How to Make a PVC Backdrop for Craft Show

PVC piping is inexpensive, lightweight and easy to assemble. For these reasons, it is the perfect material for making the framework for a craft show backdrop. Attach curtains to the framework to separate your booth from your neighbors' and keep out the wind if the craft show is outdoors. The backdrop fits the standard 10-by-10-foot craft show space and can be taken apart and put back together in minutes because the PVC connectors are secure enough without any adhesive.

Things You'll Need

• 10-by-10-foot piece of canvas
• Sewing machine
• Straight pins
• Iron
• 10-foot PVC pipe, 1 1/2-inch diameter, 3
• 1 1/2-ich-diameter PVC elbow connectors, 2
• 1 1/2-inch-diameter PVC T connectors, 2
• 2-foot PVC pipe, 1 1/2-inch diameter, 4

Instructions

Make the Curtain

1. Fold a 10-foot edge of the canvas down 3 inches. Iron it flat and pin it in place with straight pins every few inches along the fold.

2. Sew a medium-length straight stitch with the sewing machine 2 1/2 inches from the fold. This forms the channel so you can hang the backdrop from the top of the PVC framework.

3. Decorate the canvas however you want. Paint it with your business logo, for example, or leave it blank.

Assemble the Frame

1. Connect two 2-foot pipes to a T connector and place it on the ground. Repeat with the other 2-foot pipes and T-connector and place it approximately 10 feet away from the first on the ground.

2. Stick a 10-foot PVC pipe into the third connector of one of the T connectors. Repeat with another 10-foot pipe in the other T connector.

3. Place an elbow connector on the top of each 10-foot pipe.

4. Slide one end of the third 10-foot PVC pipe into one of the elbow connectors. Then, holding the pipe in place, slide the channel you just sewed on the curtain onto the pipe and push the curtain until it is completely on the pipe. Then slide the other end of the pipe into the other elbow connection. Go back and make sure all the connections are tight.

Tips & Warnings

• Holding all the PVC pipes together while putting it together is much easier with a helper.

• Once the top pipe is in place, the framework should be stable.

• Place sandbags over the 2-foot-long pipes if you are using the backdrop on a windy day.

• Glue the pipes and connectors together with PVC adhesive if the backdrop is permanent.