Home » Crafty » D.I.Y. Photo Booth Backdrop for $10

D.I.Y. Photo Booth Backdrop for $10

So, did you spy that bright, colorful backdrop in the background of our Punny Halloween Costume photos?

D.I.Y. Photobooth Backdrop (and it only cost $10 to make!).  Great for costume parties!  via thinkingcloset.com
20 MORE Punny Halloween Costumes

Would you believe me if I told you that I made it myself using $10 worth of plastic tablecloths and supplies from home?

Or how about if I shared photos and a step-by-step tutorial?  Well, this is your lucky day because I’m going to do just that!

Create your own Photo Booth Backdrop using Plastic Tablecloths from the dollar store!  Shockingly easy and inexpensive.  via thinkingcloset.com

Supplies

  • 10 plastic tablecloths ($1 each at the dollar store)
  • clear packing tape
  • string
  • heavy-duty needle
  • hole-punch
  • scissors

Supplies to Create Your Own Photo Booth Backdrop via thinkingcloset.com

Time Commitment

I actually set a timer for this one, and I can tell you that it took me one hour on the dot to complete!

D.I.Y. Photo Booth Backdrop Tutorial

Step 1.  Based upon the space where your backdrop will hang, trim the length of each tablecloth so they will just brush the floor.

Step 1: trim the excess tablecloth.

Step 2.  Fully unfold each tablecloth and run a piece of clear packing tape across the top.  This will serve as reinforcement for the hole-punches in the next step.  {Thanks to Tatertots & Jello for that tip.}

Step 2: Run a strip of clear packing tape across the top of your tablecloth.

Step 3.  Fold up the tablecloth in 3 – 4 inch segments across that strip of clear packing tape; then, punch holes through the center.  You might only be able to punch through a few layers at a time due to the added thickness of the tape.

Step 3: Hole punch time!

Step 4.  Use your heavy-duty needle to pass the string through the holes and feed the tablecloths onto the line.

Step 4: Thread the string through the punched holes.

Step 5.  Once you’ve completed steps 1 – 4 for each set of tablecloths, it’s time to hang your backdrop!  Now, as a renter, I’m always looking for opportunities to avoid drilling more screws into our walls, so I decided to make use of the blinds already mounted to the wall and simply lassoed the string around the end caps a few times to secure it…

How to hang your photo booth backdrop...creatively.  via thinkingcloset.com

…and Mark came up with the clever idea to use clothespins on the blinds to help hold up the middle sections and prevent the backdrop from sagging.  It worked like a charm.  See:

DIY Photo Booth: Step by step tutorial for how to make your own using plastic tablecloths!  via thinkingcloset.com

We added two small folding tables as a bench for our photo booth…

DIY Photo Booth Backdrop.  A fun and inexpensive way to really amp it up at your next party!  (Made for only $10.)  via thinkingcloset.com

…and what would a photo booth be without some fun props!?  Here’s the collection I made myself using my Silhouette machine:

DIY Photo Booth Props!  via thinkingcloset.com
DIY Photo Booth Props (Tutorial & Free Cut File)

The props rested in a pencil holder filled with glass beads from the dollar store.  On the table, I also had some party hats and wigs that I had picked up (also dollar store purchases)…and behind them were the Halloween Treat Bags I made as party favors!

DIY Photo Booth Props at the ready!  Party time, people.  via thinkingcloset.com

To give you a greater sense of our living room space and how everything was oriented, here’s a photo of the buffet, which served as a drinks station and boasted some Glitter Glam Pumpkins as decor!

Costume Party Table Set-Ups

And here’s a wider angle of the space:

All set-up and ready for our Costume Party!  via thinkingcloset.com

Party Time!

The Costume Party ended up being a blast!  Although it was too hot out to roast s’mores in the firepit like we had initially envisioned (#floridaproblems), we still had gobs of fun.  How can you not when you have grand company, hot wings fresh off the grill to enjoy, stand-up paddle-boarding, outdoor games like “Choices” and indoor games like “Celebrity”…

Party Time at the Lankers!

…and of course, a Photo Booth just inviting you to be your silliest self!

Punny Halloween Costumes captured in the Photo Booth! via thinkingcloset.com

DIY Photo Booth Backdrop & Props = Instant Entertainment at your next party.  via thinkingcloset.com
For a tutorial on these Fire & Rain costumes, visit Rachel at Lines Across!

DIY Photo Booth Backdrop & Props = Instant Entertainment at your next party.  via thinkingcloset.com

DIY Photo Booth Backdrop & Props = Instant Entertainment at your next party.  via thinkingcloset.com

DIY Photo Booth Backdrop & Props = Instant Entertainment at your next party.  via thinkingcloset.com

DIY Photo Booth Backdrop & Props = Instant Entertainment at your next party.  via thinkingcloset.com

DIY Photo Booth Backdrop & Props = Instant Entertainment at your next party.  via thinkingcloset.com

I just love that all it takes is a few handmade props and a DIY photo booth backdrop for instant entertainment!  (Batman masks and retro glasses help lighten the mood, that’s for sure!)

