DIY photo backdrop ideas to take the best snaps at summer garden parties

Who doesn't love a good photo backdrop to strike a pose in front of? Feature photo walls are fast becoming the norm for all snaps – from Instagram selfies to weddings and birthday parties, photo backdrop ideas are THE big thing right now.

Related: Garden party ideas to get you in the mood for summer entertaining

Here at Ideal Home we love a statement backdrop – it's just the thing to make your snaps standout. When capturing pictures, a poor background can distract from the focus  –an innocent bystander caught on film, or a clothes line of washing can ruin a shot.

Whether you're hosting a party or just looking to jazz up your photos, here are some fun photo DIY and decorating backdrop ideas to get your started.

1. DIY Painted balloon photo backdrop

This Banksy-esque number was inspired by a painted wall seen at a trendy rooftop bar. The mural had people queuing to capture their candid snaps – naturally I wanted one too! It got me thinking, I could try to recreate a similar look for a garden party.

All my DIY balloon wall took was a simple sheet of plasterboard (£6 from B&Q), spray-painted in Rust-Oleum Neon Pink, with balloons painted on in various poster paints. Oh, and a drill to a fix it to the fence for safety.... Et voila – camera ready!

This real balloon wall arrangement looks amazing. With pops of pink and white intertwined with large paper leaves, it's perfect for any summer garden party.

This statement background is essentially easy to achieve. You'll need plenty of balloons and string to fasten them all together. Attach the thread of balloons onto some form of frame or garden canes to great the arch. The Balloon frame from Ginger Ray makes the task even easier, by keeping the balloons in place.

Buy now: Metal Grid Panel, £44.99, Ginger Ray

2. Balloon arch

The party must-have of the moment for any celebrity gathering is most definitely the balloon arch. But fear not if you don't have a celeb party planner on hand to style yours, you can do it yourself on a budget and get exactly the same results. The experts at Ginger Ray show us how to make a balloon arch to make this party prop in o time.

A captivating arch is a great garden party ideas for this summer – just be sure to place your arch in the shade, because balloons are prone to bursting in the heat.

3. Flower photo backdrop

These delicately frayed-edged flowers are simply stunning – ideal for a wedding party backdrop, but equally as good for any summer party. The muted colours will produce a soft background to enhance any snap. The pom pom flowers are beautiful enough to be kept up as a home decor accessory all year long.

Just like the famous flower wall at Kim & Kayne's wedding, only more creative – and a lot cheaper. This flower wall has been created using Talking Tables paper flowers decorations. These simple pom-poms are super easy to make. The trick is getting them fastened to a bare wall or large sheet of MDF to create the wall. (always ensure stud walls are securely fixed to a surface, as not to topple over mid snap.)

There are roughly 40 flowers on the wall above, but you could make them go further and save costs by spacing them out.

Alternatively, if you're crafty, you could make your own flowers using tissue paper. Simply concertina a few sheets and tie the middle with string. Gently separate them apart starting from the middle to create your own flower effect pom poms.

4. Beach Stand-in photo prop

Who doesn't love a seaside cutout stand?  The face swap equivalent for a whole generation before Snapchat. Create your own hilarious snaps with the help of this prop from Flying Tiger. Alternatively you could get artistic instead and use fabric pens to draw on an old sheet to make your own DIY backdrop.

The illustrated cotton hanging couldn't be easier to hang with ties on either side, top and bottom. Seen here attached to an upturned goal post, securely pegged into the ground.

5. Fringe curtain photo backdrop

Simple yet effective. Get snaps against a colourful fringed curtain. The ice cream coloured tassels create an effortlessly stylish backdrop, perfect for any party. Simply hang the fringe curtain on walls and doors to create a unique selfie wall.

For more of a glitzy party vibe you can opt for a gold foil fringed background, that will shimmer and shine to create a disco ball effect for your snaps.

Buy now: Gold and White Tassel Backdrop Decoration, £7.99, Not on the High Street

6. Living wall backdrop

Elevate your planting to create the ultimate feature wall for your garden – a spot to stand and have your garden party snaps against. We ask the experts to explain how to make a living plant wall, to tackle this gardening task.

If you want the look but without the gardening element you can buy faux foliage tiles that can be clipped together to cover a wall to create a green foliage backdrop.

Buy now: Flower Wall Backdrop Foliage Tile, £12.99, Ginger Ray at Not on the High Street

Happy snapping! We'd love to see your photo wall creations, be sure to tag us in your posts @idealhomeuk #photobackdrop #selfiewall