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Home » Projects » Faux-to Booth: PVC Style

Faux-to Booth: PVC Style

by Mrs. Pin Cushion

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DIY PVC Photo Booth Tutorial on a Budget

Oh, I wanted one.

I wanted one like Aladdin wants Jasmine, like a marathoner wants a gallon of Gatorade, and like Hugh Grant wants to make another romantic comedy.

Pre-wedding, I knew, in my heart of hearts, that I wanted a photo booth. But my heart of hearts was also telling me we couldn’t spend a grand on a photo-strip-spitting, old fashioned booth. And my heart of hearts wasn’t crazy enough to spend $464 from an online store ($97 for the backdrop, $367 for the support system [yikes!]) to build my own.

So, my (cheap, rational) heart of hearts led me to Home Depot to create a stand for our DIY faux-to booth backdrop. I had searched online for tutorials, but could only find extremely complicated versions involving power tools (and I preferred to keep all of my phalanges attached). Thus, we developed our own method, which 1) ended up working out quite well, 2) was budget friendly, and 3) was easy to build.

For those wishing to build their own cheap, easy, fun photo DIY PVC photo booth, here is what we used and how we put it together.

Supplies:

Note: Make sure you purchase the correct sizes for your various PVC pipes, based on how large you want your DIY PVC photo booth frame to be.

(A) 2 of these (PVC pipe “elbows”)

PVC pipe elbow

(from Home Depot)

(B) 4 of these (PVC pipe caps)

PVC pipe cap

(from Home Depot)

(C) 4 of these (PVC pipe “T pieces”)

PVC pipe T piece

(from Home Depot)

(D) 4 of these (really long PVC pipes)

long PVC pipes

(from Home Depot)

(E) Some fabric (We bought two yards of fabric from IKEA [IKEA’s fabric is great because it’s extra wide; 59 inches instead of a typical bolt of fabric which is 44 inches].)

green white striped fabric

(from IKEA)

Once we had all of components together, we put it together in less than an hour in our backyard. We used a PVC pipe cutter that my dad already owned, like the one below (but you could probably just use gardening shears or a butter knife [though the latter might take a bit longer…]).

PVC pipe cutter

(from Amazon)

To help explain how we put it together, Mr. Pin Cushion whipped some files up in Illustrator.

DIY PVC photo booth frame

DIY PVC photo booth

 

In the top image, you can see the backdrop stand all put together.

And on the bottom is the “exploded” version, to see all of the individual components (the PVC elbows, the caps on the bottom, etc.).

You can cut the PVC pipe however long you want, to make the stand as wide and as tall as you need (do remember when cutting it that the T pieces and elbow pieces will each add a few inches, so take that into account).

Then just snap the pieces into place, attach your fabric (we used clear packing tape), and stand back and admire your handiwork.

Up next, I’ll show you a some fab shots we got with our DIY PVC photo booth. Here’s one gem for you:

striped fabric DIY photo booth

Chip chip cheerio! What dignified guests we have at our wedding!

Are you planning to have a photo booth at your shindig? Are you renting, buying or building your own DIY PVC photo booth?

  • 65 comments
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Tags:
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Add a comment 65

comments

  1. Member
    MissSnowBunny 9 posts, Newbee 08/23/10 @ 6:59 pm

    Super cute! Way to save money AND have what you want!

    So how did you take the actual photos? Did the guests get the photos right away? Did you have them make a scrapbook for you?

  2. Bee
    Mrs. Pin Cushion 10 posts, Newbee 08/23/10 @ 7:01 pm

    @MissSnowBunny: We set up a camera (our own point and shoot) on a tripod and included an instruction page (basically: get a friend to take your photos!). We didn’t have any photos print out at the wedding, we just have them for ourselves. (Selfish!)

  3. Member
    IvyClimb 1569 posts, Bumble bee 08/23/10 @ 7:13 pm

    Great tutorial! We lucked out with our photographers, who have their own photobooth setup (run via laptop, people just click the button and it takes three photos in succession) that they assembled for no extra charge at our reception. The results were hilarious and priceless, people had a great time, even though we didn’t provide any props.

