[themyst]

I came across a site that had a beautiful haunted house background mural and prompted me to see what else was available. I found many sites that offer backdrops, mostly for photography sessions. But they're beautiful and come in all different sizes. They have the stick on (which wouldn't work on my textured walls) and also fabric. Some examples:

A 5'x7'
http://www.backdropoutlet.com/

46" x 88"
http://www.shindigz.com/party/haunted-house-background-illustration/pgp/9web1136

I'd love to hang one or two on my walls to set the scene for Autumn. Has anyone else used these, and what was their experience? And how could you effectively hang material on your wall like this ... I guess you'd have to install a super long curtain rod near the ceiling if you didn't want to put tacks through it, right?

 

[lbc]

I've purchased photo backdrops on eBay before from hoyafotoworld. I usually buy the 10ft by 10ft vinyl, which is thicker than Scene Setters, but not too heavy. They have a seam, but it is not noticeable. I've used them clamped to a photo backdrop stand in the garage where I could place the stands so they would not create a tripping hazzard. I've also attached them with clamps to the gutter over my garage, and with binder clips to the drop ceiling brackets in an office I worked in that had 10-foot ceilings.

If you look closely, you can see the fold lines. They are shipped folded, not rolled.

 

[CHEFJULI]

Nice backgrounds! I got one from Grandin Road one year and hung it over my fireplace! It glowed in the dark and when you put a blacklight on it, other creatures would show up

 

[themyst]

I guess what I was thinking is trying to use one as a mural ... flat against the wall. I guess there is really no way around having to tack it to the wall then.

Actual murals are just so expensive ($200 - $500) and that's what I'm trying to get around. Backdrops are anywhere from $50 to $100. I wonder if the backdrop idea, if pinned to the wall, would create an effective mural - with a tapestry look.

CHEFJULI - the blacklight idea sounds great. If I can find any I'll likely buy one to permanently hang in my kid's room.

lbc - I've read about how they are folded, and I guess you could iron, or according to the sites I've been on a steamer takes it right out. I don't have a steamer conveniently lying around though ...

 

[Gym Whourlfeld]

There was once a picture of a "Haunted house" that became very popular. (Over-Used) It was a drawing.
One Fall (When I was still spending money on newspaper ads) there were ,say, six haunt's ads on one page.
Three of the haunts all used The Same Picture of a "Haunted House!"
I thought this would be confusing and counter-productive when it comes to advertising!
(Maybe someone working at the newspaper made this poor choice?
I used to get many ads for photography backrounds. i never noticed one that I thought I could begin to afford.
They also had nice, impressive small items to give the subject something to sit or stand on or lean on which did also look nice but were very pricey.

 

[lbc]

I like them, but I am not using them where they would be subject to close inspection. The beckdrops that I've gotten have often been darker than I expected, probably because they are meant to be hit with bright lights. I've used binder clips to secure hangings from curtain hardware with out an actual rod before. You might able to setup a clothesline between windows to hand it from instead of buying an actual rod.

If you are going to tack something to the wall even though it is textured, you might want to try decals instead.

Last year, Target had some inexpensive ones that you could use to test on your walls.

ChefJuli, I have to check out that Grandin Road mural!

 

[lbc]

The ones I get on eBay come from China and with shipping usually cost about $54 each.

They are 10 x 10 ft vinyl, are shipped folded, and weigh about 2 lbs each.

 

[themyst]

If you are going to tack something to the wall even though it is textured, you might want to try decals instead.

View attachment 245297

Last year, Target had some inexpensive ones that you could use to test on your walls.

Ahh, the wall I want to put it on has some pretty deep texture, so a stick-on won't work. And that's too bad because some of the larger stick on murals are pretty neat also, (in addition to being less expensive), but if you can imagine Lucy Ricardo trying to put one up, you can get an idea of my motor skills on such a project.

 

[lbc]

Not a mural, but something good to cover textured walls is Shindigz patterned corrugated paper. The have a few different patterns simulating rock walls in rolls of 4 ft by 25 ft. Works out well if your ceilings are 8 feet. Match the pattern and tape 2 pieces together in the back horizontally. Because the corrugated paper is stiff, you can keep by placing items against in and using a little tape at the ceiling. If you have picture hangers on the wall, you can just push them through the cardboard and hang things from them. This will help keep the cardboard in place. It is a great effect if you do a whole room, and much nicer than Scene Setters.

 

[themyst]

I like that idea, lbc. That does seem like the more viable option for me. And you can't beat the price! But I wish they had some Halloween scenes! I'm really looking for a haunted house or spooky outside pumpkin scene. I'll look around to see if anyone else carries these corrugated paper scenes, but I'd think that Shindigz would have them if more varied scenes were available.

