# Backdrop Material?



## Scary Godmother (Oct 13, 2007)

I'm going to be setting up my cauldron witch in my garage this year. I want to hang some kind of black material or plastic to add to the scene (and mostly hide the rest of my messy garage!). What does everyone use, and what is the cheapest way to go about this? Thanks.:jol:


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## halloweengoddessrn (Feb 14, 2007)

I buy large black drop cloths from walmart. They are in the painting section.


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## ubzest (Jul 1, 2008)

I got lucky and went to a skate club yard sale. I got all kinds of huge cloths that they used for backdrops and costumes, sorry that doesn t help you any tho. :l


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## Scary Godmother (Oct 13, 2007)

halloweengoddessrn said:


> I buy large black drop cloths from walmart. They are in the painting section.


Thanks, I'll have to make another trip to Wallyworld and check these out. Are they generally cheaper than regular black cloth?


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## scream1973 (Dec 23, 2007)

You can use the plastic table cloth from party city.. a 100 foot roll is like 10.00 and its about 3 feet wide.


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## corner haunt (May 21, 2008)

I have used both the above routes. They both work fine. We have used Dollar Store table clothes, black plastic drop clothes, and clearance rack fabric from Craft stores. It all gets the job done!


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

I use black plastic painters drop cloth. Buy a large roll at HD and it goes a long way.


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## Scary Godmother (Oct 13, 2007)

Mind if I ask how much a large roll costs?


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Scary Godmother said:


> Mind if I ask how much a large roll costs?


I bought mine about 5 years ago so I don't want to give you a wrong price. I'm headed up there in the next couple days so I'll check on the current price, or just call them and they'll let you know. Figure out how much you'll need (height vs width to be covered). It comes in different sized rolls.


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## Scary Godmother (Oct 13, 2007)

I'll give them a call, thanks!:jol:


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## scare-m (Jul 16, 2007)

In a similar instance I have used black "weed block" again Walmart or Home Depot carry it , its cheap and more "felt like" than "plastic" so it doesnt rip as easy and you can staple 1 piece to another and it will hold up fine.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

I don't know what it's called, but you can buy black plastic in roll out big sheets (Home Depot)....it comes in a big roll in a box like a giant Saran Wrap. You pull out the length you need & slice it off..it then opens up to about 4 times wider. I LOVE the rolls of black plastic table cloth from Party City as it's almost totally matte and much less noisy if it moves. I wait until it's on sale when it's about $8.50.


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## ubzest (Jul 1, 2008)

Last time we bought a roll of black plastic (visqueen) (sp), It was 30 dollars for a 8 foot by 100 foot roll. that was at home depot. a few years ago.


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## Front Yard Fright (Dec 23, 2005)

We use the stuff from Walmart for our haunt.
10x25 foot for under 10 bucks.


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## Texan78 (Sep 25, 2008)

ubzest said:


> Last time we bought a roll of black plastic (visqueen) (sp), It was 30 dollars for a 8 foot by 100 foot roll. that was at home depot. a few years ago.


That is what I use also to enclose my carport. It is painters plastic. Just get it in a thick mil and you will be fine. They have other sizes as well and good stuff. You get it in the building materials section though, not the paint section.


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## YardHaunt ATOM (Oct 13, 2007)

I too also use the rolls of black tarp, but I get the real thick stuff 6mil (i think) & its 10'x100' rolls. Last year I added the SkullTronix talking Skull to my stuff and didn't want as much of the shine in the backdrop that the tarp makes because the SkullTronix has DMX LED Par Can Lights that change color and stuff with the story..... SO I took and soaked a panters tarp in a HUGE container with Black dye.... didn't come out as dark as I would have liked but over all was very pleased.
I have the older style garage door so I covered the inside with plastic tarp then built a PVC frame so when I opened it I just screwed on the legs hung my tarps and had a room for my Seance...... Worked really well!
There again....... Love the rolls of black plastic at HD!!!


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## darryl (Mar 23, 2006)

Plastic rolls at Home Depot are in the paint department. Just bought some clear for work. The black was right next to it. If you really want to get fancy, I DJ'd a party two years ago and made a square frame of 1 x 3's and used Scene Setters stapled for the back drop. Very thin so you have to be careful but looked really cool. I used the old wall one with the wallpaper falling off the wall on top and the old wood wainscoting on the bottom. If I make another one this year I might back it with heavy black plastic then put the scene setter on top.


