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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> Making your own backdrops
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Showing posts 1 - 25 of 43, (reverse)
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09/03/2005 09:32:43 AM · #1
Thought I would share this link about making your own backdrops. It is very good.

Anyone else have any good "do it yourself" photo studio tips?

//www.dvcreators.net/mai/backdrop/
09/03/2005 09:37:02 AM · #2
wow that was really helpful thanks b.
09/03/2005 12:26:29 PM · #3
that was a neat demo thanks!
09/03/2005 12:30:57 PM · #4
Now all I need to do is to find a lawn... Or better a new house. I like that idea! "Mom, dad, I need to make a backdrop, so can we buy a new house?"

Message edited by author 2005-09-03 12:31:53.
09/03/2005 12:55:05 PM · #5
Excellent tutorial if a little .. corny.
09/03/2005 01:10:02 PM · #6
Originally posted by mavrik:

Excellent tutorial if a little .. corny.


Mmm...yummy!

I'd suggest leaving the backdrop out to dry in the sun - either hanging on the line or in a plastic bag - rather than putting the soaking wet mess in your dryer. Run it through the dryer once it's dry if you want to set it with more heat.
09/03/2005 01:34:23 PM · #7
could they have found a more monotone person to narrate the movie? lol, interesting though!
09/03/2005 04:12:44 PM · #8
I have just tried this and it is a fun activity. I included my 5 year old (he was using water and food coloring while I used the RIT dye).

A couple of tips:

I would disolve the dye in a much smaller pan than the guy in the video, 2/3 of a pint is not much water.

Also, the dye does not need 20-30 minutes to disolve. If you watch it, it never seems to become one shade even though it dissolves very quickly.

If you simmer the dye for 20-30 minutes (DOH!) it is very hot in the bottle!

Do let the fabric dry out in the sun for a good hour or so before it goes in the dryer.


09/03/2005 04:19:30 PM · #9
Another tip-
If you add salt to the dye the colors come out much more vibrant. :0)
09/03/2005 04:21:54 PM · #10
any ideas for best place to get the muslin??
09/03/2005 04:30:30 PM · #11
Originally posted by oOWonderBreadOo:

Another tip-
If you add salt to the dye the colors come out much more vibrant. :0)


Correct: Salt actually is an electrolyte, this helps to force the colour out of the water and on to the fabric, hence the appearance of more vibrancy, ie. more saturation.
09/03/2005 04:47:04 PM · #12
Originally posted by TerryGee:

any ideas for best place to get the muslin??


I try JoAnne febrics stores and check their remnants and end of rolls section. Some of your backdrops do not need to be 10' X 12' for torso shots, etc.

It does not have to be muslin either.

For a true 10'X 12', JoAnne fabrics is where I shop cause it's close to home. Making one will save me about 1/2 or more and it's fun.
09/03/2005 04:48:35 PM · #13
Originally posted by oOWonderBreadOo:

Another tip-
If you add salt to the dye the colors come out much more vibrant. :0)


How much salt do you add? The dye mixture is only 1 pint per RIT pkg using this method.
09/03/2005 04:50:52 PM · #14
If you sign up for the Joanne mailing list, you'll get a weekly coupon for 15% off (I think, maybe it's 20%?) They'll also price match for other stores' coupons (ie. Michael's, etc.)
09/03/2005 04:52:17 PM · #15
Originally posted by mk:

If you sign up for the Joanne mailing list, you'll get a weekly coupon for 15% off (I think, maybe it's 20%?) They'll also price match for other stores' coupons (ie. Michael's, etc.)


Every other week or so we get a coupon in the paper for JoAnne @ 40% off. Really good for bulk or large ticket purchases.

(my wife is scrapbooker, she hits all the bargains)

Message edited by author 2005-09-03 16:53:23.
09/03/2005 04:53:21 PM · #16
it's been a while, but it was a lot. about half a cup per package. You might need to do less tho, with less water...
09/03/2005 04:56:25 PM · #17
There are many permutations in dying fabrics, I spent 20 yrs in the trade and still don't know it all, too many to name here, but here is a pretty simple breakdown on the basics.