Thanks!

 

[lbc]

They also have plain black if you want to cut out your own tree silhouette. You would probably need at least one picture hanger in the wall to stabilize it and have a broad base at the bottom resting on the floor. Then you could apply decals to it instead of directly to you wall or glue pumpkin cut outs onto it.

 

[a_granger]

I don't know if this is anything you would be interested in, but I found it looking for interesting Halloween backdrops and thought with a little bit of tweeking this could be really cool and very light weight. I would try to add bits of dark gray and black creepy cloth into the mix though for more texture. I'm planning to try it this year

here is the link for where I found it if anyone is interested.
http://www.studiodiy.com/2012/10/23/diy-haunted-housewarming/

 

[themyst]

I don't know if this is anything you would be interested in, but I found it looking for interesting Halloween backdrops and thought with a little bit of tweeking this could be really cool and very light weight. I would try to add bits of dark gray and black creepy cloth into the mix though for more texture. I'm planning to try it this year.

Thanks, I appreciate all suggestions because even if one doesn't work out, it could lead me to something else. That particular backdrop is very cool, however in my house it would wind up being nothing more than a receptacle for dust and dog fur.

They also have plain black if you want to cut out your own tree silhouette. You would probably need at least one picture hanger in the wall to stabilize it and have a broad base at the bottom resting on the floor. Then you could apply decals to it instead of directly to you wall or glue pumpkin cut outs onto it.

Ahh yes, the ole modification approach. That could be an option! But I am worried about getting myself in over my head too much, already this will be the first year I'm putting together a graveyard and making some props myself, so I was really hoping just to receive something in the mail and hang it, lol.

 

[Stinkerbell n Frog Prince]

OHHH love the foamboard and tissue paper backdrop... I've got to do that one as a back drop for our scary rotten fruit stand scene I have planned for the kitchen.

I've used office clips (binder clips), that gummy tacky stuff, tacks and even double sided tape to hang scene setters and such but one suggestion I didn't see listed was fabric starch. Might not would for the heavier vinyl but I know it will work great on fabric. It's an old trick I learned about back in the late '70s. Everywhere we lived it had to be white walls... landlords go figure. Someone turned me onto using liquid fabric starch as a glue to "wallpaper" fabric to walls. Brush starch on a clean wall in the area you want to hang the fabric. Place the fabric over the wet starch, will need some help for this part. stretch it, smooth it sometimes using wallpaper hanging tools help. apply more starch over the top of the fabric and continue smoothing and stretching till it's how you like it. I did floor to ceiling and cut out holes for outlets and such as needed. When it comes till to move or change out themes or becomes to dirty to live with, it'll peel off easy and super easy to wash off the residue off the wall. Landlord gets his white wall back I get my damage deposit back. The fabric can be rinsed out and rehung with more starch or stored till needed for another project. Seams and edges needed starch touch up from time to time but in general it worked great. I recall one place having an orange peel texture and it work just fine. I've used patterned flat fold bed sheets in the master bedrooms. When the kids were little they had a cute stuffed animal patterned flannel fabric on one wall. I bet there are some nice "murals" that are already on fabric or can easily be printed on fabric. If you have the talent I bet you could just get some flat fold black sheets and cut out your own mural like the one posted earlier and "Glue" it to the wall.

 

[Rustie]

Does anyone know of a source for fabric with a stone/brick type of print that could be used as a backdrop? The few I've found and nowhere near "life-sized" bricks for this kind of use, they're all tiny patterns.

 

[BlueFrog]

lbc, thank you for solving a problem I'm anticipating in my current display. I'd seen decals before, but the tumblers in my brain didn't click until I read your post. Danke!

 

[lbc]

Does anyone know of a source for fabric with a stone/brick type of print that could be used as a backdrop? The few I've found and nowhere near "life-sized" bricks for this kind of use, they're all tiny patterns.

It depends on what you mean by fabric. If gossamer would work for you, www.shindigz.com has flagstone and cobblestone background patterns that are also available on poly vinyl.

If you can work with paper or corrugated cardboard, they have more patterns available:

If you can work with vinyl, Hoya Photo World on eBay has many brick patterns on photo backdrops that they ship from China. And I've recently learned from Forum member, ThePirateHouse, that they do custom work.

http://stores.ebay.com/HOYA-FOTO-WORLD

 

[Rustie]

Thanks!! I think I may end up going for the corrugated paper, seems like it will be sturdier in the long run for indoor use.

 

[stuffyteddybare]

Try using poster putty..it sticks decent and it comes off when you need to...also..use a hair dryer..I have done that before to take out wrinkles..don't tell my ex girlfriend though..she was always wondering where her dryer went..lol