Free (or Cheap) and Easy Photo Backdrops for Craft and Food Bloggers

Don't spend a fortune to have photo backdrops that make your creations stand out in your photos.

You can easily step up your photography game with some interesting backdrops. Different textures and colors can help create visual interest and excitement with your product shots.

Before you spend any money, look around your house for some of these items to make your recipes and craft photos pop.

 

These are some of the backdrops I use for my food blog (That Recipe) and for the crafts here on Munofore. If the food makes you hungry you can click on the photos for the recipes 😉

Fabric Backdrops

Check your linen closet before you rush to the fabric store. Tablecloths and sheets work very well. And bonus they will be large enough to drape over a box in the background to give your photos an infinite background like this.

If you do buy some fabric, buy smart. Check out the remnants section at the fabric store. Look at thrift stores for drapes, tablecloths, napkins, kitchen towels even clothing.

A little piece can go a long way. Here's a chinoiserie remnant I use as a place mat on top of a yellow fabric tablecloth.

 

This is a scarf I picked up in the dollar section at Target and I love the contrast it provides to otherwise bland looking white foods.

 

Paper Backdrops

You can use all sorts of paper from poster boards to tissue paper to the brown packing paper used to protect items shipped from a certain large online retailer.

I may have gone a little color crazy with this tissue paper choice, but the theme of the post was Florida, so I thought it fit.

This is just a sheet of black bulletin board paper (being a room mom has it's perks).

Wood Backdrops

Scrap wood can easily be repurposed for backdrops.

Here's an old pallet I cut up and white washed.

And this is some leftover laminate flooring from a kitchen remodel years ago.

Or you can purchase some inexpensive plywood planks or pressed wood and paint or stain them.

 

Tile Backdrops

I just rummaged through the garage and found boxes of different tiles from previous remodels.

So, I had to snap a quick photo to show you how it would look. Ooooh! I will definitely be using these again.

Vinyl Backdrops

Create a faux marble or stone look with contact paper or vinyl tiles. The big upsell of these for food bloggers is spills are so easy to clean.

I took a big piece of thick corrugated cardboard and stuck white marble contact paper on one side (affiliate link)

and emerald green marble contact paper on the other (affiliate link)

 

Metal Backdrops

This is one material I do not use often, unless we count metal baking pans.

Maybe you have metal shelving in your garage for an industrial chic vibe. Or you can pick up metal sheets at the home improvement store for about $5.

 

Did I forget anything?

Do you use interesting and frugal backdrops for your blog photos? Did I miss something on my list? Let me know in the comments below.