Do you like to take pictures? Me too. Do you have a gorgeous house with gorgeous floors and modern walls? I don't either. But I have found the solution! A totally affordable, mobile backdrop frame! With just a few items from your local Home Depot or Lowes and for about $15, you can have one, too. The best part? You can completely disassemble it and store it away. Check out how to make one here.
I modified mine a bit so I could have the baseboard, too. The fabric just hangs down, is pulled taut inbetween a baseboard and regular 1 x 4 board and clamped together. My "floor" is a bamboo rug I purchased here. I love it since I can roll it up and store it wherever. My "wall" is a tablecloth I found on clearance at Target (I hadn't ironed it yet, as you can see).
Now I can take beautiful photos in what appears to be my fancy-shmancy house.
Wait a second... did we switch rooms?? Nope! Just backdrops and floors. The floor in this photo is actually a roll of paper purchased here (although if you're lucky you may be able to find it at your local Michaels or Joann stores in their "teacher supplies" section -- I recently found another roll at JoAnn for about $8.00) and the wall is about 3 yards of fabric from JoAnn. I would recommend a hard surface under the roll of paper so it doesn't bend and ripple. I just roll it out over my bamboo rug and it seems to work just fine.
With just a few minutes worth of work I can have a completely different look. The combinations are endless! Isn't it great? Now go make one for yourself and have fun fooling everyone, too!
With just a few minutes worth of work I can have a completely different look. The combinations are endless! Isn't it great? Now go make one for yourself and have fun fooling everyone, too!
EDIT: I've had a lot of questions about how to add the baseboard to the backdrop. It's really easy! Think of it as "sandwiching" your fabric between a baseboard and a regular board and then clamping it tight on the sides. Just make sure that your regular board is about the same width as your baseboard.
See all the extra fabric on the floor behind the backdrop? That's a good thing! Once your boards are clamped, pull all that extra fabric nice and tight! That will help minimize wrinkles. I even like to pull the fabric on the sides to make sure it's super tight. I hope that clears up any confusion! Good luck!
44 comments:
seriously amazing! i don't have the space to do something like this, but i'll definitely keep it in mind for the future! you're so creative, kim, and do your work so well. bravo!
love it! I was trying to remember where in your home you might have had that wallpaper in the Olivia/bench photo! : )
LOVE this idea! Question - Do you have a trick for storing the fabric/tablecloths in order to minimize wrinkles? I would imagine you could iron them before the photo sessions, but how do they get to your destination without getting wrinkled up again?
Hi Carrie! I was trying to figure out the best way to store my backdrops to minimize the wrinkling as well. I ended up buying a length of pvc pipe (6 feet to be precise) for each of my backdrops. I also sewed a little "rod pocket" onto each backdrop so the pvc can just slide through it--similar to a curtain. Then when I'm done, I carefully roll it up. It's not perfect but it does help to keep the wrinkles at bay! Any wrinkles that do manage to show up in my photos are easily edited out. Hope that helps!
Such a good idea! It should really come in handy with your photo shoots! The pictures look great!
This is a great idea! I have been thinking about getting back into photography again and wanting to just do newborns and babies and this will be a great help to maybe make it a bit more possible. You are full of great ideas and your photography is beautiful!!!
You take beautiful shots- and a great cheat method!
The "wood" paper - do you put something over it so that it does not wrinkle when you set things on top of it?
I don't put anything over the paper. I just place it on top of my bamboo rug and that seems to work just fine. I'm also very careful when I place/move props on the paper. But you definitely want some sort of hard flooring underneath. You couldn't just put it on top of carpet without it wrinkling or worse, tearing. Hope that helps!
Oh my gosh...I love this and thank you for sharing! I will be making one this week. Your blog is so adorable too. Do you have any great tips for getting the lighting just right?! My house does not seem to be "light friendly" :-(
What a genius idea and you chose some gorgeous fabric/tablecloth! Found you via Pinterest. Thanks!
I seriously want this fabric! I can't seem to find it on Target.com :(
This is such an excellent idea. I love it. How much fabric do you use for each background?
