DIY: Make Your Own Photography Backdrop

By no means am I very good at photography, but I have to start getting serious about taking decent product photos for the relaunch of my etsy shop (which I am hoping to reopen Mid February!)  During my time off, I have been sewing and crafting, but also learning how to take better pictures.  I came across some really neat photography backdrops and floor coverings that you can buy online, but the price was definitely out of my reach, so I did what I do best… created my own!

For under $25 (give or take) you can make your own too!  The one I am about to show you is also double-sided… Score!

Supplies:
*1 large sheet of wood (we already had leftover peg board at home, so that is what I used, but you can find very cheap sheets of wood at your local hardware store and they will even cut it to the size you need.  OR you can maybe ask a friend if they have any leftover scrap wood sheets that they don’t need!)

*vinyl shelf paper with cute designs (I bought these two designs at TJ Maxx.  Each one was only $5 and I have a ton left over for another project)

*1 piece of pre-primed baseboard trim (we already had a piece of this leftover so it was free!)

* 1/2 sheet of pre-primed beadboard (again, we already had this laying around so it was free, but you can find this for under $10 at your hardware store)

How to:
This is such a simple and easy project, I promise!

*Cut your backdrop wood (peg board, in our case) to the height you need it.  I didn’t need mine very tall because Ainsley is only 3 years old…. if you are using it for older children, yours might need to be a lot taller.  We just used a jigsaw to cut it, but you can ask the nice people at your hardware store to cut it for you.  

*Get a pair of scissors and grab your vinyl shelf paper.

*Cut your paper to size and start attaching, making sure to remove any air bubbles as you go and keeping it as straight as possible.
The most difficult part is matching up the pattern when you start a new row, but just take it slowly and you will be fine.  

*Cover both sides with the shelf paper and trim the edges. 
You now have a double sided backdrop!

*Figure out a good place in your home to store all of this equipment.  You will need a place that gets good light and also large enough that you can set it all up for your photo sessions.

(I decided to set it up in our garage.  Yep, our stinky, yucky garage that we never keep cars in because it is too filled with junk.  BUT it gets good light when you open the garage doors!)

*So, now to show you how I assembled it all!
Easy peasy, right???
*Simply pick the side that you want to use as your backdrop, prop it up against a wall or a support, lay the beadboard down on the floor and place the baseboard trim over top!  Creates an instant “room” for your photos.

Best part is that you can flip the backdrop over for a totally new look!

See what a difference the two backgrounds make?

And some more photos of my rather uncooperative model.  I even bribed her with chocolate…she was just not in the mood

So, now that I have these backdrops, I plan to make some plain ones by just hanging some solid color fabric on the wall and using the same baseboard trim and beadboard flooring trick!  

In the meantime, I really have to learn how to take better photos because I can just see how out of focus these are!

Hope this helps you guys!

Hayley
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Hayley

Hayley Crouse is a wife, mother and multifaceted designer. Her love of sewing, crafting, cooking and interior design infuses her daily life and naturally spills over into her online presence. She pushes the envelope of her creativity and hopes that others will be inspired to do the same. She currently authors the Welcome to the Mouse House Blog, is the pattern designer behind Mouse House Creations and is a collaborative designer with Willow & Co. Patterns.
Hayley
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27 Responses to DIY: Make Your Own Photography Backdrop

  1. Sarah January 2, 2013 at 11:15 pm #

    This is phenomenal! I’m always dragging a chair or my dress form around my backyard, (trying to get good lighting). This is PERFECT! I desperately need to take some new and improved photos for my shop and the timing couldn’t be better. I know what I’m doing in the next few weeks. 🙂 Thanks, Hayley! I can’t wait to try this.

  2. Karla Hoffmann January 3, 2013 at 4:07 am #

    Oh how I wish I had more windows in the areas if my home that I can take photos in! My problem is being impatient 🙂 I finish (almost) all if my projects at midnight, so my shots are ‘mood’ lighting ha ha. Except for the kids shots obviously, then I just take them in an adventure to the beach or park and tell them to play 🙂

  3. The Nelson Family January 3, 2013 at 4:48 pm #

    That is awesome! Thank you! I even have some trim laying around! 😀

  4. Angela January 3, 2013 at 7:12 pm #

    Love this so much, this is a must do for me, thanks for sharing 🙂

  5. Diana - FreeStyleMama January 3, 2013 at 7:28 pm #

    Great idea!!

