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Creating a Tulle Wedding Backdrop

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Want to learn how to make your own DIY tulle wedding backdrop to use as wedding decoration? Check out this simple DIY tutorial.

Creating a Tulle Wedding Backdrop
Jennifer Stevens

When someone asks how things are going with the wedding, I pull at my hair and scream, “I’ve got less than 3 months, my fingers are covered in hot glue, we have no use of the living room or dining room anymore and there’s a TULLE MONSTER living in my studio!” (Don’t worry, you’ll get to see the tulle monster in a minute …)

Yea, panic has set in. But nothing that a relaxing night away from wedding planning and DIY-ing won’t fix. Thank. Goodness.

I realize that I *could* delete the app on my phone that gives me the countdown to the second from the moment I walk down the aisle. But I find it to be a good reality check to keep my eyes forward. Knowing that yes, this wedding is happening in t-minus 2 months and twenty-something days and there is still so much that needs to be done. And that means that it’s time to prioritize.

I have a rather long list of items that I am DIY-ing for our big day. Since our wedding is outdoors at my mom’s house in the woods and we are using the barn, there’s a lot of decorating to be done. And that means a lot of stuff that I need to do to make a home into a wedding venue.

tulle backdrop wedding
Inspiration for a Tulle Wall | Image via ItsRainingJellyBeans

How I made my Tulle Wedding Backdrop

I’ve started one of the biggest wedding projects on my list, what I lovingly call my “Wall of Tulle.” My hobby as of late has been cruising eBay, Amazon, Michaels and other craft stores to score whatever deals possible on bulk yards of tulle.

I’ve spent about $300 on tulle and have somewhere in the vicinity of 400 yards of it. In my experience, I found that tulle was incredibly expensive to walk into a craft store and just start buying by the yard. However, thanks to craft stores 40% off coupons (combined with sales and lots of online searching) I was able to score the cheapest possible prices for the tulle I needed.

My “Wall of Tulle” is going to be hung in the barn, covering the walls from ceiling to floor. Combined with floating balloons overhead, I imagine it will transform the barn into the romantic reception area I have in my head!

Pictured here, is my inspiration for the ceiling of balloons in the barn. Our plan is to have tons of balloons floating above our heads while we dance the night away. SO thankful my dad already has an air compressor to blow them up!

I decided to share my loose tutorial showing how I made my wall of tulle. I created it in a way that seemed like the simplest solution to make the “installation” of the wall as easy as possible. Thankfully, we have enough things to do the few weekends we have before the wedding and on a ladder stapling tulle and praying to the Wedding Gods that I had enough – not my idea of fun. So, here’s my vision:

How to Make a Tulle Wedding Backdrop

Step 1: Measure and cut twine to the length of your walls

Take a piece of twine. With help, hold one corner while your helper walks to the other corner and then tie a knot in the corner. Then, did the same all around the barn to signify the length of each wall and to identify where my corners were. Price of said twine – $1 for a spool of 50 yards. Also, make sure when you do this step, you measure the height you plan to hang the twine from to the floor, so you know how long your pieces of tulle should be trimmed to.

Step 2:  Measure spacing for tulle draperies

Hang your twine up in your home/workspace. It’s best to hang your twine at a height similar to what you’ll do when you actually use it. I started measuring out how far apart I would attach the pieces of tulle.

Living Room to Dining Room -- The Twine lined up one side to the other. Photo Credit - My iPhone
Living Room to Dining Room — The Twine lined up one side to the other. Photo from My iPhone
Tied Tulle to the Twine .. almost done!! Photo Credit - my iPhone
Tied Tulle to the Twine .. almost done!! via my Phone

Step 3: Cut your tulle in strips to your desired length

Cut your tulle into strips of your desired length. Ours were 12-foot pieces (the height at which we are hanging the “wall”). Then, drape each section over the twine. Note: it may get heavy. Make sure you have your twine tacked up well so it doesn’t fall like mine did. I had to break out the hammer and nails.

Tulle-Opolis as our living room was called this weekend! Photo Credit - my iPhone
Tulle-Opolis as our living room was called this weekend!
Photo Cred: iPhone

Step 4: Add Multiple Colors of Tulle if Desired

If you don’t want just a white wall of tulle, feel free to add your chosen colors in as you’d like. I decided to include purple tulle (one of our colors) from a small spool (about 4 inches thick) and tied it between each section of tulle.

DIY Tulle Wedding Backdrop
image via Ruffled

How to Attach Your Tulle to the Twine

I spent a lot of time looking on Pinterest to see how other people executed similar projects. After lots of deliberation, I chose to simply tie the sections up. For each 54-inch piece of tulle, I took the ends and tied each one to the twine, letting the tulle drape in a U shape between the tied points. I liked the way the excess tulle created swatches along the top edge as well.

Another successful solution to this project would be to fold your tulle in half, then loop the tail ends through the rounded U shape around the twine so the loose ends dangle down.

Choose whichever option works best for you!

Add twinkle lights for more interest

We are being loaned a friend’s Christmas lights. Both normal lines of lights, as well as hanging icicle lights, will be around the top of the barn perimeter. They will also be strung along the top to cover where the tulle meets the “ceiling.”


Storing your tulle wedding backdrop

Once you finished it, you’ll have to figure out what in the world you’ll do with it? Tulle has to be stored carefully. If you put this thing in a box for the next three months, you’ll definitely regret it. You’re going to cry at all the work it would take to get the crinkles and wrinkles out. If you do not have a shower or closet big enough for this monster, you might have a problem.

Personally, I draped mine over a spare backdrop stand I have on hand from my photography business. It keeps the tulle wall fully draped and unwrinkled. I

PRO TIP: If you have pets, keep the door shut. You don’t want them to tear it to shreds before the wedding day.

Transporting your finished backdrop

Depending on how large your tulle wall is, it may fill up an entire car in order to transport it. I’m fairly certain it will take up the entire back of my Mazda3 hatchback. It will take one dedicated trip to get it from my place to my mom’s house.


Buy a Pre-Made Tulle Backdrop

You could easily use this same technique to put together simple one-wall backdrops. Time is money, so if you don’t feel like spending the time or energy, shop around for a pre-made alternative.

There are some great options for tulle wedding backdrops on Amazon like this one.


What do you think? Would you attempt this DIY project or just order your own online? Join us in the community to chat all things wedding DIY!


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tulle wedding backdrop

Jennifer Stevens

is a Professional Photographer & Federal Employee living in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She got married in 2013 - read her wedding planning posts here.