If you’ve never tried to take a picture of a crocheted cupcake or a book with a hole in the middle of it, let me tell you, it ain’t easy. It makes me wonder how in the world anyone takes stunning images of food. Or animals. Or actual, living, breathing, moving people. I’m not there yet.
Juuuust kidding. A photography backdrop isn’t just for those of us who make things so that we can make photos so that we can make websites. A photography backdrop can add instant polish to Instagram shots or monthly snaps of your cute, doughy baby. (Psst–here’s how to make that simple crocheted headband!)
This tutorial will show you how to make your photography background double-sided because, if you’re going to store a big wall of wood somewhere in your house, it might as well earn its keep by providing you with a couple of options.
DIY PHOTOGRAPHY BACKGROUND SUPPLIES
If you don’t have a dad who hoards awesome things like this, you can buy some new 1x2s and scuff them up yourself. I’m a fan of just taking one of everything in the toolbox and beating it against the wood until it looks broken in. Sand the edges to make them a bit rounder and just like that, you’ve got 25 years of character in 30 minutes.
1×2” boards cut to 4′ each (You’ll need six 8′ boards, cut in half to make a backdrop the same width as mine–about 24″.)
drill
screws
sandpaper or electric sander
wood stain (optional—I intended to use it, but decided not to)
paint brush or rag to apply stain
white paint
coconut oil
paint brush
INSTRUCTIONS
1. If wood is reclaimed, trim all boards to the same length.
2. Line up all the boards and measure their combined width. Subtract 1.5”. Cut two brace boards this length.
lazy a minimalist when it comes to extra work, so I skipped this step.
5. Apply your finish of choice to each side. Try distressing one side with paint and coconut oil, like I did. Or add a coat of stain, like I intended to do, but didn’t. (I’m kind of liking the un-stained, so one side is going to stay bare naked. At least for now.)
If you’d like to see more shots of this photography background in action, check out these posts:
DIY Honeycomb Shelves
How To Make a Memory Jar (+ Printable Label!)
Amigurumi Crochet Cupcake Pattern (With Birthday Candle!)
DIY Gift Box (Made From a Vintage Book!)
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9 Comments
Tim Handley
July 14, 2016 at 5:37 amHey, great share…..
Great DIY!! I am very fond of clicking photographs. I also want this sort of photo background for my photographs. Capturing a moment in time isn’t just about securing a memory—it can help you appreciate your life more every day.
Thanks for sharing this post. Keep sharing more….
Cheers!!
Jess @ Make and Do Crew
July 30, 2016 at 2:25 pmI agree, Tim! I’ve really enjoyed taking (almost daily) photos of my projects because they are so fun to look back on and realize everything that I’ve made.
Happy photographing!
Jess
Deepa
August 8, 2016 at 11:06 pmGreat post! I also love such type photography and the photos shared in this blog are awesome. I enjoyed them. Keep posting such amazing blogs.
Allicy
September 3, 2016 at 11:20 pmI love Diy and when it comes to pictures of background, the tips are much more beautiful because they are unique and a highlight in spectacular pictures .. great post!
Jess @ Make and Do Crew
September 4, 2016 at 10:15 pmI agree, Allicy! It’s all those little details that really help a project feel inspiring and doable 🙂
Kim
February 2, 2017 at 7:19 pmHi Jess my name is Kim, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for All you do. Your awesome! All the free beautiful patterns. I’m going to make the messybun hat right now. I was wondering if you have a pattern in crochet for the little hooded vowel? I Love it but don’t knit. Thanks again for being you ,and sharing.
Jess @ Make and Do Crew
February 8, 2017 at 10:55 pmHey Kim,
Thanks so much for your kind words! I appreciate you taking the time to write such a sweet note.
Which pattern are you looking for a crochet version of? I think autocorrect might have un-corrected your comment. 😉
Jess
Michael Peterson
July 16, 2018 at 1:01 amHelpful post about dia photography background. Many many thanks for sharing with us.
Jess
July 19, 2018 at 2:39 pmYou’re welcome!