  4. Member
    missbiscuit 454 posts, Helper bee 08/23/10 @ 7:56 pm

    Sa-weet! I can’t wait to see more of how this turned out! I really really reeeealllyyy want a photobooth, too.. but it is SO not in the cards for us budget-wise. I haven’t been able to figure out how to make the DIY camera part happen, though. Please share more in your next post! 🙂

  5. Member
    sf_carrie 354 posts, Helper bee 08/23/10 @ 8:13 pm

    Cute! I’m curious too about the details of the camera set-up.

  6. Member
    cr6zy 920 posts, Busy bee 08/23/10 @ 9:51 pm

    how much did all the pvc cost you? i want a faux to booth soo bad cus the real ones are ridiculous!!

  7. Bee
    Mrs. Sewing 1060 posts, Bumble bee 08/23/10 @ 9:55 pm

    very awesome! I might have to copy this in the future! what was your total price outcome, if you don’t mind sharing?

  8. Member
    photographernico 85 posts, Worker bee 08/23/10 @ 10:09 pm

    thankyou thankyou thankyou for this post! We’re DIY-ing the photo booth to control costs and creativity but I hadn’t yet tackled the *how* for a free-standing rig. Our historic venue does not allow us to tape, staple or glue (fair enough). Perfeeect.

  9. Guest
    Debbie, Guest 08/23/10 @ 10:51 pm

    This is it!!!! Tutorial very easy to understand!!! Thank you soooo much for sharing

  10. Member
    jordynrose 1816 posts, Buzzing bee 08/23/10 @ 11:40 pm

    Awesome photobooth! Far superior to the ridiculously expensive one.

  11. Member
    Nola 1940 posts, Buzzing bee 08/23/10 @ 11:49 pm

    I want one OH SO BAD….and this post just made me want one even more.

  12. Bee
    Mrs. Sprinkle 43 posts, Newbee 08/24/10 @ 12:09 am

    We did the SAME EXACT THING with the PVC pipe. You are amazing for making such a cute tutorial on it, since I never got around to it! We even used similar ikea fabric… I CAN’T WAIT to see the photos from your booth!

  13. Guest
    laurlalou, Guest 08/24/10 @ 12:59 am

    THANK YOU!!! Now I can just make it myself and Fiance man can stop whining about doing it!

  14. Bee
    Mrs. Glasses 78 posts, Worker bee 08/24/10 @ 1:29 am

    Awesome! Thanks for the tutorial!

  15. Bee
    Mrs. Pin Cushion 10 posts, Newbee 08/24/10 @ 3:07 am

    @cr6zy: @Mrs. Sewing: I have another post coming with more deets, but the PVC pipe cost less than 20 bucks total, and the fabric cost $15. Not bad, right?
    @Nola: Make one! It was so easy, I promise!

  16. Guest
    sanseed, Guest 08/24/10 @ 5:06 am

    Thank you for sharing this,it’s quite useful.

  17. Bee
    Mrs. Trail Mix 1955 posts, Buzzing bee 08/24/10 @ 7:23 am

    Hahaha, love that last photo! The backdrop fits perfectly with all your paper products, etc!

  18. Guest
    [email protected], Guest 08/24/10 @ 8:28 am

    I like! Way better than spending all that cash…

  19. Member
    aunt pol 1315 posts, Bumble bee 08/24/10 @ 8:45 am

    Hahaha by your post title I was having visions of a fake leather horror, lol !!

    Seriously, you may well have saved me a fortune. I had assumed I’d have to buy a folding screen for like a hundred quid or something… This is way way better, and so light! And we will def re-use the pipe in renovations haha!!

    Thanks so much!

  20. Member
    bakerysensei 120 posts, Blushing bee 08/24/10 @ 9:02 am

    just a tip for those planning on doing this–any fabric store should have fabric in the wider widths you might want for this. bolts come in everything from 36 inches wide up to 108 inches, i believe.
    so just pay attention to what you’re buying 🙂

    and most chain stores have weekly coupons for 40% off one regular price item and 1 cut of fabric counts as an item!

  21. Member
    MissDonnaAnne 221 posts, Helper bee 08/24/10 @ 10:48 am

    oh I’m totally going to model mine after yours! Fabulous!

