DIY Photobooth

Everyone loves a photo booth at a party but to get the professionals in it can cost hundreds. 

If you are looking for a cheap but very effective solution then I have it here - costing under £20!!!!!

What you will need:

3 rolls of wrapping paper

masking tape / bluetac

card (if you want to make a sign)

scissors / cutting machine e.g. Cricut

various props

blackboard & chalk

Step 1 - Create your background

When buying wrapping paper for your background you need to think of a couple of things:

•  If there a theme to the party, you should try and find wrap that matches the theme so that your photo booth doesn't look out of place
• You also need to think about the lighting of your venue. If it's a dark lit venue then you are likely to need a camera flash so don't pick a wrapping paper that is likely to reflect. I mostly got away with the one you see in the photos but there was times where the flash really caught the glitter and reflected back. Also avoid anything with foil as it's really reflective

Once you have your wrap, don't unroll it until the night as it could become damage. When you get to the venue, lay all 3 piece face down and line them up. Then take your masking tape and stick them together so that it becomes one big piece. You might not need 3 but I found this was about the right size for groups of 5/6 in a photo.

You will probably need help for the next bit as it's hard to do it by yourself. 

Ask a friend to hold the background up against the wall whist you stick the top of the background using either masking tape or bluetac. Then put some more at the bottom and along the sides if necessary.

Step 2 - Make your sign (optional)

To make the photos more a memento of the evening, I made a sign to stick on the background. This part was really simple, just cutting the letters out of card. I used my Cricut machine to get a really clean finish but scissors will work as well.

Step 3 - Buy some props

Obviously the more props you buy the more fun your guests will have but remember it will also make your booth more expensive. This is where my bargain hunting skills really came in handy as I scoured pound stores & discount shops. I was very lucky that Claire's accessories had a sale on where I could by 5 items for £3 - crazy bargain considering most items I bought were £5 each

Lay all the props out on a table next to your background so they are easy to get to. I also had a blackboard and chalk so the guests could write cheeky messages to the party host

Step 4 - Add people

Step 5 - Take your photos

you can leave it to your guest to take photos using their cameras & phones but I like to have my trusting Polaroid with me

Polaroid Z340

This polaroid is amazing - not only can you print your photos out straight away but it lets you pick and choose which to print so your not wasting paper. I'm not going to lie it's a bit temperamental so I won't leave it out for guests without instructions but I've taken it to lots of parties and weddings and it's always a big hit - people love getting a picture to take away on the night 

I've made an instruction guide to using it so if you want you could print this out and leave it next to your camera

I'll be back,