How to Make a Background for Studio Photography
Getting started in photography with commercially designed backgrounds can be an expensive proposition. Instead of paying the high prices demanded for these products, take some time to create your own. Backgrounds are not difficult to make, and designing them is fun and rewarding.
Items Needed:
- 6 to 8 yards of white muslin
- Sewing machine
- Yard stick
- Marking pencil
- Scissors
- Straight pins
- Washing machine and line for drying
- Large bucket
- Plastic gloves
- Liquid fabric dye (your choice of color)
- Purchase 6 to 8 yards of the widest white muslin you can find.
- Clean the muslin in the washing machine, but do not dry it yet.
- Spread the muslin out on a clean floor so that it is straight and smooth. Use a yardstick as a straightedge. Take a marking pencil, and draw a line at the top and bottom across the width of the fabric. Trim down the line as straight as possible with the scissors.
- Set the bucket up outdoors to avoid getting any dye inside your house. Put on rubber gloves to protect your hands. Pour the bottle of dye into the bucket after filling it with steaming hot water. Mix the water and dye together well. Place the wet muslin into the bucket of dye water.
- Move the muslin around inside the bucket to make sure every inch of it is covered with the hot dye water. Let it soak in the bucket according to the directions on the dye packaging. Rinse the dyed material in a bucket of clean water. Empty the bucket. Squeeze the water out of the material, and return it to the empty bucket to avoid any dripping when carrying it into the house.
- Place the muslin in the washing machine again, and allow it to go through a normal cycle. This ensures that any residue is removed from the fabric. Throw the muslin over a clothesline to dry. Never put it in a dryer, or the material will shrink.
- Fold the edges over one-fourth to one-half inch, and secure them with straight pins. This allows the raw edges to be hidden and prevents the muslin from unraveling. Using the sewing machine, sew a straight stitch around the pinned edges.
- Measure down 5 to 6 inches from the top of the muslin, and then bend it over and secure it with straight pins. Sew a straight stitch to finish off the top piece. This allows you to slip a mounting pole through the top of the backdrop.
- Iron the muslin for the smooth background look, or leave it as is for a crinkled, textured appearance.