  22. Bee
    Mrs. Scissors 4381 posts, Honey bee 08/24/10 @ 11:05 am

    pipe-and-drape is the best way to do it!

  23. Member
    eeper 128 posts, Blushing bee 08/24/10 @ 11:06 am

    This is a great tutorial! I wish I had seen this one earlier, although honestly I really wanted the instant gratification of the photos printing out in those awesome classic strips, so I am planning on splurging!

  24. Member
    Encore 499 posts, Helper bee 08/24/10 @ 11:34 am

    You are eeeevil because now I want to try to do this myself. Mr. E is going to have a stroke when I tell him this one!

  25. Member
    SandraMarie_1986 6 posts, Newbee 08/24/10 @ 3:36 pm

    This is sooo cool! I love it! I have to make one now! 🙂

  26. Member
    Bumblebeez 22 posts, Newbee 08/24/10 @ 7:00 pm

    I love it, it’s awedome!! I love the idea of having a paper scrap book/photo album as a guest book. After guest take a picture on your personal camera they can sign the photo album.
    The pictures can be easily printed afterwards and put into a Thank you card. That way your guest can see the picture and put it in a frame for a memory of your wedding! How about your wedding theamed 4×6″ photo frames as guest favors for the picture they will receive? MG

  27. Member
    caffeinelover247 1 posts, Wannabee 08/24/10 @ 8:10 pm

    I love your idea Bumblebeez!
    Also where are the photos of the paper products people have been mentioning?

  28. Bee
    Mrs. Hot Wings 752 posts, Busy bee 08/25/10 @ 10:47 am

    Great minds think alike!!! I had Mr. HW and my dad make a PVC pipe frame for our photobooth backdrop too!

  29. Guest
    Lovely: Bridal Fashion Inspiration – The Lovely List – Friday Wrap Up, Guest 08/27/10 @ 12:01 pm

    […] all handy brides: Snap up this Faux-to-booth […]

  30. Guest
    Stars of the PVC Faux-to Booth | Weddingbee, Guest 08/30/10 @ 10:15 am

    […] took less time to build our PVC faux-to booth than it takes to watch an episode of Project Runway. And considering the […]

  31. Guest
    FutureMrs, Guest 09/01/10 @ 6:19 pm

    Brilliant! This post is WONDERFUL! I had been trying to think of ways to accomplish this same project but came up with nothing, THANK YOU so much for this post! I will definitely be using it. 🙂

  32. Guest
    Our Hawaiian wedding planning…vacation « Much Ado About Lisa, Guest 09/09/10 @ 5:43 am

    […] shopped, and built our DIY photobooth!  Stumbled on this tutorial and it was a HUGE help.  Did it all (including a fabric backdrop) for […]

  33. Member
    Cant pick a date 58 posts, Worker bee 10/07/10 @ 7:33 pm

    Love it! The first thing I wanted, no needed, for this wedding was a photobooth. I asked if we could skip dinner and get that instead (I was only a little bit serious).

    I am def making one! And love your props!

  34. Guest
    Escort to the Photobooth | Weddingbee, Guest 10/19/10 @ 11:30 am

    […] with the DIY photobooth. It’s been done by many a Bee in the past, but I happened to use Mrs. Pin Cushion’s version for a starting […]

  35. Guest
    Fauxtobooth, Arches, and Squirrels! Oh My! | Weddingbee, Guest 10/25/10 @ 7:45 pm

    […] for a photobooth but we did have money for a fauxtobooth! We’re not builders but luckily for us, Mrs. Pin Cushion is! We ordered one from her Etsy […]

  36. Guest
    SheekGeek » Blog Archive » Custom PVC Banner Holder for about $15, Guest 11/30/10 @ 9:19 pm

    […] and DIY projects. Anyway, let’s get started. While searching for a design, I stumbled across this great site that uses a PVC stand to hold up photography backdrops. This is the perfect design! In fact, that […]

  37. Member
    budgetbride07 128 posts, Blushing bee 12/12/10 @ 1:35 pm

    Fantastic, thanks for the great instructions. I am planning on making one for our wedding. I bought a fabric shower curtain on sale for ~$20.

