DIY photo booth PVC Photo Booth Tutorial Party Photo Booth

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Frame Construction	Fabric Panels	Computer, Camera, Printer	Lighting	Monitor Wall (in 3 parts)	Decorative Signs	DIY Props	Transportation

I enjoy designing and building things. It's a hobby for me. I get almost as much enjoyment out of the creation as I do the actual use. I mention this because you should understand that this is neither a quick build nor a budget build. You won't find any information covering wiring, software programming, or camera settings. That's because I don't know the slightest bit about those things. This page is all about the build. Perhaps there's something you can incorporate into your photo booth design. Keep in mind as you scroll down that these steps aren't meant to be a manual on how to do things, but simply a record of what I did. There are things I would have done differently if given the chance for a do-over. I've used yellow font when mentioning them. There are things I didn't accomplish. I've mentioned them as well. a peek inside

This is the completed booth, with a non-breakable mirror and privacy curtain. The lights that are draped at the top have been replaced with fairy lights.

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Fame Construction

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Here's the completed frame in its naked state.

Frame Materials
14	10-foot lengths of 3/4" PVC pipe		9	3-way fittings
1	can PVC cement		14	4-way fittings
2	cans black spray paint for plastics		1	cross fitting
1	3/4" plywood or pine plank (to be secured with zip ties)		1	elbow
1	12" square of crafter's felt		10	T fittings
1	can of left over spray paint for plastics, any color		13	couplings
			2	5-way fittings

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I came across a DIY Photo Booth where the builder glued all the horizontal parts together permanently. Having made other PVC contraptions, this struck me as most sensible and I followed suit. As a result, the booth will not break down completely, but the assembly time is greatly reduced.

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STEP 1

The base, consisting of 2 permanently glued sections and one 30" pole, is assembled.


The base sections are sprayed a color other than black (I used dark brown.) to make them quickly identifiable.
I found that once the footprint of the frame is established, the rest of the frame build goes very quickly.

All other PVC parts were sprayed black.







STEP 2



Seven 30" poles are used as uprights on the right side.

STEP 3 <----- This section is placed atop the right side of the frame.

STEP 4 Four 24" + 30" poles, permanently glued together with a coupling, are used as uprights on the frame's left side.

STEP 5 A third large part, permanently glued together, is placed on the left risers to add stability to the frame.

STEP 6 Four 24" + 18" poles act as the final risers on the right side of the frame. One pole is connected with a T-fitting. The other three poles are connected with couplings.

STEP 7 Four 18" poles act as the final risers on the left side of the frame.

STEP 8 The remaining two rectangles, permanently glued together, sit atop the frame.

The two innermost pipes (on the top left rectangle) can be used to hang extra backgrounds and/or additional 3D decorations, like those shown on Remarkably Created. When time permits, I will add another run of pipe down the center.

STEP 9 Three 30" poles make the final connections between the two sides.

Final thoughts on the booth size:
If I were to do it again, I'd cut the left side of the booth down by 6 inches. Of course, that would cut down on the number of people who could fit in the booth, but experience tells me that 10 faces squeezed into a 2-inch square photo doesn't make for great photography. (Yes, I know all about Ellen's famous selfie.)

If you're going to use a keyboard as a controller, you can make the right side just 12 inches deep (which is about 14.5 inches when the fittings are added). Your equipment should easily fit on a 14-inch shelf.
I supplied my booth users with button controls. This meant that I needed to place the monitor, a keyboard and mouse (in case I needed to reboot or make changes in the preferences), the lights, and the printer all behind the curtain wall. So, the present depth of the photo booth's right side is necessary for my equipment needs.

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Sewing the Frame's Outer Panels

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Fabric for Outer Curtains and Inside Monitor Wall

This takes a lot of fabric, so you'd be wise to check flea markets and discount yardage stores (or go the WalMart sheet route).

12.5 yards of 54" fabric for curtains

5 yards of 64" black fabric for the curtain tabs and the monitor wall

1 yard of diffusion fabric for monitor wall

Instructions for the wall are farther down the page.

1.5 yards of 1.5" black velcro

7 pkgs of 3/4" X 36" black velcro

thread

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Sewing the Curtain Tabs
1. Fold a strip of 22" X 3" black fabric in half. Sew the long sides together.		2. Trim excess fabric near the two folded corners and turn right side out. Press.		3. Fold in the raw edges and top stitch closed. Press flat.
4. Sew a 2" long velcro hook on one end. I made 33 of these.				5. Cut and place a corresponding 2" velcro loop onto each sewn 2" hook and set aside.

