How to Make a Night Backdrop
Backdrops are an important component of the photographer's arsenal. Retail backdrops are expensive and don't always have the exact look you may want for a specific shot. You can make your own night backdrop with inexpensive materials found at a local craft store. Use your imagination to add different components to the backdrop, such as stars or dusk colors. While the process is simple, it may take a few attempts to get the night background you want. Don't worry about the mistakes you make; these can be used as additional options for other gigs.
Things You'll Need
- Boiling water
- 4-by-4-foot muslin fabric (increase size to meet your needs)
- Dark blue fabric dye
- Black fabric dye
- Rubber gloves
- Stick
- Acrylic paint (silver glitter)
- Paint brush
- Scissors
- Fabric glue
- Salt
- Twine
- Large bucket or tote
Instructions
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1
Wash the muslin fabric. Do not dry it.
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2
Place the dark blue fabric dye in boiling water (unless otherwise instructed on the label).
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3
Scrunch the fabric into a ball, tying it with twine. You can also roll the fabric length-wise, tying it along the width. This creates the illusion of a cloudy night.
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4
Put on rubber gloves.
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5
Pour the boiling dye solution into the bucket and add hot water to fill it halfway.
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6
Submerge the fabric into the water. Hold it underneath with a stick or your hands. Keep the fabric submerged until it absorbs the color you want. This may take several minutes.
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7
Pull the fabric out and remove the string. Hang it up to dry.
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8
Apply fabric glue to the edges and fold them over to create a smooth seam, pressing firmly to create the bond. You can place a piece of dowel along the top and bottom inside of the seam to make it easier to hang the backdrop.
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9
Add stars with acrylic paint. How large or small depends on your creativity and desired look.
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1
Tips & Warnings
You can adjust the color with black dye to make it darker. Another idea is to repeat the steps and dye the muslin twice, once with the dark blue and once with the black, giving more texture and color depth.