  38. Guest
    DIY Bird Blind | kamiakcreek, Guest 01/08/11 @ 10:43 pm

    […] http://www.weddingbee.com/2010/08/23/build-your-own-photo-booth/ […]

  39. Guest
    DIY Bird Blind « Kamiak Creek, Guest 01/09/11 @ 11:48 am

    […] http://www.weddingbee.com/2010/08/23/build-your-own-photo-booth/ […]

  40. Guest
    DIY Photo Booth: Backdrop & Sign | Our Wedding: Behind the Scenes, Guest 01/17/11 @ 10:40 pm

    […] First, I found some good ideas and instructions for making a backdrop out of PVC, on this website: http://www.weddingbee.com/2010/08/23/build-your-own-photo-booth/ […]

  41. Guest
    Picture This «, Guest 02/01/11 @ 9:04 am

    […] in the previous months, I had sent him a link to Mrs. Pin Cushion’s lovely contraption. So he was good to go. And we set off to the home improvement shop. Mr. Lox and I invented some […]

  42. Guest
    Laughter and Love: Grab a drink and strike a pose | Squirrels and Pearls, Guest 02/24/11 @ 3:47 pm

    […] guests also had a good time with our Faux-toBooth.  I had seen this on WeddingBee and thought it looked like so much fun.  D has a nice DSLR camera, groomsmen T had a tripod and a […]

  43. Guest
    SuperNoVABride | DIY Wedding Dilemmas | Wedding Dilemma Solutions, Guest 05/29/11 @ 11:18 pm

    […] crap, blogging is useful!  I could get away with just tacking up some basic fabric (or do one of these PVC deals, but that looks complicated) and I would have the perfect excuse for having some random sheet just […]

  44. Guest
    PVC Piping Backdrop Tutorial « lil sprinkles, Guest 10/22/11 @ 10:48 am

    […] So I’ve been on the hunt to find a tutorial on how to make a PVC Piping Backdrop. I heard it’s fairly simple, and you don’t need any crazy tools to build one. I’ve asked hubby (nicely) to make this for me this weekend even though he caught my nasty cold, so I’m super excited to take some step by step photos as I can’t seem to find a tutorial on the web that includes pictures. So far, I like the one from Wedding Bee. […]

  45. Guest
    Wedding Recap: DIY photo booth « Much Ado About Lisa, Guest 12/21/11 @ 11:09 pm

    […] Link 1: http://www.weddingbee.com/2010/08/23/build-your-own-photo-booth/ […]

  46. Guest
    [Dino] Birthday Party | Attempts at Craftiness. . ., Guest 02/03/12 @ 1:12 pm

    […] Photo booth So, I would like to build a photo booth out of PVC pipe for the party and just have it set up in the backyard for pictures. Go to Joanns or Michaels and get some fabric, iron it, maybe hem it up and use it as the backdrop. Seems easy enough. Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. Posted in Birthday […]

  47. Guest
    Wedding Wednesday: DIY Photobooth «, Guest 05/02/12 @ 10:52 am

    […] I found this tutorial online, we got the PVC pipe from Home Depot and the fabric from Ikea. After I used an iron-on seam […]

  48. Guest
    Loxed and Loaded: The Fauxtobooth «, Guest 07/02/12 @ 6:43 pm

    […] since the mount I saw Mrs. Pin Cushion’s fauxtobooth, I knew I needed one of my very own. I dreamed about the pictures we would have. I dragged Mr. Lox […]

  49. Guest
    Loxed and Loaded: The Fauxtobooth « One Sweet Day, Guest 07/03/12 @ 12:01 pm

    […] since the mount I saw Mrs. Pin Cushion’s fauxtobooth, I knew I needed one of my very own. I dreamed about the pictures we would have. I dragged Mr. Lox […]

  50. Guest
    SEO Perth, Guest 09/10/12 @ 4:13 am

    Title…

    Wow, I’m sincerely chuffed that I clicked on this page, good info here! Better than http://facebook.com!…

  51. Guest
    PVC Pipe Photo Backdrop | SewsNBows, Guest 01/24/13 @ 6:58 am

    […] Wedding Bee PVC Pipe Photo Backdrop […]

  52. Guest
    Wondering Dad, Guest 02/26/13 @ 5:02 am

    Trying to help my daughter build one of these. What diameter pvc pipe did you use? I’m want to make sure this will stay standing! Thanks.

