How To Make a Backdrop for Your Handmade Goods

When you’re selling your handmade items online, your photographs are almost as important as the item itself. Photos are your first impression, your salesperson and your description all in one. Blurry, poorly lit photos that don’t show off the details of your work won’t do you any favors when it comes to capturing shopper’s attention and making sales.

Some people have a real eye for creating compositions and showing their items in a natural setting. If you’re like me and that isn’t one of your strong points, a clean, simple background is the way to go. It doesn’t have to be expensive, complicated or time consuming; this project cost me under $10 and a total of 30 minutes to make. I didn’t use any additional lighting; this photo was taken in front of a south facing window, mid-day, out of direct sunlight.

 

Although this isn’t technically a light box, this DIY is similar in concept. When you make an open box using white material, the light will bounce around within the box and eliminate any harsh glares or shadows. It’s lightweight and portable (so you can move it to the room that has the best natural light, even if that’s outdoors), creates a clean, professional, consistent background for your handmade products and there’s no set up/take down time.

 

This box is on the smaller size and perfect for photographing items like jewelry, pottery, soaps and other small accessories. You can purchase larger pieces of foamcore at the craft store to photograph larger items.

 

If your items are really large and won’t fit in a box, you can follow the same concept using the wall and floor of a well-lit room in your house, pinning paper or fabric on the wall and rolling it down onto the floor.

 

Depending on how wide you need the background to be, you can purchase a roll of craft paper, wallpaper or make a trip to the fabric store and buy a few meters of some simple home décor fabric. Be sure the fabric isn’t too
lightweight or it will show every wrinkle and fold. A vinyl may be a good option as it’s a nice weight, won’t wrinkle and is easy to roll up and store.

 

And if you’re photographing really large items like furniture, just try to keep the background free of any clutter and get as much natural light as possible. If you’re showing off your art or wall hangings, all you need is a clean wall in a room with a south or west facing window. That will ensure you get ample natural light and can avoid lamps or flashes that cause reflective glares.

 

MATERIALS

• 4 pieces of foamcore
• Dressmakers pins (about 1” long)
• Clear drying glue
• Craft knife
• Ruler or straight edge

 

FLOOR & BACK WALL
Start by making the floor and back wall of your box. These 2 pieces should be the exact size in width and you want the floor piece to be sitting flat on the ground and slide the back piece up to the floors edge (as opposed to sitting the back piece on top of the floor piece).

 

Run a small bead of glue along the back edge of your floor (the glue should be going on the foam part of the board). Use your finger to wipe off any excess so it doesn’t squeeze out when you press the boards together. Line up your two pieces of foamcore so the left and right edges match perfectly.