DIY: Geometric Paper Backdrop

Hello, lovelies! Today I’ve got an extra special treat for you — I’m starting a DIY series on the blog this month! Each Monday in January we’ll be sharing a DIY tutorial to show you how to make simple, affordable DIY projects for your wedding day!

And, there’s a common theme, too. We decided to build this month’s DIY projects around the theme of Marsala — Pantone’s 2015 color of the year. This moody deep red can work perfectly during any season, and we’re gonna be showing you a set of projects you can do to incorporate Marsala, or the color of your choice, into your big day with some simple customizations.

So, without further ado, allow me to show you how to create a simple geometric paper backdrop – perfect to use as decor at your wedding! This simple arrangement is made out of paper, string, and tape, and could be used in a variety of ways. Hanging as an altar backdrop, wrapped around the skirt of a tablecloth for extra pizazz, or even as a photobooth backer! Use this simple project for whatever your heart desires… here’s how you make it:

Geometric Paper Backdrop

Brandi Gard

SUPPLIES:

Paint chips or other colored cardstock in the hues of your choice
Tape (I used gold washi tape)
String or twine (I used cotton twine)
scissors
A craft punch in the shape of your choice

Use your craft punch to punch out your paper pieces. I was able to get 4 pieces per paint swatch, and I ended up punching out around 100 squares total.

Brandi Gard

There’s really no “right” or wrong amount, and this craft is easy to customize to whatever size backdrop you like! It could also depend on how you plan to use this craft. If you hang it on a wall, you won’t need to worry about the backside of the paint swatches, but if you dangle it in the air where it could twist and turn, you might see the writing on the back of the swatches.

If you’re making a double-sided banner, I would recommend using colored cardstock and using clear tape to affix the paper to the string, so that you can’t see it and the color will show from any angle.

Brandi Gard

Since I was just planning to use this against a wall, I made my banner one-sided. After I had punched out my pieces, I trimmed up a bunch of tape to attach my paper to the twine.

Brandi Gard

I love doing crafts in steps, so I cut a bunch of tape strips and placed them along the edge of my work surface.

Then I started cutting my string into strips. I made my strings the length of my wingspan, so about 5 1/2 feet long. I trimmed 10 lengths of string, then I cut a six-foot-long string to serve as the actual banner length.

Brandi Gard

Then I got to work attaching my paint swatches to the string. Be sure to keep your strings separated so they don’t get tangled while you’re working.

Brandi Gard

I really just eyeballed the spacing of the squares on the string. I decided to turn the squares diagonally to look like diamonds instead of squares, and I really liked how it turned out. I liked how the banner turned out a little random since I made each individual string a little different than the last. Try alternating spacing, putting some strings with doubled-up paper or three in a row for added interest.

Brandi Gard

Once my individual strings had paper on them, I taped my long string to the floor and then tied the papered strings to the banner length with a simple knot.

Brandi Gard

If you only tie them once it will keep things loose enough to adjust the spacing to where you want it, then you can double knot it to secure.

Brandi Gard

Then, I hung the banner up on the wall with some gold tape.

I love how playful and colorful it is — and the various shades of the same color make such a sweet and subtle effect.

Brandi Gard

If you look closely, you can see a few spots where I doubled up the diamonds or did three-in-a-row to add more interest.

There are so many ways you could customize this simple project to make it fit your wedding theme, from the colors you choose to the shape of the craft punch. You could do circles, hearts, stars, triangles, squares, snowflakes… a combination of a few different shapes or colors… you could also try patterned paper or add in some metallic pieces for some extra flair! The possibilities are truly endless but the instructions stay the same!

Brandi Gard

Did you like this simple and sweet DIY tutorial project? Pin our first image to save it to your Pinterest board for later. This banner/backdrop can be replicated for just about any event or occasion so you’ll want to save it for future reference!

Come back next week to check out the next DIY in our series!!