DIY Props for Birthday Photoshoots for a Baby

We were very excited for our daughter’s first birthday as it’s always a special milestone. The plan of throwing a huge bash for our daughter turning one was dropped as her birthday fell during the global pandemic and we accepted the fact that the right thing to do was stay at home and ultimately keep everyone safe. Hence, we decided that memories are the only thing we can have forever. I started looking for first birthday props but everything was very expensive. Since I had the time, I thought to make the props myself, and they came out really well!

Here is what I did to set up my own photoshoot

• The first session of the photoshoot was outdoor because my child enjoys nature, and natural light adds focus to the baby’s soft skin. I scheduled the session right after her nap. The set up was very beautiful with a solid white sheet, teepee tent and her favourite teddy bear.
• The next photoshoot session for the indoor cake smash turned out well, and she had fun with the cake. That was a very different and fun way to get candid pictures. The background for the cake smash was very simple with a solid white colour.

DIY Tepee Tent:
I made a no-sew teepee tent within 10 minutes with the material available at home.

Material required:

• 4 PVC pipes (4ft each)
• 1 Rope
• Fabric (I used my white net dupatta)
• Safety pins
• Flowers (I used a floral headband)
• LED lights

The steps:

Step 1: Take 4 PVC pipes and create an ‘X’ shape with 2 pipes.

Step 2: Wrap the rope in a 8 figure pattern on the top of pipes, but not around the edges.

Step 3: Add the 3rd and 4th pipe on either side of the ‘X’ and wrap the rope around the pipes until the structure is secured.

Step 4: Widen the four pipes away from eachother to form a tent shape, and place it on a mat.

Step 5: Wrap the fabric or duppata around the structure like a shawl and secure it with safety pins.

Step 6: Add a quilt inside to provide a soft seating area for the baby. Place some cute cushions or soft toys as well.

Step 7: Decorate the teepee tent with LED lights and flowers on top to cover the knot of the rope.

DIY Photo Prop

Material Required:

• Cardboard
• Cutter
• Fevicol
• Glitter foam sheet (colour of your choice)

The steps:

Step 1: Draw the number ‘1’ with a pencil on the cardboard and cut it out.

Step 2: To give the shinning look, paste the glitter foam sheet on the cardboard. I used golden and orange to match with her cake smash dress.

Step 3: Draw a crown on the back side of the glitter foam sheet and cut it out. Paste on the cardboard number.

With these props, you can easily have a fun birthday party for your little one without emptying your pocket, and have a memorable time. After all, pictures make for the best memories!

Our Editorial Policy

Parenting is a huge responsibility, for you as a caregiver, but also for us as a parenting content platform. We understand that and take our responsibility of creating credible content seriously. FirstCry Parenting articles are written and published only after extensive research using factually sound references to deliver quality content that is accurate, validated by experts, and completely reliable. To understand how we go about creating content that is credible, read our editorial policy here.