brain is empty, I head to the explore page and start hunting.
Secret #1: Steal like an artist
I know what you’re thinking. “We shouldn’t copy other creators. Always come up with your own ideas.” Yes and no.
I don’t encourage straight-up copy-pasting someone else’s content (that’s a no from me). But inspiration can show up in a lot of different ways, and most creators who tell you “be original” are reading from the same five playbooks anyway.
The biggest reason people don’t start creating content or their own business is because they think they don’t have any original ideas. That was me, years ago. Until a girlfriend of mine said something over coffee that changed everything:
“You don’t need an idea that doesn’t exist yet. You need to take something that already exists and make it better. Make it yours.”
That app you love but wish had a different payment plan or aesthetic? Make a better version. That digital product you bought that almost solved your problem? Make the version that actually does.
The same logic applies to your posts
A trending post says “How much I’ve read this week”? Your version could be: “How much I’ve read this week as a 9 to 5 girly who works too much.”
Same skeleton. Different angle. Specific to your niche.
Once you start seeing the explore page through this lens, you will never run out of content ideas again. (And if you’re remaking someone’s exact concept, tag the original creator. That’s the rule.)
Secret #2: The Frankenstein method
This is genuinely my most-used trick, and it’s the reason my carousels take under 20 minutes.
Here’s how it works. I open Canva and browse templates for about 5 minutes. Every template I love, I add to my project as a separate page. Then, depending on what kind of post I’m making (a book trend post, a tutorial, a wrap-up), I Frankenstein them together. I grab fonts from one template, elements from another, text styling from a third. Then I combine all of them into a brand new post that looks original because it IS original. It’s just sourced from multiple places.
This is also how I discover new fonts, styles, and element combinations all the time. Without this method, I’d be stuck using the same three fonts forever.
Does the final result look similar to the original inspirations?
In this example, I took the 4 book covers from the original inspiration, multiplied them, and added them to my own post while keeping my own style. The result has more depth and movement than the original, but it’s still completely mine.
Bonus tricks I use on almost every carousel
Trick 1: Add a texture or noise overlay
To make text and elements stand out on top of an image, I add a texture noise layer or shadow on top of the photo. This darkens the background just enough to make the text pop without losing the aesthetic.
Don’t have Canva Pro? No problem. You can replicate this by adding a shape (rectangle) on top of your image and lowering the transparency. Same effect, no subscription needed.
Trick 2: Build depth with repetition
When in doubt, duplicate. Repeating an element (a book cover, an icon, a shape) in slightly different sizes or angles instantly makes a flat design feel more dynamic and “designed.”
My favorite fonts and elements (the cheat sheet)
Go-to fonts (set 1)
More favorite fonts (set 2)
My favorite Canva elements
Bonus: how to start selling your Canva templates
This is the part I’m most excited about. Here’s a short version of how to actually turn your designs into a product. I’ll do a full deep-dive in Part 2, so make sure you’re subscribed if you want the complete walkthrough.
Step 1: Export your designs as a template link
Inside your Canva design, go to Share → See All → Template Link. Copy that link and save it somewhere safe.
Step 2: Create a PDF “delivery” file
Inside Canva, go to Design → Templates and search for “Download” or “Digital Product.” You’ll get a ton of PDF templates where you can add your product preview images and the template link buyers will click to access their purchase.
And that’s the basic skeleton. The buyer downloads the PDF, clicks the link, and lands directly inside Canva where they can edit your template as their own. Magic. 🎀
What’s coming up next
For paid subscribers
- Setting up a free store and selling Canva templates (more design steps, tips, and tricks)
- A complete deep-dive into Lightroom Presets (how I create them, how I sell them)
Free for everyone
- What I’d tell myself one year ago (an honest letter to past Nissa, covering what I would do differently to grow and monetize my account)
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here with me. ❤️
Love,
Nissa