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Creating beautiful product and food photography doesn’t need to be challenging; all you need is soft and even lighting with a lovely photography backdrop. Of course, having different backgrounds can get expensive and take up a lot of space, especially for those working in their kitchen or living room with limited space. These DIY photography backdrops made with foam board and contact paper are perfect for taking your photography to the next level.
The best thing about creating your own photography backgrounds is that you can pick and choose which type of contact paper fits your style and aesthetic, allowing you to continue to develop a cohesive body of work.

DIY Photography Backdrops
Materials needed for photography backdrops:
- Foam board (I purchased these from my local Dollar Tree Store)
- Contact paper (Check your local Dollar Tree Store, or you can buy contact paper from amazon)
- Scissors
- Kitchen Knife
- Ruler
How To Make Your Own Photography Backdrops
Before you start adding your contact paper to your foam boards, determine if you have the space or plan on needing the full-size foam board. I realized that I’m never photographing with a wide lens, so I felt that I could cut down my foam board in half and still get the results I wanted. You may want to make your boards larger.

Now, you’ll see in the following two images that I’m measuring my board to cut in half. If you can cut in a straight line, that’s amazing, but my edges didn’t come out perfectly straight.
Pro Tip: Use a kitchen knife. Your edges will come out cleaner than scissors.


Once my boards were cut down to the size I wanted, I rolled out the contact paper over the top and cut it to fit the foam board. I recommend that you give yourself some extra contact paper on the ends.

Depending on the size of your contact paper, you might have to cut a smaller piece to cover the whole board. I had a few rolls that were larger than the board itself, so it made for an easy application.

After completely covering your board, begin to smooth out the contact paper to eliminate any air bubbles. Flip your board over to the back and cut the edges of your contact paper to allow the paper to fold nicely.

Flip the foam board back over, and you have your finished product!

You can make as many of these boards as you need. I did keep one white as that can be interchangeable with the other boards I made.

Additional Recommendations for Photography Backdrops
If contact paper isn’t your jam, which is understandable, it can be tricky to apply; you can paint or pin fabric to your boards for added texture to your images. The options are endless. Never underestimate the foam board’s potential. This will give you a great start to creating beautiful photography!
More Photography Tips
- Anatomy of a Product Photo Shoot
- Food Photography and Styling
- Staging Staples: The Best Items for the Best Pictures
- Essential Camera Gear
- 10 DIY Photo Backdrops for Parties
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I would only say a single word that is WOW!