  53. Bee
    Mrs. Pin Cushion 10 posts, Newbee 02/26/13 @ 9:36 pm

    @Wondering Dad: What a nice dad you are! I used 3/4 inch PVC pipe (and have made a ton since my wedding and still use that width). But I never advice people put the photobooth in high wind areas, because even with thicker PVC pipe, the backdrop will act like a sail and knock over.
    Good luck!!

  54. Guest
    Mitz, Guest 04/08/13 @ 3:48 pm

    I love it! Gonna try this out @ our church Stawberry Festival.

  55. Member
    JenniferMm 609 posts, Busy bee 05/04/13 @ 11:06 am

    @Mrs. Pin Cushion: Three years later and this is still the best tutorial on the internet for this. You are the best!

  56. Member
    Tallulah_ 279 posts, Helper bee 08/05/13 @ 10:04 am

    Thank you! This was exactly what I was searching for. Yours turned out fantastic 🙂

  57. Guest
    christina r, Guest 11/15/13 @ 1:00 am

    so fun and easy to make. i made mine 7ft tall 6ft wide. fabric is so expensive so i found a fun inexpensive shower curtain that measures 72inx72in perfect size!

  58. Guest
    annissa Montoya, Guest 11/20/13 @ 1:54 am

    Hi!!
    My husband has made me a photo booth backdrop according to your instructions on the wedding bee website but the top is not sturdy. It’s sways. Please provide a picture of hire you supported your backdrop. Our event is in a week and I can’t get this to be sturdy. Please help!!!!! Thanks!!

  59. Bee
    Mrs. Pin Cushion 10 posts, Newbee 11/20/13 @ 11:33 am

    @annissa Montoya: Annissa — in what way does the top sway?? Like, it bows? Or the whole backdrop moves back and forth?
    We didn’t support our backdrop with anything beyond the PVC pipe stand. Make sure you have really pushed the pipes into the corner pieces, if they are loose, it can move around. And I don’t recommend using the backdrop in windy areas.
    Hope that helps!

  60. Guest
    Marlene, Guest 11/09/14 @ 7:31 pm

    I made a very similar version except I used 1″ pipe. The one problem I’m having is taking it apart for storage. Once put together the pipes are stuck but good! Any hints or tips for taking it apart?

  61. Guest
    Michele, Guest 03/07/15 @ 8:09 am

    Hello. This is a great tutorial. I am trying to build one for a baby shower. One question, do I need the middle pipe?

  62. Bee
    Mrs. Pin Cushion 10 posts, Newbee 03/09/15 @ 12:04 pm

    @Michele: I have never made one without out. I think the stability of the structure would be severely hindered without the middle pipe. But if you do make it, PVC is cheap, so it wouldn’t cost much more to use that pipe, and you’d gain a lot of stability. I’d be afraid it would fall down without it, truthfully. Good luck!!

  63. Guest
    Tulsi, Guest 04/11/15 @ 7:21 pm

    Just wondering, did you have any bowing along the top rail? My hubby is buildings backdrop but he is worried PVC will not hold weight well.

  64. Bee
    Mrs. Pin Cushion 10 posts, Newbee 04/13/15 @ 10:28 am

    @Tulsi: The middle of the top probably bows about 1 inch lower than the edges. Not enough to notice or to matter, I would say. And I’ve been making them since my wedding 5 years ago and that is pretty consistent. Just use the 3/4 inch pipe and you should be fine. Good luck!

  65. Member
    Jean Rigdon 0 posts, Wannabee 04/05/17 @ 7:31 pm

    Awesome tutorial. We are going to do this and set up a tripod with our Minolta that has a timer. Very old but we will check out and replace. The bride and groom are going to set up a Shutterfly account and ask all their guest to post their photos as well. One of my daughter’s older brother has a very talented Photographer friend. Cara Hogg of Rosewater Remnants Photography will be doing Wedding Photography. This is a DIY Backyard wedding but we intend it to be fabulous, fun and unique. Your Faux to Booth. will add to it. Thank you for your post. I love it.

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