open-carrusel: Design Instagram Carousels with Claude

Overview

Open Carrusel is a local web app for designing Instagram carousels with Claude Code. It turns chat instructions into HTML and CSS slides, then provides a visual editor and PNG export at Instagram dimensions.

It is aimed at creators and small teams who want custom, brand-aware slides without relying on a hosted design service. It makes sense when you are comfortable running a local development app and have access to Claude Code; it is less suitable if you need a hosted service or an AI-free setup for generating content.

Key Features

• Generate slides and revise them through a chat interface connected to the Claude CLI.
• Preview slides in an editor with a reorderable filmstrip and per-slide undo history.
• Export slides as PNGs in 1:1, 4:5, and 9:16 Instagram dimensions.
• Configure brand colors, fonts, logo, and style keywords for generated slides.
• Save carousels as reusable templates and add reference images for style guidance.
• Store project data and uploads locally, using JSON files rather than a hosted database.
• Generate captions and hashtags in the editor.

Use Cases

• A creator wants to turn a topic into a branded, multi-slide Instagram post through chat rather than laying out each slide by hand.
• A social media manager needs to iterate on individual slides and review the full carousel before exporting images.
• A designer wants editable HTML and CSS slide layouts that can be customized or used as a starting point for a local workflow.
• A creator who prefers local storage wants carousel drafts, brand settings, and exports kept on their own machine.

Getting Started

Install and authenticate Claude Code, then run:

git clone https://github.com/Hainrixz/open-carrusel.git
cd open-carrusel
claude

In Claude Code, enter /start. For manual setup and troubleshooting, see the repository README.

Considerations

• AI chat depends on Claude Code being installed, authenticated, and available through the Claude CLI. The README says the editor and export can still be used for static slides without it.
• The app is designed for local, single-user use. It does not provide accounts or a hosted service.
• The first setup downloads Chromium for Puppeteer-based export and may take 1–2 minutes. Node.js 20 or newer is required according to the README.
• Claude is reached through Claude Code, so chat requests involve communication with Anthropic. The README describes the other app data as local.
• The repository was created and last pushed on 2026-04-15, so its project history is recent based on the supplied metadata.