Sewing and Fitting the Curtain Covering
1, Cut the striped curtain fabric into 82" panels. The length of each panels should equal the finished height of your frame (Mine was 76".), plus six additional inches: two for the bottom hem and 4 inches for a top hem. Set the panels aside. (The large top hem is needed to give more bite to the stitching that secures the velcro and tabs to the panels. This is especially important if you use a lighter weight fabric.)
		2. Using a long sheet of paper, make a pattern that simulates a "return" wrapping around the vertical doorway pole.
		3. Make a notation on the paper to indicate which end is the top. 4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make a second return for the left side of the doorway.

5. Start work on the right front panel. Sew a 1-inch hem along the right and left sides of the fabric panel. At the top, fold the fabric over 1 inch, and then fold over another 3 inches. Sew the top hem.

6. Fold the left side of the panel (RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER) back about 6 inches. Press the fold to make it easily identifiable. Place your paper pattern on the fabric panel. Trace around the pattern.

7. Sew along the pattern lines. Trim excess fabric and clip around curves.		8. Turn right side out and press. Top stitch the entire length of the panel.
9. With the wrong side facing you, sew strips of velcro down either side of the return.		10. On the right side of the fabric, sew a black curtain tab to the far right end of the panel. Sew its corresponding velcro hook on the wrong side. Sew a second tab and corresponding hook on the left end of the panel.
11. Sew two tabs on either side of the corner vertical pole. Add additional tabs, spacing evenly. Hem the bottom of the panel.		12. Begin work on the second panel by sewing a 3-inch hem on the left side. Fold this hem back (right sides together). Using the same strategy as above, create a notch at the top of the panel. As before, hem the top, but do not complete the hem to the far right side. You will be sewing another panel onto this panel, and you can complete the top hem at that time.
13. Sew a black curtain tab and its corresponding velcro hook to the far left of the panel, right next to the notch you previously created. Overlap the first panel with the second panel and pin.		14. Determine the location of the two corner tabs and the far right tab. Sew to secure the three tabs and add additional tabs, spacing evenly.
15. Sew strips of velcro hooks to the FRONT RIGHT SIDE of the first panel. Sew strips of velcro loops to the BACK LEFT SIDE of the second panel. This creates a way to easily access the hardware and materials inside the shelving section.		16. Sew a third panel onto the right side of the second panel. 17. Press the seam flat. Since this seam will show on the inside of the booth, turn the seam allowance under on one side and top stitch flat to hide the raw edges. Hem the top of the panel, stopping 4 or 5 inches from the right edge. Add black curtain tabs as needed.
18. Start working on the left front of the frame. Begin by referring to the instructions found in Step 5. After completing two panels, the left section should reach to the back, meeting the previously made curtains. Sew the two sections together, making one, very wide curtain. Sew black tabs on either side of each corner. Add additional tabs between the corner tabs as needed.		19. Hem the bottom. If you'll be using the booth outside, add ties at the bottom of all four corners. The slightest breeze will make the bottom billow out if you don't.

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Sewing and Fitting the Black Monitor Wall, Part 1 of 3 Part 2 can be found here. Part 3 can be found here.
1. Begin by hemming both sides of the black fabric so that it just fits between the two sides of the frame.		2. Sew a 1-inch hem at the top.
3. Repeat the same process that was used to wrap fabric around the doorway, but instead of wrapping the fabric vertically, wrap it horizontally. Briefly, the steps (pictured above) are as follows: A) Make a paper pattern that will allow the black fabric to hang from the top PVC pole. B) Fold the fabric back about 6 inches (right sides together). Place the pattern as described in the Step 6 of the curtain tutorial. C) Trace the pattern onto the fabric and sew along the traced lines. D) Turn right side out and press. E) Top stitch along the top edge.		4. Sew velcro strips as shown in Step 9 of the curtain tutorial.
5. Sew ties to the top corners of the black fabric and and lower down on each side, just below shelf level. This will help keep the black fabric in place and slightly taut.		6. Set aside. Additional work will be done as each piece of hardware is set into place.

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COMPUTER, PRINTER, and CAMERA

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I am using a Mac computer with Sparkbooth software, an Epson PictureMate Charm Printer, and a Logotech Webcam 930e.

