HOW TO CREATE TILE BACKDROPS
Mel and I decided to make ourselves some legit tile backdrops. We were tired of trying to find cool backgrounds and props, we needed to set out and find them ourselves, before we need them.
These backdrops are perfect for product shots, close ups, beverages, beauty shots etc. They are not only useful for social media consultants but small business owners and food bloggers. Considering we spent under $150 to make multiple backdrops its 100% worth it. Plus we have some materials left over to make more and keep getting as creative as we want with it.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
GROUT
- Pre-mixed (more expensive) or powder form
- Use a grout with minimal grit
- Sponges
- Spatula / grout trowel
- Water
- Bowls for water to rinse sponge
GROUT SEALER
TILES
- These can be individual tiles or sheets. Sheets are 10 times easier. We didn’t even need the tile spacers.
PAINT
- Spray paint
- You need to seal this paint, or it will all chip.
- Most likely to chip when grouting.
- Matte or use a matte topcoat (better for photography).
- The matte topcoat will also seal the paint!
- Acrylic paint
- They have acrylic paint at Home Depot or similar store made for tiles.
SEALANT
- Some sort of topcoat paint for your tiles.
BOARD
- You need some type of board to attach the tiles to.
GLUE
- We used heavy-duty gorilla glue, but you can also use your grout to attach the tiles to the board.
MONEY SPENT:
Grout $17.94
Grout Sealer $8.39
Glue $11.97
Sponges $3.94 for 2
Boards $10.95
Paint $25.60
Tiles $45.83
Total $124.62
Backdrops made: 4 large sets, 2 small sets
HOW TO:
1. CUT BOARDS TO SIZE
You want to cut the boards so they are the size you would like your backdrops. You can ask the people at Home Depot or Lowes to cut it for you. In our case, Sam’s dad used a table saw to cut ours.
2. GLUE TILES TO BOARD
Before jumping in and gluing them, make sure they are evenly spaced. Glue one at a time.
We found lifting half of one sheet and spreading the glue worked best so the tiles didn’t move. Depending on what adhesive, you use, you may need to wait some time. We waited like 15 minutes before moving onto the next step.
3. CLEAN YOUR TILES
Make sure none of your adhesive ended up on the tiles. Clean them quickly so they are a clean and dry surface.
4. PAINT
We chose spray paint and decided to do 2 coats of color. In between coats, we waited a couple of minutes.
5. SEAL
This step is SO important. Especially if you decide to use spray paint. Use the topcoat spray of your choice. We chose matte because we wanted the photos to have even lighting.
6. WAIT
After this step, we recommend letting the paint set for 24 hours.
7. GROUT
This is honestly easier than you think. If you need to mix it yourself just add water slowly until you have the right consistency. It should be wet but not too wet. You’ll know it’s right when you pick some up and turn your tool upside down and the grout stays on the tool. Sort of like the DQ Blizzard lol.
Work in small sections and be very gentle. The paint will absolutely chip off if you’re being rough or have too much water on your sponge. We would dab the water off the tiles once we wiped in order to avoid paint separating from the tiles. This step is where you might realize you didn’t seal it correctly.
8. SEAL GROUT
So, this step is sort of optional. If you plan on using liquids on these backdrops, you should seal the grout. We feel like you are better safe than sorry.
9. GLUE FABRIC TO BACK
We took things a step further and decided to glue cheap fabric to the back of our boards. We wanted to make sure if we stacked these all up against each other the paint wouldn’t scratch or mess up the tiles.
DONE!
We hope you guys found this helpful and create some of your own. Send us pictures on IG @glowgettercollective, we would love to see!