How To Make Your Own QR Code Gifts

By now you've seen those funny little boxes full of pixels in magazine ads and on the doors of businesses. Many people still don't know what these barcode looking boxes that say "scan me now", are for. These funny looking square symbols are called "QR codes", which stands for Quick Response codes. Smart phone users use an "app" or application that they download to their phone which enables them to point their camera at these funny looking square boxes and see what information they contain. Most QR codes are links to websites, movie trailers, coupons, etc. A QR code can even contain up to 255 characters of text which is then displayed in your smart phone's memo application. How does it work? Let's say you see one of these on a movie poster for "Super 8", while at the theater. If you took out your smart phone, such as an iPhone, and clicked on a QR code app, then aimed your camera at the code on the poster, you would hear a beep, and then you would be instantly viewing a movie trailer. Any website, photo, etc. on the web, as long as it does not require a password, can be accessed by QR code symbols.

These funny looking square boxes with black and white lines, which say "scan me", are here to stay. Expect to see them in all kinds of places, from print ads to posters, even jewelry. Kids are already starting to use and display them, so anyone they meet can instantly be linked to their Myspace or other type social network profile page.

How To Make Unique QR Code Gifts

You can put QR codes on just about anything that you can imagine. For tech savvy adults and kids, its a cool way to personalize a gift. First you need to decide what site you would like to link to, or what message you would like to be displayed when a smart phone user points their phone at the code. Whatever website URL you choose should not require a password or require you to be logged in, (such as Facebook) to view it.

Step One, Create Your Own QR Code

There are lots of free QR code generators on the web. The one that I use is called Qurify. After you have decided what page or photo on the web you want to link to, or what text you want displayed, go to one of these free sites and make your own QR code. For messages, the longer you make them means the more complex the image becomes, often making it hard for phones to read. For the purpose of this article I just made a QR code which when scanned takes readers to a Hub that I wrote, called "How To Make A Survival Backpack". Keep in mind that a gift made from a QR code could direct the person who scans it to the website of a resort (as in the gift of a vacation), a favorite music video on YouTube, photo of a loved one or pet which has been uploaded to a site like Hubpages, or to a simple text message that says something like "Will you marry me?". After making your QR code on Qurify or another site, right click on it and choose "save as". Save it to your desktop for easy access.

Next Step, Make The Gift

The next step is to make your gift. There are all kinds of sites on the web where you can make personalized gifts such as shirts, jewelry, mugs, etc., from photos that you upload. The site that I use is called Cafepress.com. Another good one is called Zazzle.com These sites allow you to create your own "store", then upload images and make gifts featuring that image. You can now put the QR code you made on just about anything you can imagine. If the code is too small to be featured on the item you choose, then open it up in a photo editing program such as Microsoft Paint, which is in most P.C.'s accessories. Choose "resize" and adjust the size of the QR code so that it fits on the item you chose.

Another option is to make your own homemade QR code gift. You can print QR codes using your printer on special material which can be ironed on to shirts, etc.

For the geek or tech savvy kid in your life, making your own QR code gifts can be a fun way to show them your affection.