  6. Bonny @ thedomsticatedprincess.com January 3, 2013 at 7:35 pm #

    What a great idea! I thought the flooring was real from your pictures, and your model is adorable even if she wasn’t in the mood for a photo shoot. Good luck with your relaunch!

  7. Carissa Rasmussen January 3, 2013 at 9:39 pm #

    i a such a sucker for chevron! i need to make one of these:)

  8. Gina @ Kleinworth & Co. January 3, 2013 at 11:05 pm #

    Awesome idea to add to my backdrop collection! Thanks!

  9. Kelli @ The Turquoise Piano January 4, 2013 at 12:28 am #

    Super cool!

  10. K Coake January 4, 2013 at 3:48 am #

    Very neat! I wish I had a garage, so I would have room for a backdrop. I like how you made it double sided.
    KC

  11. Lauryn January 5, 2013 at 4:23 am #

    In love with this! Headed to TJMaxx tomorrow;) Thanks Hayley!

  12. Heidi Grohs January 6, 2013 at 5:49 pm #

    Looks GREAT! I never thought to go to the garage and open it for light…duh!

  13. Anne Kimball January 7, 2013 at 12:13 pm #

    Hi Hayley, I’m Anne from Life on the Funny Farm (http://annesfunnyfarm.blogspot.com), and I’m visiting from Clever Chicks.

    Hard to comment on how well your backdrops came out, b/c I can’t get past the cuteness of your “model”! Honestly, she is just darling. Nice job on the backdrop, too!

    Anyway, thanks for posting this. If you’ve never visited yet, I hope you can pop by my blog sometime to say hi…

  14. Marti Cooper January 7, 2013 at 3:19 pm #

    What a clever idea! And so easy to create it with liner paper! I’ve got to make some of these!! Thanks for sharing this awesome idea. 🙂

    Marti

  15. Heidi@OneCreativeMommy.com January 10, 2013 at 3:50 pm #

    What a great idea! My walls are so boring! You could even take this outside and take advantage of the lighting. (When I do pics outside, by background is dirt and weeds.) Pinning!

    Thanks for linking up at One Creative Weekend. I’ll be featuring you today! Please come grab a featured button at OneCreativeMommy.com. I hope you’ll be back tonight!

  16. Annette Rose January 16, 2013 at 12:43 pm #

    Awesome idea! I have been trying to think of a way to make my shop items pop. Thanks for the tip on shelving paper, I would have never thought of that!

  17. Delia January 18, 2013 at 5:07 am #

    This is so smart! I definitely need something like this. Thanks for the tute. Pinning it!

  18. Anonymous January 26, 2013 at 7:21 am #

    simply stopping by to say hi

  19. Anonymous January 31, 2013 at 6:51 pm #

    How many rolls of shelf liner did you need, just one per side?

  20. Anonymous March 8, 2013 at 9:12 pm #

    I so wanted to love this idea but am I the only one who is finding it extremely difficult (basically impossible) to line up the pattern for the wall??? im in the process of doing it right now and I think Ive said every curse word known to man and Im about to give up! Its also impossible to keep dirt and debrise from sticking to the liner, causing bumps in my “wall”. You must have the patience of a saint. Is there something Im doing wrong??

  21. Welcome to the Mouse House March 8, 2013 at 10:00 pm #

    I am so sorry you are having problems! I wonder if it depends on the brand? I didn’t have any issues, but I did notice that my paper was pretty thick and good quality. Where did you get yours from?

    Also, for the air bubbles… do you have a sponge or squeegee you could try?

  22. Stephanie May 21, 2013 at 1:30 pm #

    This is such a great idea! It is so cute and will definitely look great for taking etsy shop photos. Plus it works great for portraits! This is genius! Thanks for sharing!

  23. Linda had a little Lamb November 21, 2013 at 3:16 pm #

    Thanks for the tips. I am always looking for new diy backdrop ideas.

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