COMPUTER
1. Cut 3/4" plywood to fit the shelf area. In my case, the shelf was 20.5" X 52". The thickness of the wood shelf could have been 1/2". In fact, 1/4" plywood might have done the job just as well. This would have lightened the load. I used this size because it was free. I'm sorry now.		2. Drill holes in the wood and permanently attached it to the frame with zip ties.
3. Secure the computer to the shelf with zip ties. The computer is cut loose at the end of each session.		4. At some point it became clear that the upper PVC pipe would not support the weight of the black fabric wall without sagging. To prevent this, I added a support to the top section by placing a T-fitting and one of these on either end of a PVC pipe.
CAMERA
5. Drill a hole through the end of a length of PVC pipe in order to attach the webcam. Use a thumb bolt to secure the webcam to the pipe. The white pipe is NOT glued into the fitting. Even if the connection comes apart, the thumb bolt goes through the fabric wall and prevents the camera from falling.		6. Paint the shelf black.
PRINTER
7. To keep overeager party goers from accidentally breaking the output tray, consider removing it. (I used two table knives, one on each side, and applied pressure inward)		8. Make a basket into which the prints can fall. This basket is made of foam board. I covered the raw edges with white glue before spraying black, as I was concerned that the paint might eat away the foam.
9. Glue a strip of black fabric (left over from the endless curtain tabs) over the hinge for support.		10. With the basket turned upside down, run a bead of glue along the underside of the hinge. Place a sticky-backed piece of loop velcro on the underside of the basket flap and its corresponding velcro hook on the booth shelf.
11. Locate the position of the printer opening. Draw a rectangle on the curtain panel where you wish the prints to emerge. Place a piece of fabric (I used some scrap black fabric.) over the drawn rectangle, right sides together. Sew around the rectangle. Cut the opening and clip the curves. Pull the facing to the back and top stitch around the rectangle.		12. Hang the panel and insert the basket flap through the open window. Don't place the printer flush against the curtain panel or the prints will overshoot the basket.

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Sewing and Fitting the Black Monitor Wall, Part 2 of 3 Part 1 can be found here. Part 3 can be found here
1. Hang the partially completed black fabric wall on the frame. Use chalk to trace around the monitor. If I were to do this again, I'd make the monitor opening slightly SMALLER than the monitor. This would place the edges of the stitched opening behind the monitor (along with any stitching flaws).		2. Sew a large rectangle around the opening on three sides, creating a drape that can be placed over the computer.
3. Top stitch around the entire opening. This goes a long way toward eliminating puckers around the stitching.		. 4. Locate the position of the camera's thumb bolt and cut a hole large enough to insert a USB cable. 5. Hem the bottom of the black panel and sew ties at the each bottom corner.

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PHOTO BOOTH LIGHTING

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After all the trouble I went to in order to design and make the following light fixtures, I'm of the opinion that simple, inexpensive desk lamps may have been a better idea. These lights seem to be bright, but the pictures taken in a darkened room aren't that colorful. The software I'm using doesn't support a DSLR camera, which may be the problem. At any rate, I'm not as happy with the end result when weighed against the time it took to put this part together. (It looks pretty slick though!)
- Lighting Parts -
4	Studio Light Sockets These are a bit flimsy, but seem to do the job thus far.		1. Each side shade is made with three rectangles and three trapezoids. The top light shade is made with three rectangles and four trapezoids. In my case, the side shade rectangles are 4.5" X 14". and the top horizontal shade's rectangles are is 4.5" X 21". Allow your monitor's size to dictate your lengths. Make the holes in the trapezoids slightly smaller than the light sockets. This will ensure a tight fit when inserting the sockets into the holes.
4	soft white CFL bulbs
2	30"x18" sheets of foam core
1	small bottle Gorilla Glue
	aluminum foil
4	1-1/2" PVC plugs
4	1-1/2" PVC couplings
8	wood screws
6	1-1/2 PVC elbows
1	1-1/2" PVC pipe, approximately 5 feet in length

