DIY Fringed Scalloped Backdrop

Rise and shine! Libby and Kelly of The Honeycomb Collective is back today to share how she made the backdrop used in the Scandinavian wedding shoot we shared a few weeks ago. This DIY is such a winner. It can easily go from wedding backdrop (dessert table, or even ceremony altar) to home decor, like an office or nursery. Thank you Jeff Loves Jessica for providing the shoot images!

Fringed Scalloped Backdrop DIY:

Tools needed:

scrap cardstock for template
roll of butcher paper (we used 18” kraft paper roll)
sharp scissors
packing tape
Bulk colored tissue paper (ours measured 30” x 20”, about 10 reams) — cheapest tissue paper source I found here
pencil
duct tape (or equivalent safe for installation surface)
yardstick
double sided tape
large, flat work surface
a friend to help

From Libby of The Honeycomb Collective:

Quick tips: You can cut several layers of tissue paper at once to be more efficient. Also, measurements do not need to be exact and remember to adjust to the size and scale of your own space. We kept it simple with a pretty grey, but wouldn’t big bold stripes or la little pattern be fun, too? You could use crepe paper, too.

1. Fold several sheets of tissue paper into four equal parts lengthwise: Fold in half and in half again. Then, cut the folded tissue in half widthwise to make two stacks.

2. Make scallop template: Cut cardstock to 11” x 7.5” and round the short edge (we traced the edge of a medium sized bowl).

3. Trace template onto one short end of a stack with a pencil. Cut just on the inside of the line so you won’t see any marks at the end.

4. Next, cut fringe along rounded edge using a sharp scissor. The fringe can be fine or wide. Ours are approximately 1/4” apart.

5. Unfold your finished fringed scallops and divide into stacks of two.

6. For a 7’ x 9’ backdrop, cut six 7’ lengths of butcher paper from the roll. On one length of butcher paper (starting in the bottom left corner), lay two scalloped tissue sheets down with the fringe side hanging about 34” off the edge.

Have a friend hold the tissue flat and straight while you stretch a length of packing tape along the top edge of the tissue, securing to the butcher paper. Expose a little bit of the top edge of both sheets to the packing tape. Next, line another stack of two right up against the last row and tape. Cut down longer sheets to fill the end of the row (but you don’t have to cover every inch of butcher paper perfectly because you’ll trim the ends after the backdrop is installed).

For the second row, shift the scallop shape over a bit to make a fish scale pattern. Overlap far enough to cover the packing tape from the first row.

Repeat the previous steps to finish each of the six sections the same way. Fill each length of butcher paper, shifting every other row to continue the pattern. At the top of each section, fold the packing tape over the edge of the butcher paper to secure.

Installation:

To install your scalloped backdrop, have two friends hold a section near or to the floor (depending on how you want our photos to look) and use a few pieces of Duct tape to secure the top of the section to the wall. Don’t tape down the sides (you’ll want to trim
the ends later).

Hold the second section above the first, shifted over to continue the fish scale pattern. Tape and hang the rest of the sections all the way up the wall.

For a Finished Look:

Since we planned on the edges of ours to be out of the camera frame during the Scandinavian shoot, we didn’t trim the edges. Maybe you’ll be making this backdrop for a wedding photo booth or just wanted a more finished look.

Hang a few lengths of scalloped tissue along the top to cover the duct tape. Secure on back with double sided tape to create a more appealing top edge.

Hold a yardstick vertically along the unfinished sides and draw a straight line with a pencil from top to bottom. Cut along the inside of the line for perfectly even edges.

To finish the look, we tacked on two balsawood veneer hearts inspired by this tutorial. All you need is two rectangle wood veneer strips and hot glue them to desired heart shape!