How to Combine Two GIFs
There are two kinds of GIF images: static and animated GIF images. Combining two static images is simple; open your image editor of choice, open one image as a layer, and add the other image as a layer. However, if you have two animated GIF files and want to create one GIF file from them, it's a bit more complex. The easiest tool for this is GIMP, the GNU Image Manipulation Program; it's free, and while officially developed for Linux, stable installation files for Windows and OS X are easily available on the GIMP website.
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Animation in GIMP
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When saving an animated GIF, GIMP loads each layer as a frame. The first frame of your animation is the bottommost layer, with the last on the top. You can set the frame delay manually by adding "(100ms)" to the layer name. GIMP handles the frame delay in milliseconds per second. You will need to add this data to the name for each layer manually.
Opening a GIF
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Open the first GIF you want to edit and immediately save a new copy by going to the "File" menu and selecting "Save As," or pressing "Ctrl," "Shift" and "S" on your keyboard. Saving a copy keeps the original preserved, in case you need to go back to it. When you open the GIF GIMP will automatically place each frame on a new layer.
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Scaling and Editing a GIF
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Chances are that one GIF is larger than the other. Scaling the larger down to the size of the smaller will make the final product look more cohesive. Go to the Image menu and select the "Scale Image" option to re-size the GIF. The image automatically scales to keep in proportion. If you want to crop off part of the image, you can use the "Crop" tool on the toolbar, or select "Canvas Size" from the "Image" menu and set the dimensions. Click the chain icon to the right of the dimensions if you don't want the canvas size to scale in ratio. You can edit any layer as you see fit, so change colors and add text and other images as you would a regular image. Keep in mind that, for an element to appear static, it will need to be identical on each layer.
Combining Two GIF Files
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Open the first image you want in your combined GIF. Select the topmost frame -- what would be the last frame of the first GIF -- and open the "File" menu. This ensures that when you load the second image, it will be added to the end of the GIF. If you select another layer, it will insert after the layer you've selected. When you're ready, select "Open as Layers" to add the second image to your combined GIF.
Testing and Save Your GIF
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Test your image by going to the "Filters" menu, then "Animation" and select "Playback." Once you're ready, save your image as an animated GIF. You may find you need to make minor changes. Once you're ready, you can save your image by going to the "File" menu and selecting "Save As," or by clicking "Ctrl," "Shift" and "S." When prompted, select "Save As Animation." On the next screen, set "Delay between frames where unspecified" to the speed you want for each frame, in milliseconds, and then save the file.
Issues and Concerns
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The larger your GIF files, the larger your completed file and the lower your quality, generally speaking, so keep that in mind when trying to combine larger GIF files. If you're planning to use the GIF online be aware that some website has file size limits for animated GIFs. More importantly, if you're using a GIF made by someone else, do not post it saying that you made the GIF. If possible, ask permission and give the creator credit, though with the nebulous nature of GIF use on the Internet, finding the owner may not always be possible.
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