DIY Food Table Backdrop Using Fabric

Create an easy DIY food table backdrop that also makes an impact using fabric! This is a simple way to decorate for a party and create a cute food table display for any celebration.

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Hello Crafty Friends! This week I have been sharing tutorials from our Woodland-themed birthday party. The final project is this fun and simple DIY food table backdrop. It was SO easy to throw together and it had a huge impact on the look of our party! Food table displays have become so popular and its easy to see why – they make a great focal point for parties and a great place to put your decorating energy into since your guests are sure to visit the food table.

For our Woodland animal book party, I wanted to do a fun food table. Pinterest is jam packed with amazing food and dessert table ideas. After pinning a million ideas, I decided to do something super simple and inexpensive. I bought a yard of beautiful woodland fabric, part of Robert Kaufman’s Sound of the Woods collection, and wrapped it around a large board I had in my art supply stash.

This project was so quick to do and I love the look it brought to the table. The fabric is able to be removed from the board after the party and used for something else. I know I’ll find another use for the beautiful fabric. I added two paper banners to the top of the board to tie in the bright colors of the party and finish off the backdrop.

Supplies Needed for DIY Backdrop:

Fabric
Large cardboard or foam board – smaller than the piece of fabric
Painter’s Tape
Colorful paper banners (optional)

Choosing the Fabric

Since our party was woodland-themed, I chose to use fabric with a woodland scene on it. You can choose any fabric that matches your theme whether it is an abstract pattern or a scene like I chose. If you are interested in scenes, look for fabric panels. Fabric panels are often sold with fabric collections to be used in the center of quilts and for wall hangings. Just be sure to check the size of the panel, as they come in different sizes, to make sure it works for your food table display.

There are SO many cute fabric panels out in all sorts of themes including different holidays, celebrations, favorite characters and more. You can find a sea turtle panel for an ocean-themed party, a spooky scene panel for a Halloween party. There are even fabric panels with favorite characters including Disney and popular cartoons. Type “fabric panel” or “quilt panel” into fabric sites like Fat Quarter Shop or even Amazon to find options that would be perfect for a food table backdrop.

Robert Kaufman Sounds of the Woods Metallic Large Tree Shadow Fabric Panel

How to Make a Fabric Food Table Backdrop

Start by ironing the fabric to get any creases or wrinkles out. There really isn’t a need to wash the fabric. Next, wrap the fabric around your board, taping the fabric to the backside using painter’s tape. By using removable painter’s tape, you will be able to reuse both the fabric and the board after the party. Tape the top and pull the fabric taut as you tape the bottom. Repeat for the sides, smoothing the fabric and making sure it is tight across the board.

Below you can see a couple process photos for the woodland food table backdrop. It was really just as simple as stretching the fabric across the board and taping it from the back with Painters tape. The yard of fabric was under $12, including shipping, so this project along with the red balloons were one of the few things I bought for the party that couldn’t be found around our house.

I added two colorful paper banners I made using cardstock and white yarn. These helped tie in the colors from our the rest of our party. I taped the ends of the banner to the back of the board, again using painters tape.

Setting Up The Food Table Backdrop

Below you can see the fabric panel displayed at our food table. Since our food table was against the wall, I just leaned the board against the wall and it was done! SO SIMPLE! The board is very lightweight, so if you think it may tip over, use a bit of tape, wall putty or a command strip in back of the board to keep it in place.

This tutorial wraps it up for my party posts! Whew! I really enjoyed planning and crafting for my kids’ combined birthday party. Their birthday parties have become one of my favorite crafting projects of the year. Here are some of the other fun DIY project from our Woodland Party!