Stained Wood Photo Prop

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One of the easiest ways to make your photos look more professional is to use unique backdrops and photo props. This step-by-step tutorial will teach you how to make a DIY stained wood photo backdrop that is perfect for all of your photo needs!

I started with some pieces of wood from Lowes that I had them slice in half lengthwise.  They are about 1/2 inch width which is perfect because it makes it the photo prop super light even though it is wood.

The first step to making the wood photo prop is to put wood conditioner on the panels and let it dry.  I never used to bother with this step until I attended the Minwax demonstration at Snap last year and saw firsthand the difference it made in the finished product.  The wood conditioner will leave with you with a smoother final product with less streaks.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a paint stirrer so I had to improvise. If you find yourself without a proper paint stirrer, you can easily use a ruler or tape together a bunch of small dowels or pencils.

Once the wood conditioner was dry, I added two coats of stain to each board. I let each coat sit for about 5 minutes before wiping them off.

The stained boards, after all the coats of stain were put on, dried overnight. Then, I added a quick polycrylic coat over top of the stain to protect them.

Once everything was nice and dry, I had Mathlete use the finish nailer to attach two pieces along the back to connect all of the planks together.  I love how small the nails are so you can barely even tell they are there.  It was so much faster than using the wood glue and waiting to let it dry.

This tutorial is super easy to follow so I hope you give it a try and make your own stained wood photo backdrop. If you do, be sure to share your experience with me in the comments or on social media.