Dying tips.
09/03/2005 05:02:08 PM · #18
MMMMMM YUMMY!!!

That pretty much sums it up about such a yummy video.
09/03/2005 05:22:08 PM · #19
I couldn't believe he said "Yummy"!
09/03/2005 05:38:14 PM · #20
Originally posted by rayg544:

I couldn't believe he said "Yummy"!


Yeah, I prefer to say scrumpdilicious when eating freshly dyed cloth.
09/19/2005 04:20:09 PM · #21
I must say, Thanks for the link barndog, I love my backdrop and plan to do some others, but I wish I had never seen it.

BEWARE. DO NOT USE YOUR DRYER FOR THIS.

I did exactly what the video said. I threw in jeans after drying the sheet. I dryed the jeans for an hour. A few days later I washed a few loads of clothes.... Almost my entire wardrobe has blue specks on it. Its unbelieveable how ruined my clothes are. My kids new school clothes too. And this lasted way beyond one or two loads of clothes. I washed a load of socks today (almost 2 weeks since I started all this) and they came out with specks. HOW DO I GET THIS OUT OF MY DRYER?????


09/19/2005 05:02:28 PM · #22
I suspect that some of the lint from whatever you dyed is still in your dryer.
Don't know if this will work (or if you feel comfortable with taking appliances apart), but my father-in-law has done this to completely remove lint from the dryer. You may want a dust mask.
First, UNPLUG the dryer and take the dryer outside. Remove all lint traps and use a natural bristle hair-brush to remove the lint. Take an air hose (attached to a compressor) and blow out all remaining lint from the traps. Now remove the back of the dryer (an electric screwdriver is handy for this).
Use the hairbrush (or a stiff paintbrush or bottle brush) to remove any visible lint. Be sure to clean the space where the lint traps reside. After brushing out as much of the lint as possible, take your air hose and blow out as much lint from around the drum and in the vent as is possible.
Next, take a damp (not wet) cloth or a painters' tack cloth and wipe all surfaces you can get to in the back of the dryer. If you still get lots of lint, blow it out with the air hose again and re-wipe. Replace (carefully!) the back of the dryer.
Put on some rubber gloves. Dip a rag in bleach-water (or use something like Simple Green or Greased Lightning) (note:do not mix bleach with other cleaners!) and thoroughly wipe down the drum and lint trap surfaces. Take another clean damp cloth and wipe the drum and lint trap surfaces again to remove traces of cleaner.
Take your dryer back in and plug it in. Try running a load of un-spotted towels through to see if this helps.

PS - I take no responsibility if you break your dryer! :)
09/19/2005 05:09:32 PM · #23
I did not have the same experience. I have done four of these now. I always let the outside ones dry for a couple hours or more before putting them in the dryer and the full "dye in the washer" ones spin out real good before going in the dryer.

Also, I washed the muslin before I dyed it to get rid of the procseeing chemicals and dust, etc.

I have noticed that if you do not dissolve the dry dye very well, some colors leave specks of undisolved dye on the cloth that can come off and make a mess.

Sorry to hear this happened.
09/19/2005 06:19:41 PM · #24
Originally posted by barndog:

Originally posted by TerryGee:

any ideas for best place to get the muslin??


I try JoAnne febrics stores and check their remnants and end of rolls section. Some of your backdrops do not need to be 10' X 12' for torso shots, etc.

It does not have to be muslin either.

For a true 10'X 12', JoAnne fabrics is where I shop cause it's close to home. Making one will save me about 1/2 or more and it's fun.


Last week I bought enough from JoAnne's for three. They have it up to 120 inches wide for $6.99 a yard. BUT ... if there is another craft store in your area and they have a coupon Joannes will honor it. I had one from Michaels Craft at 50% off so 10 foot wide muslin for $3.50 a yard, not bad. And it took the die very nicely.
09/19/2005 08:13:32 PM · #25
I do appreciate the advice about taking apart the dryer, I think I will call in a repairman for that job, its way to big for me to tackle. I plan to look inside, try to find any lint, etc like was mentioned before. I just hope I can get it all out! :) I LOVE LOVE LOVE the way my backdrop looks, and I plan to make more, I will dry them totally in the sun and iron them next time.
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