DIY Photo Backdrop Boards | Reusing Polystyrene Packaging | DIY Texture Paste | Contact Paper Ideas

Hello everyone!
Well, today is not a Christmas tutorial. Nope, I’m having a week off from that nonsense…kidding 😂 But I am having a week off from it!
I’ve been wanting to buy or make photo backdrops for a while now because the vibe of my instagram left a lot to be desired. I wanted to make it much more appealing and to also start making reels but I was struggling to make the footage more warm and cosy or bring a bit of cohesion to my grid.
I must admit, I hate that we need to tart our instagrams up so much in order to attract the punters. I wish it was as simple as saying ‘here, here’s my ‘product’, do you like it?’. But it feels like it doesn’t really matter how talented or untalented you are, if that instant attraction isn’t there as soon as someone views your page, a picture or a video, then they’re off! I won’t even mention TikTok!
I suppose I could whinge on about the unfairness of algorithms but I guess that won’t get me anywhere. I can’t see social media going backwards any time soon so I’m going to have to try and move with it as much as I can 😅
So this was my attempt at getting that ball rolling. I wanted some boards to spice up my gram, so I thought, why not make my own.
I made 2 double sided mini boards which I plan to use for my instagram reels. Basically, when I’m filming my TH-cam footage, I’ll slip a board underneath what I’m doing and get separate footage with a nice backdrop. I made a double sided medium board which will give me extra space compared to the mini ones and will also be easier to move around than the huge boards. And then of course there’s the huge boards for covering up boring walls in photos or end product videos.
Below are some links to products used in today’s video, feel free to click and buy:
ETSY - Please also check out my Etsy store for lots of handmade goodies etsy.me/3gFMCgS
BROWN WRAPPING PAPER - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...
BAKING SODA - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
SCHOOL GLUE - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
ACRYLIC PAINTS - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
CRAFT STICKS - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
CRAFT KNIFE SET - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
CONCRETE CONTACT PAPER - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...
MARBLE CONTACT PAPER - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
SMALL PLASTIC CUPS - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...
Thanks again so much for watching! Let me know what you think of my boards and whether or not you’d give this a go.
Until next time, happy crafting x
💙
TIMESTAMPS
1st Mini board side 1 0:00
2nd Mini board side 1 1:45
Trimming mini boards 2:40
2nd Mini board side 2&1.5 3:16
Large boards 4:00
Results 4:58

[@garygibson5486]

Very clever gives me ideas for throw away polystyrene. Also coasters etc. 👍👋

[@hscraftytutorials]

Indeed! I had the polystyrene for months before deciding what to do with it, but I knew I didn't want to throw it out. ❤️

[@charlynnegibson1158]

Really good idea. You could have any backdrop you wanted. I know when I've done crafts before that that I've wanted to present on a photo, I've been all over the house trying to find just the right backdrop. Not easy 👍😀

[@hscraftytutorials]

Yes, exactly! It's very hard to get a good photo with good lighting and even once you find a spot, you don't want all your photos to then look the same ☺️❤️

[@pamcolechadwell1302]

WOW, Hannah, It's so beautiful. Thank you

[@hscraftytutorials]

Thank you. I'm pretty chuffed with them x