50 Do-Able DIY Photo Backdrops
There’s a myth about blog photos – – those bright, crisp images on non-distracting backgrounds (you know the ones).
The myth goes that those blog photos are shot in professional studios with expensive lighting equipment and fancy backdrops. Oh, and the bloggers behind the cameras have about 20 different lenses to choose from for different effects and compositions. And they most certainly all have spunky assistants with a non-descript accents (think Franck from Father of the Bride) who shout out things like “Spectacular!” and “Fabulous!” during the shoots while expertly keeping everything on a strict time schedule so not a moment of the work day is wasted.
But here’s the thing about myths: they’re not true.
And I’m dedicating today’s post to revealing how do-able it is to create professional-looking photos using backdrops you already own or can inexpensively D.I.Y.
To start, I’ll share some of my own photo hacks! Here are eight different backdrops you’ve seen me use in my photos here on The Thinking Closet.
1. White Foam Boards
Yep, those inexpensive *white matte foam boards you use for presentations? They’re great for a clean and simple photo backdrop as well as for bouncing light or blocking direct light. I always have 2 or 3 on hand. And as long as the winds aren’t too high, I can bring them outside to shoot in some indirect light.
2. Scrapbook Paper
12″ x 12″ sheets of wood-grain scrapbook paper look surprisingly realistic when shooting flat-lay photos (from above). Otherwise, if you shoot from a side angle, the flat texture will immediately give away that it’s fake and not a gloriously rustic farmhouse table. They’re my go-to move for shooting smaller items. I picked up two sheets at our local Hobby Lobby that I can lay side by side; this barnwood design on Amazon would work great, too.
3. Tabletop
I discovered that our black tabletop is the ideal backdrop for shooting items with white details, like etched glass. It also plays to my dramatic side!
4. Blanket
Our comfy sherpa throw is my go-to for shooting baby gifts like burp cloths and onesies. Something about the fuzzy texture and light cream color just works so well for those items. Ours was a gift from years back, but here’s a similar one on Amazon.
5. Wood Floor
This is probably my default move! The reason being that the area of our house that gets the most light in the afternoons is the corner of our living room. So, I often plop down and shoot right on our wood laminate flooring. It has enough texture to keep things interesting, but doesn’t distract from the subject. Also, it’s great motivation for me to sweep!
6. Wood Fence
If I have an accessory or shirt to model, I often head to the backyard and shoot in front of our weathered wooden fence. I’ve even used the fence to shoot banners or D.I.Y. artwork when it was too dark inside.
7. Wood Slice
The wood slice craze is still alive and well in my book, and while some might argue this is more of a photo “prop” than a backdrop, it’s worth a mention. I bought this wooden bark charger at World Market for adding a rustic vibe to shooting smaller items like a bottle of Chill Pills. It appears to be out of stock right now, so here’s a similar one by Sur La Table.
8. DIY Coastal Wood Plank Photo Backdrop
This is my newest and most favorite photo backdrop because it was custom built just for me by my handy hubby. You can check out the full tutorial HERE, but essentially, I was inspired by the beachy white planks of our lifeguard stand. This set of 3′ x 4′ and 2′ x 4′ pallets will work perfectly for photographing the vast majority of the projects I create.
Here’s what the photo backdrop looks like set up on our dock where I store the backdrops and shoot my photos:
And here’s what you see after I edit a photo:
Pretty nifty, huh?
Shout-Out
I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to my blog buddy Bre who totally inspired me when she created a Faux Distressed Wood Backdrop for her blog photo shoots. I’ve always loved that I can recognize a BrePurposed blog photo right away thanks to her signature look. And I totally consulted her via email when we were working on my DIY Coastal Wood Plank Backdrop. Thanks for being so awesome and helpful, Bre!
42 More!
The fun doesn’t stop here!
You all had such a fantastic reception to my recent Coastal Wood Plank Photo Backdrop tutorial that I thought I’d gather some other great ideas out there in blogland for creating your own photo backdrops, so you can see how simple and do-able it is to achieve a professional look on a budget.
Because the truth is that you really don’t need a Franck to shoot “Spectacular” and “Fabulous” photos. You’ll be amazed at the effect you can create using supplies you probably already have lying around the house and a little natural light!
Okay, so where are we?
