When most of us think of a kaleidoscope, images of a childhood toy are conjured up in our minds. As adults, the kaleidoscope effect can turn your photos into dreamy, magical, one-of-a-kind works of art. Even better, you don’t even need Photoshop knowledge or any other advanced photo editing software to achieve it! Photoshop is an expensive software that requires months of learning to understand how to use it. Plus, each feature you learn requires more learning before you’re able to use it well. In this article, you’ll learn how to create awesome images using YouCam Perfect’s Kaleidoscope effect. Let’s jump right in!

3 Ways to Create Kaleidoscope Effect in Photos

Here’s how you can use YouCam Perfect's Kaleidoscope tools to enhance your images.

Add a Kaleidoscope Effect to Background
Get Kaleidoscope Effect with Clone Tool
Create Animated Kaleidoscope Effect

1. Add a Kaleidoscope Effect to Photo Background

Of course, the easiest way to get the kaleidoscope look in your photo is to use the Kaleido effect. You can apply the Kaleidoscope effect in one click, with no Photoshop or advanced photo editing skills required. Other software tools will require advanced knowledge or pricey subscriptions, but with the YouCam Perfect app, you only need to make a few taps. To get the effect on your photo, begin by uploading it to the app. Then, tap “Kaleido” at the bottom of your screen. You’ll immediately see the kaleidoscope effect on your photo, and you can begin playing around with it to make it your creation!

Try adjusting the parameters to achieve the desired effect, and remember that with so many customization options, you can never have the same photo twice! To adjust the kaleidoscope filter, use the “Slice,” “Horizontal,” “Vertical,” and “Feather” options.

Slice will increase or decrease the size of the kaleidoscope background.
Horizontal and Vertical will allow you to alter the placement of the kaleidoscope background.
Feather will sharpen or soften the lines around your original object.

2. Get Kaleidoscope Effect with Clone Tool

Another way to get the kaleidoscope on your photo is to use YouCam Perfect’s clone tool. You can clone yourself, then turn on the blending feature to create a Kaleidoscope effect with just a few taps.

To do so, tap “Tools” and then “Clone.” From there, you’ll see a scale where you can adjust your brush size. Alternatively, you can tap the “Smart Brush” feature, which will automatically look for objects you might want to clone. Next, draw or select the area you’d like to clone, and press “Clone” on the right-hand side of your screen. Voila, your object will be cloned, and you’ll be able to change its size, move it around on your image, and even blend the edges. For a kaleidoscope look, clone your object multiple times, side by side. You might also try rotating the object at multiple angles to really get the effect you’re looking for. When you’re finished, you can tap “Select another object” to make additional edits, or you can click the green checkmark to finish your editing.

3. Create Animated Kaleidoscope Effect

Lastly, you can bring your photos to life and turn them into magical moving mandalas with animation. Upload your photo, then tap “Animation.” From there, you’ll see “Kaleido” at the bottom of your screen. This animation option has seven unique Kaleido animation options to choose from. The options vary from a kaleidoscope background that expands and contracts to one that circles around, drawing your eye into the subject.

To personalize your Kaleido animation even further, you have the option to adjust the following parameters by tapping on the selected effect: Kaleido, Slice, Horizontal, Vertical, and Feather. You can also adjust the speed of each one for full photography customization, allowing the animation to accentuate the main focus on your image. No matter which one you choose, your image will be unique and full of impact.

▼ Watch our tutorial to learn how to create the kaleidoscope background In 1 Tap

YouCam Perfect: Your Best Free Photo Editing App

The YouCam Perfect app is the best free photo editing app. It has all the photo editing tools you need to enhance your images. You can play around with the many filters and tools in the app, but specifically, try the Kaleidoscope effect and wow your social media followers.

Download YouCam Perfect: The Best Free Kaleidoscope Effect App for iPhone

Try the Kaleidoscope effect for yourself and express your creativity! Download the YouCam Perfect app for either iOS or Android to get started right now.

*The Kaleidoscope tool is currently available for iOS only.