How To Make Paper Backgrounds for Video Calls

Who needs a virtual background when you can make your own colorful design on your walls? Whether it’s for school, talking with family, or hanging out with friends, everyone is spending more time on video calls. That often means either using a feature that lets you change what people see behind you, but you can also create a special space in your room for when you have your next Zoom video chat!

All you need to do is choose a wall, cut out some paper decorations, then customize your non-virtual background!

With a few sheets of paper, scissors, and tape, you’ll love this special space for each video call. Of course, you can also use these as a place to record videos or as a fun photo backdrop!

Grab some paper and let’s make some video call decorations!

what you need:

Colorful Paper or Cardstock
Stapler (optional, but helpful)
Scissors
Washi or Painter’s Tape
Glue Stick
Printable templates

how-to:

stars

Print the star page on paper or cardstock.

To cut out several pages at once, print just one or two copies. Staple a printed page to a blank page or two, stapling between the stars. This makes it so the pages don’t shift while you cut them out.

Cut out as many stars as you want.

Fold the first star in half. You should be matching two points up with the fold on the other point.

Open the star and then fold it again the same way, but so the fold is on another point.

Repeat the folding step a total of five times. Now, each point should have a crease down the middle. You should also have a crease between each point.

Fold the in-between creases back so that the star has a 3D shape.

Use small rolls of tape on the back of the star. The large stars need 2 or 3 rolls and the small stars only need 1.

Attach the stars to your wall for your background. You don’t even need to fill in the whole area, but you can if you want!

flowers

Cut strips of paper that are about 1 inch wide. Cut some of them going the long way on the paper and some going the short way (11 inches long and 8.5 inches long).

Use glue to stick the ends together and make a teardrop-shaped loop. You can also glue the strips into a circle and then glue it down in the middle or make tiny circles for flower centers.

Glue the loops together in the middle to make groupings of petals.

Next, glue sets of petal loops together and add a center if you want.

Use tape to hang the flowers on your wall. You can even have them on two walls near a corner!

hexagons

Print the hexagon template page and staple the paper together just like the stars.

The page has two sizes and you cut out the middle through the slit/line at one corner.

int the hexagon template page and staple the paper together just like the stars.

The page has two sizes and you cut out the middle through the slit/line at one corner.

Use rolls of tape to stick the hexagons on the wall, linking them in little chains and overlapping them a little.

As you set up your display using any of these backgrounds, it helps to set up your computer, tablet, or phone and check to see how everything lines up. Do you need to add more around the edges? Does anything look like it’s sticking out of your head? Take care of that before your next call!

Even though not all video calls or Zoom meetings are fun, adding some DIY decor will give your chats or study time some new life!

Happy crafting!