We’ve got 8 ideas down, 42 more to go, and that’ll make it an even 50!
50 Do-Able D.I.Y. Photo Backdrops
Real Wood Backdrops
9. Faux Distressed Wood Backdrop (Extra Large) by BrePurposed
10. Reversible Distressed Wood Backdrop by Love & Olive Oil
11. Six Reversible Wood Backdrops by Recipe Girl
12. Triple-Option Wood Board Backdrop by Architecture of a Mom
13. Chippy Wood Plank Photo Backdrop by A Beautiful Mess
14. Wooden Tray Simple Background Hack by Mama Miss
15. Stained Wood Siding Backdrop by Tiny Dreamers
16. Lightweight Stained Wood Photo Backdrop by Just Us Four
17. Distressed Scrap Wood Backdrop by Typically Simple
18. Painted Beadboard Backdrop by Polka Dot Cottage
19. DIY Wood Pallet Sign Tutorial by The Thinking Closet
Faux Wood Backdrops
20. DIY Faux Wood Floor & Wall with Moulding by Mary Rose Photography
21. Wood Tile Photo Backdrop by Camera Stupid
22. White Beadboard Wallpaper Backdrop by Find It Make It Love It
23. Engineering Print Photo Backdrops by My Craftily Ever After
24. Faux Wood Vinyl Placemat Backdrops by Ashlee Marie
Solid Color Backdrops
25. Tri-Colored Photo Backdrop by The Nectar Collective
26. Black Stretch Velvet Garage Backdrop by It’s Always Autumn
27. Painted Plywood Backdrops by It’s Always Autumn
28. Wrapping Paper Backdrop by I Heart Naptime
29. DIY Faux Slate Chalkboard Photo Backdrop by Whipperberry
30. Black Reflective Photo Backdrop by Ashlee Marie
Patterned Backdrops
31. Fabric Taped to the Wall & Floor by Young House Love
32. Canvas Fabric Faux Wall & Baseboard by The Farmer’s Nest
33. Wrapping Paper Backdrop by Mrs. Beach Bride
34. Shelf Liner Backdrop & Baseboard by Welcome to the Mouse House
35. Easy Faux Marble Photo Backdrop by Victoria Brikho
36. Tea Towel Photo Backdrop by Photography for Blogs
37. DIY Geometric Cloth Backdrop by A Bubbly Life
Unconventional Backdrops
38. Bokeh Effect Photo Backdrop by Marvelous Mommy
39. Colorful Chalked Fence Backdrop by Whimsy & Hope
40. Book Page Photo Backdrop by The Blue Eyed Owl
41. Ceramic & Marble Tile Backdrops by I Breathe I’m Hungry
42. Plastic Tablecloth Backdrop for $10 by The Thinking Closet
Backdrop Rolls, Stands, & Boxes
43. Wooden Dowel with Paper Roll Backdrop by Maker Mama
44. How to Hang Backdrop Paper in Your Garage by Sugar Bee Crafts
45. Backdrop Stand with Baseboard by Easy Peasy Pie
46. 3 Sizes in 1 PVC Stand by River Road Rustics
47. $17 PVC Pipe Stand by Just Us Four
48. PVC Product Backdrop Stand or Dress-Up Rack by Simply {Darr}ling
49. Super Quick Lightbox by Dream a Little Bigger
50. DIY Lightbox Tutorial by The Blue Brick
Your Turn
Do you have a favorite photo backdrop you love to use? Any photo “hacks” up your sleeve? Let’s continue to grow this list of ideas in the comments section below! And feel free to share links to your posts to show those backdrops in action. I can’t wait to see ’em!
*Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase after clicking through, The Thinking Closet may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for helping to support this site!
Hi Lauren,
I dont normally leave comments, however I am in the process of trying to start my own little hobby business of handmade goods and I have been really struggling with taking exciting and interesting photos to best display my product. The creative juices just haven’t been flowing with ideas for backdrops and ideas. After seeing your blog pop up in my google search and reading all these fabulous ideas, Im so excited to try them all and get started. I found your blog extremely inspirational and I have bookmarked you in my favourites! So thank you for sharing your stories and ideas with all of us and please keep it coming! You have found yourself another loyal follower! x
Still highly relevant here in 2017! – love the white foam ideal! Many thanks!
