Create a Customizable Backdrop in Minutes

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La Palette Nude 1 by L’Oreal Paris

backdropcover

My husband and I recently moved, and I was able to take the entire 3rd floor bonus room as my office! The house was painted a lovely neutral grey before we moved in, which is right up my alley, but I began craving a little bit of variety for the background of my photos.

I considered wallpapering a wall, or adding a removable decal, but in the end I couldn’t bite the bullet and wasn’t able to find something that I was looking for.

And then I remembered that before I had neutral walls, I used to own large canvases to use at backdrops for product photography.

So I turned to Minted, of course, because I’ve been dying for a reason to use some fabric from their options. It took me nearly 2 days to finally decide on what I wanted to use.

I wanted it to have some purple, like my logo, and be a little bit busy but still soft on the eyes. I didn’t want anything too geometric because I knew I wouldn’t be able to line everything up *perfectly* and that would drive me nuts.

So I found this beautiful floral fabric and now that I have the backdrop made, I’m thrilled with it.

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All you need is some fabric you love, a canvas, scissors, and a staple gun.

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Begin stapling on one of the long sides, pulling taut.

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Complete the opposite side next.

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Finish the third side, and then as you are finishing the final side make sure you are pulling everything straight and tight. Leave the corners for last!

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Fold the corners like you would when wrapping a gift. Staple these enough to make sure they are very secure!

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And that’s all! Super simple. I like to use it as a background “wall” or even as a place I can lay products out on.

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zip pouch via Allisa Jacobs

If you aren’t a blogger, this could be a great project for homemade art, or a backdrop for photos of your pet. The options are endless, and it’s just too easy to pass up.

It took away the commitment of wallpapering a wall, but still left me with an option to change up the background of my photos.

This fabric was a gift from Minted. If you dare venture their selection be prepared to spend 2-7 hours browsing. It’s dangerous. 

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Kim says · 08.18.15

Hi Kate! Love your blog, and what a great idea for some quick and easy decor. I like the idea of doing a few smaller canvasses and hanging them together on the wall in a gallery type way. What a great alternative to painting or something more permanent.
Also, just a friendly note: I believe it is “taut,” not “taught.” As in “pull the fabric taut” rather than “I taught you to pull the fabric.”

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Kate says · 08.18.15

thanks!

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Maegan says · 08.18.15

Lol! I always thought it was “Taunt” in my head. You learn something new everyday. Thank you for kindly pointing that out. 😉

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Veronica Skinner says · 08.18.15

This is something I’ve been struggling with and I can’t believe this has never crossed my mind! Guess a trip to the art supply and fabric store are on order for this week. Thanks so much for sharing this.

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Chrisitn says · 08.18.15

Oh I love this! The fabric you chose is great! And I just started looking at their website and I can tell already that I love all the fabric. Thanks for the tip!

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Christen says · 08.18.15

Love this idea! I love doing photography for my blog (and food can be tough to photograph sometimes!), but I’m definitely going to have to put my spin on this! Thanks for sharing!

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Laura says · 08.18.15

Such a good idea – can’t wait to try something similar!

Laura
http://www.24-7style.com

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Kate H says · 08.18.15

Thanks so much for the tip! I’ve just been using white and black foam core but it bends and dents easily! LOVE this tip, and your blog!

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Mary Kate says · 08.18.15

This is such a great idea! I’m new to the whole blogging scene and have been trying to figure out a good way to showcase products! Thanks for the tips!

Mary Kate

http://www.mynewchicagolife.com

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Whitney says · 08.18.15

Love this idea! Minted’s products are always spot-on.

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Christina says · 08.18.15

This is a great idea. Also it really helps spot those stolen pictures when people do that.

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Christy says · 08.18.15

Another budget friendly option to use instead of a canvas is the inch-thick foam insulation panels that you can find at home improvement stores. I did some fabric art for my bedroom walls, and they are very light to hang and can be cut to whatever size you want. Love the fabric choice, Kate!

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Jenny says · 08.18.15

This is a brilliant idea! I’m moving in a couple days to an apartment with the ugliest dark tan walls. I’ll need something like this to brighten up my background! Thanks for the idea.

xx
Jenny // Mish Mosh Makeup

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Kelsey says · 08.18.15

Such a good idea! I have never thought to make a backdrop using canvas! I recently bought some vinyl backgrounds and haven’t really used them much because they look like backdrop aka not natural. I will have to try this next 🙂

Kelsey | http://www.abalancingpeach.com

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Kim says · 08.18.15

this looks great! I never thought about it but doing this would be so useful for photos!

Kim

http://trendkeeper.me .. Day to NIGHT & Office Dress!

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Emma says · 08.18.15

That’s a great idea! I’ll have to try it out sometime soon.

Emma // http://thebeautyingenue.blogspot.com/

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Melissa says · 08.18.15

I love the fabric!! I have framed fabric and scrapbook paper before to make “custom” pictures when I couldn’t quite find what I was looking for to decorate. I love your blog Kate!!!

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Sydni says · 08.18.15

So cute!! I love the fabric you chose

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Savana says · 08.18.15

This is a great idea and budget friendly too! Thanks for sharing! I am new to your blog and loving it so far!

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Erin @ Her Heartland Soul says · 08.18.15

Cute! I love this idea!

Her Heartland Soul
http://herheartlandsoul.com

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Heidi says · 08.18.15

Fantastic idea!! I love that not only is it easy to make, but it’s easy to store and doesn’t take up much space.

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Dominique says · 08.18.15

Wow what a great idea! I will be trying this on my next pics! Thanks!

http://www.writingmotherfashionista.com

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Kelly says · 08.18.15

Wow, such a great idea!I’ve been trying to think of a way I can incorporate different backdrops into my photos and could only come up with painting my wall or getting a new floor, but this is a much cheaper and more versatile alternative.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Kelly xx

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Evelina says · 08.18.15

The fabric you chose is so pretty!! Minted has the best stuff.

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Kelly @ The Happily Anchored Nomad says · 08.19.15

Very clever and creative! I just lost 2 hours of my life on the Minted website lol

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Heather says · 08.19.15

I love this! I have a couple of canvases that I started and never finished or didn’t like the end product. I was going to paint over them but I think I’ll just pick out some nice fabric!!

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Hannah says · 08.19.15

I love this idea! I’m working on launching a new blog site and so often I get bogged down by “ugh, I don’t have that fancy such-and-such like so-and-so.” I love that this is a simple, easy, affordable option that makes photos look so put together!

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Stephanie @ ChalkSouthernToMe says · 08.19.15

Great idea, I am going to have to make something similar! Xo, Stephanie

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Eve says · 08.25.15

Thanks for sharing this awesome super simple project. i should give it a try!

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Eimear says · 08.31.15

Oh my WORD this is so clever! I’ve been taking aerial shots for my blog but I’m getting bored with it so this is brilliant and clever and I cannot wait to try it and start mixing things up photography wise!

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Chelsea says · 09.27.15

I love Minted for stationary! I’ve been planning my wedding and love browsing the designs and am thinking of using one for the liner in our invitation envelopes!

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Nicole says · 09.28.15

Thanks again for all you do. I love to see when I get the notification there is a new video. My weekend treat is it sit down and catch up on your blog!! I really like the charming love print from minted!!!

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