DIY 1st Birthday photoshoot props idea
Mizelle's 1st birthday photoshoot in studio with DIY Props

If you google DIY 1st birthday photoshoot props ideas you are often presented with thousands of images and ideas of beautiful decor and it can look quite exciting. But in South Africa you quickly learn that these items are not easily locally available and you would have to import them at a big expense. This means your photoshoot can end up becoming quite costly. So your dreamy vision you had of a photoshoot with beautiful decor can quickly turn into a nightmare and become beyond your reach if you dont consider other options.
So we thought we would share this beautiful DIY 1st birthday photoshoot props idea from Mizelles first birthday photoshoot in Studio with you . As going the DIY route might be your only option in South Africa. All the items were sourced locally and the shoot turned out beautifully.
Helium Balloons go a long way in any photoshoot
The first prop we want to talk about are the helium Balloons. This versatile prop goes a long way in any photoshoot and is relatively cost effective, as long as you dont try and get too many balloons. Mizelle’s mother Yolanda organised about ten balloons in this case , which costs less than 150 rand. She also sourced the basket as an extra here, as she wanted it to look like Mizelle was in her own personal hot air balloon.
DIY 1st Birthday photoshoot props - Crafty Word Boxes
This part of the DIY photoshoot props is a really simple thing to do and really looks great in the photos. Mizelle purchased three boxes the same size , you can find them at postnet for example, and wrapped them in pink wrapping paper. You can of course just as easily do this in Blue for a boy. Then she got three wooden letters from a craft store. A great place to find these close by is My China.
She opted to paint them with a poster paint and make them pink, but you can also leave them a natural wood colour. Then all you need to do is glue them to the box and they make these pretty blocks as you see in the photos.
Additional accessories to bring along
Yolanda brought along some material flowers and little metal buckets to finish off her look, and then improvised with some of Mizelles fluffy toys that she already had available. The best thing about DIY 1st birthday photoshoot props is you probably have a lot of items you can use in the photoshoot already. Favourite toys, bubbles, building blocks and stuffed toys and fluffy blankets all go a long way to creating the kind of atmosphere you are looking for in your photos.
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Final Thoughts
DIY 1st birthday photoshoot props are always a good idea to bring along to any baby photoshoot. It doesnt take long for babies to get distracted and bored with a plain background. Adding colour and texture with these kinds of props really helps to get them excited and interested in what is happening around them. And including some of their own items in their shoot like a favourite stuffed toy or blanket will make them feel more at home and more comfortable sitting in front of the camera.
I also have small chairs and baskets etc in studio that do get incorporated into shoots where needed, so check in with me to see what I have available before going and buying all the decor. Overall DIY 1st birthday props are also a more cost effective way of adding to your photoshoot and getting the most out of it :). For more great baby photoshoot inspiration check out the Maternity and Baby photography category.