I’m Kayla. I make a lot of little keepsakes. Photo stuff. Video bits. You get it. Last month, my group chat blew up over that heart locket trend. So I tested a heart locket GIF maker for real life moments. I used my iPhone for quick edits and my old Windows laptop to finish the GIFs. It wasn’t hard. It was a little fussy, though.
Here’s what happened when I actually made a few.
If you’d rather skip my cliff-notes and read the full step-by-step, you can check out my longer deep-dive over on CoverMaker.
Why I Wanted This Thing
Two reasons. My mom loves “old-timey” stuff—lockets, pearls, all of it. And my friends keep sending GIFs that loop forever. So I wanted a small, shiny thing that felt like both. Cute, but not too cheesy. Did I pull that off? Some days yes, some days… close.
What I Used (Real Tools, I Promise)
- CapCut on iPhone: I used the Heart Locket template. It has that open-and-close locket animation already built in.
- EZGIF on the web: I used this to turn the export into an actual GIF and shrink the file size (here's a handy guide on optimizing GIFs).
- Canva (free): I tried their “heart locket” elements and added a simple swing animation. It worked, but I ran into watermarks on some fancy bits.
The learning curve felt a lot like when I tried a sourdough bread maker—once the tool handles the sticky parts, the rest is just timing.
I also tested sending with GIPHY, but I didn’t need it for making. Just for sharing.
If you'd rather skip the multi-app shuffle, the one-click locket template on CoverMaker pumps out a polished GIF in seconds.
Example 1: Grandma’s Birthday Text
I started in CapCut. I picked the “Heart Locket” template (the gold one with a soft glow—looks a little like brushed metal). I dropped in two photos: one close-up of my grandma smiling, and another of us holding hands at the diner. I trimmed the timing so the locket opens right on her smile.
Exported as a short MP4 at 1080p. Then I went to EZGIF. I set:
- Width: 540 px (small but still clear)
- Frames per second: 12
- Colors: 64 with “Floyd-Steinberg” dithering (smooths the gradients)
- Loop: forever
File ended up a little under 3 MB. I sent it in the family chat. My mom texted, “Oh my heart.” That was the win I wanted. Did it look a tiny bit corny? Sure. But it felt warm. And the gold shimmer made her eyes pop.
Example 2: A Valentine That Didn’t Look Like Candy Wrappers
I tried Canva for this one. I searched “heart locket,” dropped in a silver locket graphic, and used a simple “pan” animation so it swung a bit. I layered our photo inside. Looked good in the editor. But the nice glitter overlay had a crown icon. That meant a watermark on free accounts. I’m cheap that day. So, no.
I went back to CapCut, used their heart locket template again, and switched the color tone to cooler silver. I exported vertical (1080×1920) for Instagram Stories. On EZGIF, I set width to 720 px and kept 12 fps. Then, to keep the file light, I cut colors down to 48. That did cause slight banding in the background glow—tiny dots. But my partner didn’t notice. He just laughed and said, “We look fancy.”
If you’re tempted to slip an extra-flirty version of this locket into a late-night Snap, you might first want to read the full SnapSex app review so you know exactly how the platform handles privacy, costs, and real-world matches before sending anything steamy. And if you’re hanging out anywhere near the South Bay and thinking about turning that playful GIF exchange into an actual meet-up, the local rundown at Carson hookups shows you where to find like-minded singles fast and lays out tips for keeping things casual and drama-free.
Example 3: Office Slack Birthday Shoutout
For a coworker, I made a locket GIF with our team photo. I added our tiny logo inside the locket. It looked neat, but at 15 fps, the motion felt jittery in Slack. Dropped it to 10 fps. Better. The file went down to about 2.2 MB. One catch: the locket edge cropped weird in dark mode previews. I fixed it by adding a thin white outline around the whole frame in EZGIF (add border, 2 px, white). Tiny thing. Big help.
What I Liked
- It’s fast. The template does the heavy lifting. No need to keyframe the open-and-close.
- The mood is sweet. The glow, the soft blur, the gentle open—very gift-like.
- The settings actually matter. 12 fps and 540–720 px width gave me clean, small files.
What Bugged Me
- Watermarks on some Canva elements. I’m fine with free, but those crowns show up at the worst time.
- Color banding in GIFs with glows. EZGIF helps, but bright gradients still get speckled.
- File size can spike. Full HD GIFs get heavy fast. You’ll need to tweak frames and colors.
- Crop trouble. If your photo sits near the edge, the locket rim covers hair or hats. Center faces.
Small Tips That Saved Me
- Keep the face centered. The hinge eats space.
- Use 12 fps for smooth, small loops. Go lower if Slack or Discord stutters.
- Width 540 or 720 px is a sweet spot.
- Stick to 48–64 colors with dithering for soft glows.
- Export MP4 first, then convert to GIF. It’s cleaner.
- If the background flickers, add a subtle texture layer before export. It hides banding.
Dialing in file size and color palettes actually reminded me of my experiment with homemade essential oils—tiny tweaks change the whole vibe.
Who It’s For
- Parents and grandparents who love keepsakes.
- Teens who want that cute loop for Stories.
- Anyone who needs a quick birthday shoutout at work.
- Not great for print. It’s a screen treat.
A Tiny Digression About Feel
I thought a heart locket would feel too kitschy. And sometimes it is. But when my grandma saw her smile open inside the locket, she touched her necklace. She said, “Your grandpa would’ve loved this.” That’s the part that got me. Cheesy? Maybe. Worth it? Oh yes.
Final Take
I’d give the heart locket GIF maker setup—CapCut template plus EZGIF—a 4.4 out of 5. It’s simple, cute, and fast. You may fight with file size and a bit of banding. Still, the end result feels tender.
If the folks who make these tools ever read this, I want two things: a built-in GIF export with light dithering, and more locket styles (rose gold, matte black, maybe a wood inlay for a rustic look). Until then, this mix works. It made my people smile. That’s the whole point, right?