Sure thing, Scott! Happy photographing to you!
Wow- and I thought I was inventive in a pinch. This is a wonderful creative list. Thanks for the post & all the additional comments.
I NEVER would’ve guessed that your chippy wood grain backdrop was scrapbook paper! It looks so realistic in your photos! One of my to-do items this year is to create a nifty “prop closet” for my photography – including a good mix of backdrops. So obviously I’ve already bookmarked this post 😉 Thanks for the great tips & roundup!
I’ve just been using the white surface of my desk for photos, but scrapbook paper sounds like something I’d like to try! Oh I miss being able to walk into a paper store like Paper Source. I haven’t found one in Korea yet.
A white desk is a great backdrop surface! Though yes, scrapbook paper can help give you some diversity when you need a change (and without paying too much of a price). Hoping you find a good source for some scrapbook paper soon!
By the by, love your blog logo. It reminds me of the compass stamp my hubby and I used on our wedding invites. #nostalgia
Aww thanks Lauren! I’d wanted to combine the idea of travel and photography in my logo so I drew a frame around a compass. I thought it worked out since a camera has a circular lens in the center so I put a circular compass in there 😀
It’s really magnificent! So clever. I totally see the camera, loud and clear. And yet the design still manages to have an elegant simplicity to it. I have no doubt it took a lot of thought and sketching to get there, so brava!
Wow! This is fabulous! So many wonderful and easy backdrops. Please come share your blog posts over at the Home Matters Linky Party! We’d love to have you for a visit. The Door is OPEN. http://lifewithlorelai.com/2015/05/28/home-matters-linky-party-39/ 🙂
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Thanks for the kind words and invitation, Lorelai! Love that open-door policy! Same goes for The Thinking Closet. {Wink.}
I am definitely pinning this! I have a feeling as I work on improving my photography this will really come in handy! Thank you for sharing!
Wow! I am totally pinning this! I didn’t know about the wood-grain scrapbook paper until you mention and will be using them for some projects very soon–separate from backdrops! But they certainly work well for backdrops! This is a treasure-trove of behind the scenes backdrops! Thank you!
This is SO helpful! That is the biggest area of improvement for me. I bought the foam boards and that has helped a little bit, but I think I need to try to shoot outside for better light. I am just using my phone so sometimes they aren’t as crisp as I would like them to be.
I have a lovely light wooden desk, which has almost the same color as our kitchen counters and official dinner table, so I just use whichever has the best light at the time. Since I mostly take photos of my food for Instagram (or do my #superstagedphotos *wink*), that’s really all the backdrop I need. Yours is so lovely though, I definitely think white adds a really nice, soft touch to photos. Can’t wait to see future images with this background!
Have a wonderful weekend, Lauren! Big hugs <3
What an awesome list! I’m trying to come up with a few dedicated backgrounds for my photos so I can brand my blog and this is a great place to start! Now I just need my house to have more windows so I can find the perfect lighting for photos! haha
These are such great ideas! I especially love the scrapbook paper. I’m going to buy some today! Thanks for sharing!
Goooodness! What a list. I’m pinning this for future use! Thanks.
It’s so fun seeing what people use as backdrops, there are SO many unique ideas out there! And of course your new backdrop is amazing and I can’t wait to see more of it in your photos 🙂 Thanks so much for the shout out and I’m so glad I was an inspiration for you! XO
Thanks for linking to http://www.camerastupid.com!
oh my gosh!! I don’t know what happened!! I am soooooooo soooooooo sorry I think I may have just posted that too much! Ahhh! I don’t know what happened! The last one is the actual comment, the others weren’t complete! Ahhhhh! I am soooo Sorry Lauren!!
Wowee! That is a lot of fabulous backdrops! I am always struggling to find a greatly lit pocket of space with a crisp white background for my blog photos and normally end up washi taping a huge piece of white card-stock in an arch to the side of a bookcase behind my desk – cue lots of slipping down or mountains of books holding the base still so it doesn’t all slide towards me covering me with glitter and the like! I think I have definitely over-thought this photo thingamajiggy!! It has never occurred to me to use wood or simply something that isn’t white! I always assumed that it would distract from the item but no way Jose! Darn! I have been super stressed out for NO REASON!! haha!
Thank you heapsicles lovely! You are a star!