Need some ideas to create a GORGEOUS shower for a GORGEOUS bride?
Learn how to make your own DIY tulle wedding backdrop to use as wedding or shower decoration. This simple tutorial will teach you how to create a stunning backdrop with a gorgeous floral top and shimmering lights!!
This budget friendly, gorgeous DIY Backdrop will bring your shower or wedding decor to another level of beautiful.
This backdrop could be used in several different ways… bridal shower (how about these fun printable photo props?!), baby shower, photo backdrop, birthday party (HERE are tons of printable props)…. you name it! Nice thing is, it is fairly budget friendly and easy enough for a beginner crafter. Learn how to make a wedding backdrop!
Steps to Making your own Wedding Backdrop
Step 1: Gather your supplies.
- rod (it can be a curtain rod, a shower rod, a dowel rod… any type of rod that is as wide as you want your finished backdrop to be!)
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- tulle (you’ll need a lot of this! I used about 4 layers of it across my 5 foot wide rod)
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- plastic white tablecloth
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- mini string lights
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- floral (any large flowers and greenery, Hobby Lobby is my favorite place for these)
- zip ties (to hold it all together)
- fishing line
- hot glue gun and sticks
Step 2: Hang your rod.
This can be a bit tricky depending on what type of ceiling you are dealing with. The room I was decorating has drop tile ceilings, so I simply hung the rod evenly from the metal tile dividers with fishing line and dropped the tiles back down into place. I used an inexpensive white curtain rod from Walmart, that was pretty lightweight, so it was very easy to hang.
I’ve also done this same type of backdrop using hooks installed in the ceiling, then using heavy duty fishing line to attach the rod to the hooks. This method worked just as well and held a pretty heavy rod, plus curtains and lights. It all stayed right in place perfectly. Just be sure to use heavy duty fishing line and attach in 2-4 places. Don’t risk it! Tug on the rod a few times to make sure it is very secure before continuing! The last thing you want is for it all to come falling down.
Step 3: Drape the lights.
I strung strings of mini lights over the curtain rod, using scotch tape to secure the lights in place along the rod. I found they wanted to clump together and taping them helped keep the ‘strings’ evenly spaced out along the rod. I made sure the lights reached the floor, just as I will do with the tulle.
Check out some similar lights HERE. Use as many or as few as you like. You’ll find that once you layer the tablecloth and tulle, the lights will become very muted and soft looking. Really just stunning.
Step 4: Drape the plastic tablecloth.
Next step was to drape cheap plastic table cloth over the lights. I used a cream color from Party City, where you can find it in rolls. I think that roll style is no longer available, check out this type of tablecloth HERE. The plastic over the bulbs gives a beautiful softness to the lights. You will need to overlap some, but just be sure to check the length in the front, that it is ending where you want it to. For a pretty look, you can leave a foot or more of extra length and pool it along the floor at the bottom of the backdrop.
Step 5: Drape the tulle.
Now drape several layers of tulle over the tablecloth. I had about 4 layers of tulle total.
Honestly, as long as the front looks great, you don’t need to worry so much about the back, it doesn’t even have to reach all the way to the bottom. Just be sure enough is hanging over the rod to the back so that it doesn’t slip forward and fall off the front. So pretty!
In this picture, you can see if you pull the front away… you’ll see your lights hanging… with the plastic and tulle over top of it. Pretty simple process!
Step 6: Add the floral.
To finish off the backdrop, I added the flowers across the top. These flowers were purchased at Hobby Lobby. You can find the prettiest flowers there! Did you know that all the flower stems are 50% off, every other week? So, if you need flowers and they are not on sale… just wait till the next week for some amazing savings!
I started with a garland of greenery and simply hot glued my different flowers to it. It was then all one piece, so I used zip ties and attached it to the curtain rod. So easy and stayed in place perfectly!
Storing your wedding backdrop:
Considering that this is made of tulle, you will need to be careful of how you store it until the big day! If you make it ahead of time, which obviously would be the most logical!, your best option is to find somewhere you can lightly drape it until the time. I draped this over a large rocking chair in a room that was not being used and it did not wrinkle. I packed it ((stuffed tight in a box)), and got it out to use again and it was very very wrinkled, but still completely usable. You can lightly steam it out or mist it with water while it is hanging to help rid it of wrinkles.
Now that you know how to make you own wedding backdrop, why not make some of these floral hoop centerpieces to go with it?!? How pretty would that be with matching florals??
How much tulle did you need to buy? Did you get it on a roll?
What is the answer to Elizabeth question?
I have the same question.
Thank you for your time and the helpful
DIY.
Yes, I had equal amounts hanging on both sides of the curtain rod.
Hope this helps!!
How exactly did you drape the tablecloths and tulle? Did you have lengths long enough to where there was an equal amount hanging on both sides of the curtain rod, or did you secure them somehow to where it wouldn’t slide off the front side?
Yes, I had equal amounts hanging on both sides of the curtain rod.
Hope this helps!!
What kind of hooks did you use to hang the curtain rod?
I just used fishing line, (no hooks!), since the tile ceiling in the room had metal dividers that I could tie the fishing line to.