Can you describe how you added the baseboard a little more detailed? I'm going to be taking lots of shots of my young kids, so I want it to look nice where the back and floor meet, but it's sort of hard to tell. Is it just like huge clips holding the two boards together? and that's enough tension to hold the fabric taught?
http://www.kerimeyersphotography.com/2012/01/02/kmps-30k-giveaway-seattle-washington-newborn-photographer/#addcomment-error-COmpleted%20the%20steps!
another option for backdrops that I use is full size or larger sheets. you can pick thicker materials then simply pull out the stitching in the side of one end to slide over the top rod.
Saw this over at DIY Showoff. What a great idea! I happen to have a clothing rack in my basement that could be used for just this purpose. Now off to find a cute piece of fabric!
I was also wondering how you added the base board. This is such a wonderful idea and so inexpensive, thank you for the idea!
I as well am wondering how you added the baseboard. Thanks so much! Can't wait to make this! So much cheaper then buying a backdrop stand and different canvas backdrops.
WOW! This is so great! Thank you so much for sharing this w/ me!
I am in love with that yellow and grey fabric! I know it's from joanns but could you tell me the name on the selvage end? Thanks!!!
-Emma
Found this via Pinterest last month & just made my own tonight. It was so easy to do & completely worth it for all the furniture pics I take for my business. I love that it can be slightly modified to each persons preference & the ease at which you can break it down & travel with it. I'm already shopping for some adorable fabrics to switch out for backdrops :) Thanks for sharing such a great idea with all of us!
Found this via Pinterest too, and it has been such a wonderful find.... actually you whole blog has !!! Im a professional scrapbooker, who is dabbling in the photography side and just did a back flip reading this post. Just wondering - can you describe how you added the baseboard a little more detailed? I'm going to be taking lots of shots of my young kids, so I want it to look nice where the back and floor meet, but it's sort of hard to tell. Is it just like huge clips holding the two boards together? and that's enough tension to hold the fabric taught? Same questions as one of the other ladies asked above, but I would love to give this a go, being a SAHM looking for some additional income. Thanks so much Kim.
~ Steph ~
Like the ladies before me I would love to hear/see details about adding the baseboard. My husband has made several PVC items for me for crafting and this would be way better in some situations than my current backdrop set up.Any picture how the clamps are holding the fabric to the baseboard?
After reading this blog post, I wanted to give it a shot and create my own backdrop. My fiancee has a big cage squat rack in the garage so I draped my fabric over a bar and fastened my sandwiched fabric with the board and border and voila! It looks so neat! Thank you for this tip! Excited to get started taking pictures in my "fancy house!"
-Melissa
www.howlovelee.blogspot.com
Wow! Great idea, this is exactly what i needed for my basement studio!
wow what an awesome idea!! thanks so much!
Thanks to share these affordable,pretty and amazing Backdrop.I have visited your great post.
Fabric Backdrops
How do you hold the boards from not falling ? Are you anchoring them to the tubes somehow?
Eileen, the boards are not anchored to the PVC. They are only "sandwiched" over the fabric. If you're not careful they could tip forward or backward slightly but they wouldn't fall over completely because they are "attached" to your fabric. Hope that makes sense.
Hi wondering about the flooring is it a specific type of paper purchased off that website or can I purchase anyone of them? Just wondering cause it's really inexpensive which is a good thing so just wanna make sure I'm purchasing the right thing. :)
Hi Kim! I love this post-I've been looking for something like this for quite a while! I'm a photographer and have been wanting to get into that simple studio look. One question though. How hard is it to disassemble it and switch from one background to the next?
I love your ideas! Where did you find the wood paper that was used or the flooring?
Hi Kim!
I just found this post in a link from iheartfaces.com. I love your idea. But the link you posted for your bamboo rug is no longer leading anywhere (which I know is bc you posted this in 2011!) Was just wondering if you had any details or other suggestions because I would love to buy one but am not sure what to get. Thanks for sharing your awesome idea!! :)
I have a question, how tall does this stand? Any chance to make it bigger?
I have a new grandson and have been trying to set up a studio in my basement. I have a backdrop stand, but wanted to acquire different backdrops and flooring! I love your idea. I just need to know where to get the paper that looks like fake flooring. Thanks!!
Absolutely darling! I want some these DIY projects for me!
Brilliant - thank you! the clamping the floor board at the bottom is just what I've needed and hadn't thought of myself!
Can you list the exact materials you used please
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