A few months ago the team at SheKnows invited me to create a playful prop idea for family portraits. Fringe was the obvious choice: oversized fringe letters, numbers, plus and equals signs, and more. These giant fringe pieces add instant color, movement, and personality to photos, and they work equally well for family sessions, parties, or seasonal celebrations like Cinco de Mayo. You can find the full step-by-step tutorial and a gallery of ways to use them on SheKnows.
All photos by Mary Costa Photography
These giant fringe props are simple to make and customize. Start with sturdy poster board or foam core for the base, sketch the shapes you want—letters, numbers, or symbols—and cut them out. Use tissue paper or crepe fringe to create layers of texture, gluing rows of fringe from the bottom up for full coverage. Attach a dowel or handle to the back so each piece is easy to hold in photos. Pick a bold color palette to make the fringe pop against your background, or mix patterns and metallics for extra sparkle.
Fringe props encourage playful posing and candid moments, making them perfect for family portraits, birthday parties, and themed events. They’re lightweight and easy to store, so you can reuse them year after year or adapt them for holidays and special occasions. If you want to scale down the idea, the same technique works for smaller handheld signs and cake toppers.
For more fringe-inspired DIY projects and a variety of craft ideas, explore the DIY project gallery to find tutorials that suit every skill level and occasion.