D.I.Y. Shabby Chic Fabric Photo Booth Backdrop

gathering of fun people + photo booth = hours of endless entertainment

Am I right or am I right?  Or am I right?  {Wink.}

So, when my sister told me that she and Ransom had hopes of including a photo booth at their wedding reception this past June, my eyes lit up like a pinball machine.  And as chief of decorations, I set to work to turn this dream into a D.I.Y. reality.

I already had *the tripod, the camera, and a collection of handmade photo booth props at the ready.  Remember these?

It was just a matter of whipping up a photo booth backdrop worthy of a rustic vintage wedding reception.

And after perusing Pinterest for some inspiration, I found myself drawn to the shabby chic look of backdrops made from strips of fabric strung across a line like this one by The Blissful Bee and this one by My Love of Style.  So feminine and whimsical!

And thus, out of that inspiration, this burlap n’ purple wonder was born:

Whad’ya think?

Does this shabby chic style make your heart go pitter-patter like it does mine?  Then you’re in luck!  Because I have a step-by-step tutorial to share with you today, so you can create a fabric photo backdrop of your very own!

{And yes, it’s as easy as you might imagine!  Mark and I were able to complete this project in under 2 hours in the comfort of our hotel room just a few days before the wedding.  Boom.}

Supplies

• a variety of fabric (2.5 yards each)
• jute twine
• fabric scissors
• measuring tape
• optional: command hooks

Tutorial

Step 1.  Gather your fabric.

I decided that the backdrop color palette would consist of burlap brown, white, and purple in varying shades…much like the bridesmaid dresses!

So, I set to work at collecting a variety of 6 different types of fabrics, 2.5 yards each.  This meant that our backdrop would be a little under 7.5 feet tall, which would accommodate even the tallest of guests!  Most fabric on the bolt come in at 45″ to 60″ wide.  And having six different fabrics at that approximate width was the perfect amount for our backdrop.

Money-saving tip: I was able to snag 3 of these cuts of fabric in the form of queen size sheets at local thrift stores for under $5 each.  The burlap and other 2 patterned sheets I purchased using coupons at Jo-Ann’s.

Step 2.  Create your fabric strips.

This step is actually a lot of fun–so much so that Mark was eager to help me out!  We simply used our scissors to cut a one inch slit every 2.5″ – 3″ across the width of the fabric.  Then, for 4 out of the 6 types of fabric, we used brute strength to rip those cuts into long, thin strips.

Mark even discovered that if you chose not cut through the hemmed edge of a sheet, you have an instant backdrop there and then!  (Though we did cut through it eventually…and you’ll see why.)

The burlap and quilted fabric were not so rip-able, so I cut those individually, which proved to be much more time-consuming, but worth it to achieve the finished look!

Keep your strips of fabric in separate piles if you want to tie them across your jute twine in a regular pattern like we did.

I made the decision not to worry about fraying edges.  That’s the very nature of shabby chic, so I encourage you to embrace all the frays and loose ends as part of your backdrop’s charm!

Step 3.  Tie your fabric strips onto the twine.

Lay out your jute twine, and cut it with plenty of extra on each side for tying (8″ – 10″).  Then, after belaboring the decision of the order of your different fabric strips {wink}, start knotting them onto the twine, one by one.

Knotting instructions: Take the top 3″ of the fabric strip, wrap it behind the twine, around the long strip, and through the middle, tightening it to make a knot.  The visual aid works wonders for this step:

Repeat this step until all of your strips have been tied onto the twine!

Step 4.  Evenly space out your knotted strips of fabric.

You can make the backdrop more or less full by how you space out the strips of fabric.  We chose to make the backdrop wider so that it would better accommodate group shots!  But the knots could be closer together for a fuller look!

Step 5.  Hang your backdrop on nails or command hooks.

The wedding reception venue allowed us to use removable command hooks on the walls to hang the backdrop.  And I’ll be honest, I was a little bit nervous that they wouldn’t be able to hold the heavy weight of the backdrop.  So, we used a whole long line of command hooks both big and small, waited to hang the backdrop until the day of the wedding, and I’m happy to report it lasted the entire evening, no trouble at all.

Here’s my lovely assistant, Mark, helping me out as I took a few test shots.  What a ham!

Step 6.  Add those finishing touches, and enjoy!

We laid out our photo booth props on a table, set up our camera and tripod, and posted the chalkboard sign that our amazing florist, Alicia, hand-drew.

If that’s not an invitation to jump in and play, I don’t know what is!

The Backdrop in Action!

We had the camera set to the 10 second timer, so guests could truly do-it-themselves, but I jumped in to man the camera for a spell and had a blast as the guests accessed their inner Batman and Rachel Dawes…

…queen-of-everything and Charlie Chaplin…

…80s hair band rockers…

and bespectacled gentle-folk!

You might recognize these two troublemakers…

…and the bride and groom themselves (being adorable and melting our hearts, as always).

When I was behind the camera, I tried to take at least two photos of each group.  That way, I could capture silly moments like this one (classic Uncle Roy!)…

…or this one with the bridesmaids, which makes a perfect GIF, doncha think?

Hours of entertainment indeed!

And now my sister and her sweet husband have a collection of photos of their guests to remember the evening by.  It’s no wonder so many couples are choosing to use a photo booth as their guest book these days!  (Where guests hold up a sign with their message to the bride and groom.)

To Infinity & Beyond!

The best part is that a photo backdrop as beautiful as this one just begs to be used for other occasions.  It can become a backdrop for a cake table at a birthday party, for a newborn at a photo shoot, for products or video shoots–you name it!

So, you can bet your bottom dollar that this isn’t the last you’ll be seeing of this Shabby Chic Fabric Backdrop.  In fact, this is only the beginning….

More Photo Backdrops, Please!

If you’d like to learn how to create your own Photo Booth Backdrop for $10 out of tablecloths (yes, tablecloths), this one is for you:

Or, if you’re interested in a round-up of 50 Do-Able D.I.Y. Photo Backdrops for blog or product photos, well then check out this gem from the archives:

Rustic Vintage Wedding Series

Here are the full collection of rustic vintage wedding tutorials for you to peruse.  I hope they spark some creative inspiration for you, dear reader.

• Bride & Groom Baseball Shirts & Free Cut File
• DIY Burlap Chair Signs for the Bride & Groom
• DIY Clothespin Place Card Holders
• DIY Shabby Chic Fabric Photo Booth Backdrop (you’re here!)
• DIY Bookmark Wedding Favors
• DIY Wedding Guest Book with Creative Prompts

And if you’re eager to talk a walk down memory lane and explore the D.I.Y. elements from our Wedding by the Sea six years ago, you can do some time-traveling HERE.

Have a fantastic weekend!

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