How to Make Photographic Canvas Backdrops

Making your own portrait backdrops is something that every amateuir and professional photographer should know. Because canvas backdrops cost a lot of money, making them is much cheaper than buying them.

Things You'll Need

• 5 yards of material (muslim works best)
• Scissors
• Sewing machine or needle and thread or fusible tape
• Fabric dye
• Rubber gloves
• Bucket
• Length of PVC pipe

Instructions

1. Start with a wide stretch of muslim cloth. Most fabric stores carry it in either white or off-white colors. You'll need about five yards worth, and the wider the better.

2. Lay out the material and trim it if necessary. You want good, straight edges so you can easily add a hem in the next step.

3. Fold over the edges approximately an inch and sew them together. This will give your backdrop a sturdy hem all the way around. You could also use "fusible tape" for this step. Run tape along the edges, fold the cloth over and iron the hem.

4. On the "top" of the backdrop, make a large fold of several inches, and sew that down. This becomes a sleeve for the PVC pipe to slide through, giving you an easy way to hang the backdrop.

5. If you're looking for a more colorful backdrop, follow the directions on the fabric dye to color the cloth. For a deep, solid color, mix the cloth through the dye very thoroughly. For a more mottled or tie-dyed appearance, wad up the material and dip it into the dye. Rinse the cloth and hang it on a line to dry.

6. Once the cloth is dry, slide the PVC pipe through the sleeve at the top. There should be a few inches of pipe on either side of the material. Hang the PVC from hooks mounted in the ceiling, or a sturdy tripod mount.

Tips & Warnings

• Try different styles with the backdrop--ironed smooth or crumpled and creased.