DIY: Make A Custom-Dyed Muslin Portrait Photography Backdrop

Many amateur photographers want to experiment with professional photography techniques, such as taking family portraits at home. However, professional photography equipment can be very expensive if purchased from the standard suppliers that the professionals use.

But there's an alternative for the amateur photographer when it comes to custom-dyed muslin portrait backdrops. The supplies you'll need are readily available at any craft store, and the steps are easy to follow. Within an hour, you'll have a beautiful portrait backdrop to use in your home photography studio.

Supplies you'll need:

Muslin fabric

Fabric dye

Twine or string

Tools you'll need

Large plastic or metal container to hold water

Wooden spoon or stick

Plastic protective gloves (optional)

You can purchase muslin fabric at any local fabric store such as JoAnn's or Hancock Fabric. Muslin comes in a variety of standard widths and you can choose whichever width will best suit your needs. Most standard backdrops sold to professional photographers are about 10" wide. Purchase the muslin that is 120" wide. You'll need about 3 or 4 yards of fabric for a backdrop, or more if you want your backdrop to extend onto the floor in front of the portrait setting.

You can purchase standard fabric dye at any local fabric or discount department store. I used the brand Rit - the liquid type that comes in a bottle. You could also use the powder variety that comes in a box, if you choose.

You'll also need to purchase some cheap twine or string. You can often find this at the Dollar Store or other discount retailer.

Let's begin.

First you'll need to wash your fabric. You can either do this in the washing machine or by hand in your plastic container with a bit of detergent. If you're washing your fabric by hand, make sure all soapy residue is rinsed out before proceeding to the next step. This step is important because fabric directly from the fabric store is treated with a sizing agent - washing this chemical out will ensure that the dye will be fully absorbed by the fabric.