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## Scary Godmother (Oct 13, 2007)

Thanks all! I bought a roll of black plastic at Wallyworld last night for $8&change. It is a little bit see through, but I think it will be fine as all the light will be shining on the props and nothing on the walls nor anything behind that is lit. I am only doing half my garage and only up front so if it is not dark enough, I can always double it up.:jol:


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## MotelSixx (Sep 27, 2008)

scare-m said:


> In a similar instance I have used black "weed block" again Walmart or Home Depot carry it , its cheap and more "felt like" than "plastic" so it doesnt rip as easy and you can staple 1 piece to another and it will hold up fine.


I also use weed barrier, its more durable and doesnt reflect the light. I use it for ceilings as well as walls and it can also be used for fashioning clothing, and worked well in lining my coffins.

4'x300' roll at Ollies Bargain Outlet for $30 in summer


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## Hallowitch (Jun 27, 2008)

Scary Godmother said:


> I'm going to be setting up my cauldron witch in my garage this year. I want to hang some kind of black material or plastic to add to the scene (and mostly hide the rest of my messy garage!). What does everyone use, and what is the cheapest way to go about this? Thanks.:jol:


 I got one of the local building supply places to donate black poly this year. They gave us six rolls. We have a lot to cover and use it for our tunnel as well. It's not cheap to buy. Maybe you could get it donated too.


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## ScreamingScarecrow (Oct 1, 2008)

We use everything from the balck plastic rolls that jdubbya is talking about to thin weed barrier rolls to our favorite thing to use outside is... Those tarps that wrap the lifts of lumber from the lumber stores such as HomeDepot or Rona. Often these tarps are black on one side and they've always let me have them for free!!! They just throw them in the garbage! Careful, they have staples in them so watch your fingers!!!
The black walls on our haunted facade are these very tarps with gray paint for the brick lines...


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## Ghostess (Aug 21, 2005)

For future reference since the question's already been taken care of:

Be careful using the black plastic painter's sheeting, it's very flammable and goes up in flames very quickly, releasing nasty fumes.

Prices below are from Home Depot on October 10, 2008 in NE Florida. YMMV.

Black plastic painter's sheeting 10' X 100' 6MIL - 57.30

Black plastic painter's sheeting 10' X 100' 4MIL - 39.97


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## Hallowennie315 (Sep 5, 2007)

Hey everyone. I know this is kind of an old thread, but what do you use to weigh the sheeting down with? I love the Home Depot sheeting, but always have a problem with the wind. Thanks!


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## Just Whisper (Jan 19, 2009)

scare-m said:


> In a similar instance I have used black "weed block" again Walmart or Home Depot carry it , its cheap and more "felt like" than "plastic" so it doesnt rip as easy and you can staple 1 piece to another and it will hold up fine.


Glad you revived this thread hallowennie....

scare-m: doesn't the weed block let too much light through? I am building a walk thru haunt this year and will have walls and a small section of ceiling. i need several areas to be as light-free as possible for the scare effect to work well. I was debating whether to use weedblock or plastic. There will be no open flames or fire so that is not an issue.


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## cmk4425 (Oct 16, 2007)

Hallowennie I have perfected the use of black visqueen. I use it every year to build a tunnel in my carport for the entrance to my Halloween party. I usually take 2x4s or any scrap wood and roll the excess hanging on the floor around the wood then I pop some staples in it and weigh it down with bricks. If you have a really bad wind problem you can always cut some little half circles in it to let it blow through some just make sure they hang down so that thay close when the wind stops. As far as attaching it to the roof I put some screw in eye bolts in the corners and string wire around the outside then I drap the visqueen over the wire and put a couple of staple to hold it up works great and to take it down you just cut the wire and ball it up.


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## doggieshop (Jul 15, 2008)

I use black landscaping material. The one I found is sorta like a material, I have even sewn it like draperies. It comes in a huge roll and seems to last me forever. Not sure if you will find it now. I think it was like 50 bucks? but it is a Big roll.


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