2. Construct three trough-like shades out of foam core. Two will hold lights at the sides of the computer and one (shown below) will hold lights above the computer.		3. Line the inside of the shades with aluminum foil. Don't skip this step. It makes a big difference.		4.The studio sockets are inserted into the holes. Note: A double layer of foam core is used on the ends that support the light sockets.
Steps 4 - 6 cover construction of the side lights.
4. Remove a portion of the 1-1/2-inch coupler. Shorten the PVC coupler and remove a portion of the side wall as well. .		5. Slide the coupling onto the socket. With the black fabric hanging from the frame, determine the location of each light. Make sure the face of the lamp is flush with the black drape. Mark the location on the shelf with a pencil.		6. Screw the PVC plugs onto the shelf at the penciled marks.
Steps 7 - 10 cover construction of the top horizontal light.
Here's where I ran into trouble. I was planning on installing the top light in much the same manner as the side lights, but discovered that there wasn't enough room to place the light shade "legs" between the monitor and the side lights. So I improvised by using two elbows on each side of the shade.
7. Remove a portion of the PVC from the inside crook of the elbow fitting. A 2-inch length of 1-1/2" pipe is inserted into one end of the elbow fitting. The portion of the pipe that fits into the elbow has a corresponding chunk missing as well. (I know this is confusing! I'm doing my best.)		8. The elbow and pipe fit over the light socket like so:		9. A second elbow fits over the pipe, flush with the first elbow. All this is attached to a length of 1-1/2" pipe with a coupling at the end.
10. Screw a second set of PVC plugs onto the shelf to serve as a base for the lamp legs. At this point, the booth's shelf should look something like this:		And here is the rear orientation with the lights installed.

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Sewing and Fitting the Black Monitor Wall, Part 3 of 3 Part 1 can be found here. Part 2 can be found here
7. Place the light fixture over the PVC plug. Mark the corners of the shade on the front of the fabric.		8. Leaving a one inch seam allowance, cut out a rectangle using the marked corners as a guide. Cut into each corner. Fold the seam allowance toward the back and press.
9. Place two layers of the diffusion fabric under the open window. (I used fabric glue to attach the diffusion fabric so that it wouldn't slip while sewing.) Top stitch around the window to secure the diffusion fabric to the black fabric.		10. Whoa! It's working! Now, add two more. After installing both side lights, I felt the lights were too strong. I used 4 layers of diffusion fabric on the top light.

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Directions for the User
		The first few times I used the photo booth, I wrote instructions on large sheets of paper and pinned them on the black monitor wall. This allowed me to edit the wording, number, and placement of the directions. Eventually, I settled on a set of instructions that kept the steps few in number, but easily understandable. Those directions were painted directly on the black fabric panel.
	Photo booth users operate the booth using a dual button box purchased here.

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DIY Props

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Whiteboard Speech Bubbles
1. Sketch a speech bubble on a sheet of white panelboard.		2. Using a fine-toothed blade, cut out the speech bubble. Don't be too concerned about chipping.
3. Draw a border for the speech bubble and score along the border lines.		4. Sand off the white coating using a Dremel.
5. Paint the border black.		6. Reinforce the bubble tails with scrap pieces of white panelboard. I used Gorilla Glue.
7. Wooden dowels will not support the weight of these whiteboard bubbles. Eighteen inch metal rods were glued to the backs and allowed to dry overnight. Once dry, duct tape was added to keep the rods from tearing off the bubbles and, because of the strength of Gorilla Glue, taking part of the wooden back with them.		8. A 1-inch dowel was cut into 2 inch lengths. Holes were drilled through the center of each length. The metal rods were inserted into the hole (filled with Gorilla Glue). These serve as handles. CAUTION: Gorilla Glue expands as it dries. You'll want to keep wiping down the excess the flows from the holes during the drying process.
		The center pole and the base are 1" PVC poles. The arms are 3/4". The fittings that go from the center pole to the arms are 1" x 1" x 3/4" Reducing Tees. Although the base of the original prop tree imitated the look of an actual hat tree, it tipped too easily. I reconfigured the base (see below), and it's much more sturdy.
		I saw this spinner idea on a commercial site, but can't remember where. A pie graph was designed with suggested facial expressions in each "slice". After the circle was printed and cut out, it was glued to foam core. An arrow was cut from a plastic milk carton and colored with a permanent marker. Items were layered as follows: large printed foam core disc, tiny foam core circle (to give the arrow room to spin), and a milk carton arrow. All were connected with a sewing pin (yellow head can be seen in picture).

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Photo Booth Signs
Sign for the Left Side of the Entrance		Sign for the Right Side

Sign above entryway. The sign is attached to the PVC with clear package tape.

Sign hanging inside the booth
	When the booth is located in a room adjacent to the main party room, a lighted sign sits on an easel to help guide guests to the booth.

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Transporting the Booth
The frame, signs, backgrounds, small stool, and optional wooden easel fit into the back seat of my sedan. The computer monitor sits on the front floor, on the passenger side.		The fabric panels, lights, extension cords, mallet, duct tape, red and yellow button box, camera, keyboard, mouse, scissors, printer, and photo paper are stored in a tub that fits into the trunk of the car. When emptied at the site, the plastic tub is stored beneath the monitor table.

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