Is it just me or is there just something about photos with a marble background? Call me romantic (or ridiculous) but for some reason marble evokes a sense of elegance, of misty castles and vaulted ceilings, and is able to elevate an average afternoon coffee to a somehow whimsical experience, even if it’s just me, myself and I in a roadside cafe. It’s for that reason that I think marble makes such a perfect background for photos, but who has the dollar bills or bicep strength to use actual marble? Even if you’ve being doing your pump classes and carrying marble isn’t an issue for you, you’ll find that it’s actually quite a very brittle stone and is likely to crack when not treated really carefully. Enter a well kept secret of the instagrammer/blogger out there – the faux marble background created using marble paper. So simple to create and such a neat trick! To be honest I wavered as to whether to share this or not, it’s really such a good trick and I use it all the time – and I’d hate to think you know it’s just a piece of paper and not real marble, but thought you might appreciate this little behind the scenes!
Daniel Wellington Watch, Necklace from a street side stall in Williamsburg (like this)
#shitbloggersdo
Vintage camera, Gorjanna gold necklaces, Grown Alchemist lip gloss and face cream, Pure Earth Face Mist, Body Oil, Face Sand and Face Cream, Nick Campbell Sunglasses, Daniel Wellington Watch.
You need:
- A piece of plywood (ours was 50cm x 50cm (20 inches x 20 inches)
- Marble paper with adhesive backing
- Scissors
How to:
1. Measure out the paper on your piece of plywood.
2. Trim to size, making sure to leave at least 2.5cm (1 inch) along the edge.
3. Starting on one side, press the contact paper onto the plywood, working your way carefully and removing the backing as you go so that you don’t have any bubbles. Use a tea towel to press the contact paper down well. A neat trick if you find a bubble along the way, use a small pin to prick the surface and squeeze the air out and then smooth down the bubble.
4. Turn the plywood over and fold the edge over.
5. To finish the corners, trim the folded edge to the corner as shown below.
6. Fold the other edge down into a triangle.
7. Fold that edge up and over the create a clean fold.
Voila! I said it was easy didn’t I?
Although when you KNOW the background is faux it might be a little more obvious, I’ve used it a lot and not once has anyone asked if it was faux. If you feel it might need a boost, increase the brightness of your photo and then also the contrast (I use Afterlight app on iPhone to do this) and you’ll find the marble looks more genuine. And if you make sure to put focus on the items in your photo (whether it be a coffee, a macaron or a necklace) rather than a marble itself, I promise people won’t notice.
