It's in the background, baby!

If you are at all familiar with flickr, you've seen loads of beautiful backgrounds. What you may not know is that these backgrounds can cost next to nothing, even free, because you may already have them around the house.

The background above, though wrinkled and gathered, is a Rachel Ashwell Chabby Chic table cloth I found on clearance at Target. I maybe paid $5 for it. Look around your house for:
blankets and quilts
table cloths
pillow cases (for newborns)
table runners and placemats(also for newborn)
Black towels work great over bean bags
rugs and mats
duvet covers
beach towels
curtains
etc.
and even a long coat:

And don't forget to look for them at thrift stores, yard sales, grandma's attic, remmnant bins, fabric sites and clearance shelves to save a little bit more. You can hang these improvised backdrops over kitchen chairs, clotheslines, doors, and even clip them to window frames.

The Elusive Tutu

Many children's photographers love having tutu's in their props for those darling little princesses we come across. The problem often is the hefty price tag one has to pay to get one. What if I told you the tutu above cost me $3.25!?

I bought 3 yards of shiny sparkly material for $3 and elastic at Walmart. I folded the fabric in half lengthwise twice and sewed straight down the second folded edge about an inch from the edge....IF YOU DONT KNOW HOW TO SEW, you could get a seamstress to do this for you for as little as a couple bucks. Cut about 2 feet of 1/2 inch elastic and thread it through the one inch casing you created. Sew the edges of elatic together. I didn't sew the back edges of the fabric together. I want to be able to easily adjust the elsatic for different size girls. I will do this by simply pulling on the elastic and tying a knot. This skirt will fit my 3 year old and my 12 year old.

If you can't find a good dollar fabric at walmart, sign up for coupons and ads at your local fabric stores to get great deals on formal style fabrics. You could still be paying only as much as $15 per tutu which is a great savings compared to some tutus $30-80 price tags.

For variations you could
-use 2 different colors of fabric
-embellish the bottom with ribbon
-put silk flowers into the larger "pocket" and sew up the sides
-add a cluster of vintage looking flowers to one side
-wear 2 tutus for even more height


let me know if you have any questions...have fun