And I’ve gotta give our friends credit for not only coming up with some clever costumes for the party, but for embracing our Photo Booth with open arms and really tapping into their inner ham.  Those are my kind of people.

It’s official: the Lanker Costume Party will be an annual event.  In fact, I’m already dreaming and scheming for next year’s bash!

Costume Party Projects

For your viewing pleasure, here’s a collection of all the posts I wrote up about our Costume Party this fall.  May it bring you a spark of inspiration…or if nothing else, a toothy grin.

DIY Photo Booth Props - - Tutorial and free cut file via thinkingcloset.com
DIY Photo Booth Props
20 MORE Punny Halloween Costume Ideas via thinkingcloset.com
20 MORE Punny Halloween Costume Ideas
Glitter Glam Pumpkins & D.I.Y. Pedestals {with supplies from Dollar Tree! Cray-zay!} via thinkingcloset.com
Glitter Glam Pumpkins & D.I.Y. Pedestals
Make Your Own Halloween Treat Bag Labels with your Silhouette! Tutorial and free cut file via thinkingcloset.com
Halloween Treat Bag Labels

Happy Halloween week!

{I like to link up.}

signature

| | |

44 Comments

  1. This is awesome Laur! I bet you’re already dreaming up some big things for this year, as Halloween is creeping around the corner again. 🙂 That backdrop looks awesome in your front room. I hope you can use it again this year. You also had a big crowd out for the costume party. That’s so great! And is that a “Choices” game I see going on there? As well as “Fish Bowl”? Seems like it was quite the fun night! 😀

    1. Oh, I definitely saved it for future use! And I’m thinking of hosting a fall fest at our place for our Waterford BCL Team this year, and a photo booth might be in order. 😉 And good eye – – yes, that was definitely “Choices” and “Fish Bowl” that you spied! Two of my favorite group games…it only could have been more fun if Lisbeth had been there in the flesh!

  2. I would love to do this outside for my bday this weekend what would you suggest I use to go from house to house?

  3. I just made this and it was so EASY! I must admit I was a little nervous as sometimes things look so easy online but in reality they are a lot more complicated. This project, however, was easier than it looks and took me less than an hour. And the impact is great! It worked perfect on the chainlink fence at the park. Thanks again!

  4. Love this. Thanks for sharing! I will use this as a backdrop at an outdoor party at the park. I plan to string it across a chain link fence. I think your design will work perfectly for that.

  5. Hi Lauren, I love the photo booth backdrop! I would like to incorporate this idea for a mustache theme event, but the venue does not have windows. How would I use this on a flat wall. Any suggestions???

    1. Hmmm…maybe you could temporarily stick command hooks on the wall and tie it to that? Or you might need to build two pedestals out of wood that you screw hooks into. Hope you’re able to come up with a creative solution! Sounds like a fun event.

  6. Love your idea on your plastic table cloths backdrop, we are going to make them for our photobooth. Always looking for new ideas on props as well, we will be keeping close tabs on your site for the latest. Thanks for the insight!

  7. Love this idea and much easier than others I’ve seen!! My best friend’s daughter’s 7th bday party is this Sat, Ariel theme and at a park. Any suggestions on props for fun pics and how to set up outside!?

    T.y!

    1. Randa, that sounds like a fun party theme! Fun props might include: red hair wig, fish on prop sticks, shark fin, King Triton’s trident, his crown, lobster claw, starfish on sticks, etc. And there are so many cool backdrops you could do with blue and green tablecloths or streamers. Here’s a picture of what I’m imagining (though the item has sold on eBay, you could easily DIY!): http://www.pinterest.com/pin/68679963039913745/. Good luck! And let me know how it turns out!

  8. sooooo i am graduating and i wanted to do a photobooth but had no idea how and i just found your diy how awesome!!!!! i will be doing this for my party ill send pics!

    1. Congrats on your upcoming graduation! Is it this December? I’m thrilled you found some inspiration here, Nikki! Yes, please pretty please send me a pic so I can feature you in my next Reader Showcase! Showing off my readers is one of my favorite things to do in the world!

  9. I’m excited I finally got to see the pictures of the party, photo booth, room set up, and outdoor activities. It looked so magical! What a great group of friends! The food sounded delish and the party games great for competition, engagement, and laughter.
    I can see how the photo booth with the props and clever back drop was a centerpiece for the night. Those pictures will be great for remembering good times…good times! I especially liked the pic of you with the two party hats worn like “horns”! Made me giggle!

  10. Lauren, you certainly know how to throw a party! Looks like it was a great time and your backdrop is fabulous. I didn’t realize you required a Photo Booth as invitation to be your silliest self. I’d love to see your silliest, as opposed to your everyday 🙂

    1. Ha ha. It’s true, it usually doesn’t take much to invoke the silly for me, but it definitely comes more readily when I have a playful backdrop behind me, a flashing camera in front of me, and goofy props. I’m in my element! (And I have a feeling you would be, too, my dear friend.)

  11. Great post but I especially LOVED the photo back drop idea. That idea would look good and be fun for many types of parties and I think guests would have a great time with it. 🙂

    1. I definitely saved that backdrop to use at future parties! I can’t think of a party where it WOULDN’T be fun, ya know? And I’m delighted to know you agree, Sharon! 😉

  12. 🙂 oh! your photo booth backdrop is great and for less than $10 = it’s perfect!
    love seeing all these pics of you and your friends; you all seem to have had a great time and happy that this will now be an annual event! 🙂 YAY!

    1. Thanks for the kind words, Ingrid! We did have so-so-so much fun. It only could have been more fun if you were there. Now, wouldn’t THAT have been cool? Since it’s now an annual event, maybe you and your family can plan a trip to Disney around the time of our Costume Party in 2014! Oh yes, I’m very much liking this idea….

    1. Thanks, Emily. I can tend to be anxious when it comes to hosting, but instead, I was giddy and hyper the whole night of our Costume Party! So, yes…I suppose it was a hit!

  13. I LOVE CELEBRITY!!!! Seriously, that is my absolute favorite group game…I am a little bit obsessed with it. I may or may not suggest it every time we have a group of people over (and my hubby may or may not roll his eyes every time I do)!

    So, question for you. Did you set up a tripod and camera with remote so people could take pics whenever they wanted through the evening, or did you take the photos all at one time? Thinking about doing something like this for a Christmas party (and definitely going to try your backdrop idea with red & green tablecloths!), just wondering about the logistics. Great ideas…thanks for sharing!

    1. Another Celebrity fan?! (As if I needed any other excuses to think the world of you, Meredith!)

      I’m so curious as to how you play? I feel like the version we play is so different from the original, in part because we have made up some rules ourselves! Ha ha. We have people write down three nouns on three slips of paper, usually a person (celebrity), place, and thing. Then, all those names go into a hat. We divide the group into two teams. As the “hat” gets passed from team to team, a team member will have 30 seconds to go through as many slips of paper as their team can guess.

      First round: say and do anything to get them to guess your word – – you just can’t say what’s on the paper (like Taboo).
      Second round: you can only say one word to get them to guess what’s on the paper.
      Third round: no words, only gestures. Like charades.
      Fourth round: sound effects/humming/gibberish only (we made this one up).
      Fifth round: hands only (so you hide behind a couch and you only have your hands that can act out the word…yeah, we totally made that round up, too).

      Okay, and now that I’ve described it, I really really really want to play it again – – and with YOU, Meredith! Oh, the fun we’d have!

      And that’s so funny you should ask about the tripod set-up. I actually had a few lines about that in my post that somehow didn’t make it to the final draft. So, we had a tripod with the camera set up a few feet in front of the buffet, facing the backdrop, for pretty much the entire night. We have a remote, so Mark had that set up in case people wanted to snap their own pictures. But I was often the one getting people to actually use the photo booth, so oftentimes, I’d take the photos for them. I’d say it ended up being 80% me and 20% remote. I think if it was a bigger party, the remote would have been utilized even more. I just might have had a little sign next to the remote encouraging people to take their own photos!

      Oh, and I LOVE the idea of a photo booth at a Christmas party! Meredith, you’ve GOTTA do it! And play Celebrity! And if you tell me where and when, I just may show up at your door with Christmas cookies in tow. It would be too epic to miss!

  14. That’s awesome! The party looks like so much fun!

    When I did the photo wall at my house, I used a fabulous (and inexpensive!) cloth shower curtain from Marshall’s and some 3M hooks (since they are super fabulous and easy to remove without hurting your painted walls). So that’s another option, depending on how much space people have in their home!

    1. Thanks so much, Rebecca! Wish you could have been there! And what a brilliant idea to utilize a shower curtain and 3M hooks for a photo booth backdrop. Perfect for renters! (Or people who don’t want to drill into their walls if they don’t have to.)

  15. Lauren I love this idea. I might have to still it for my 30th birthday party I am throwing for myself. Yep that’s right I am throwing my own party..cause 30 is something to celebrate, right? And I don’t know how I missed your photo props. LOVE THEM! I need to run and get some pretty glitter-y papers! YOU ROCK GIRL!

    1. Yeah! 30 IS something worth celebrating! So, you go girl and throw the biggest bash you’ve ever thrown! Knowing you, you’ll come up with some stellar invitations and decor. In fact, I can hardly wait to see how it all goes down. YOU rock!

Your comments make my day!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *