Sequin Backdrops and Shimmer Walls

What is in this collection

Metallics lead: big coin-sized gold paillettes, bright silver micro sequins, copper and bronze, matte antique brass, champagne sequins in soft ripples, an ivory to champagne ombre, and gold and silver two-tone flip sequins brushed into waves, with rose gold flip sequins brushed into swirls. Colours include blush pink, pastel lilac, emerald, royal blue, festive red, wine burgundy, midnight black, navy flecked with silver and pearl white with an opal shimmer. For something different there are iridescent mermaid scale sequins, a rainbow confetti mix, sparse silver sequins on grey tulle and two shimmer walls of square discs, one fading from hot pink to violet and one in iridescent rainbow.

Sequin walls and shimmer walls

A sequin wall here is fabric covered in small round discs, so the sparkle is fine and even. A shimmer wall backdrop is built from larger square discs that hang loose and flicker, the kind hired for parties; the pink to purple ombre and the iridescent rainbow walls give that look. The coin-sized gold paillettes sit in between, with a chunky sparkle. For templates, the finer sequin backgrounds are the calmest: silver micro sequins, blush pink and the ivory to champagne ombre keep an even texture under text. Black, navy and burgundy are darker, so gold and white lettering stands out on them. If you want sparkle without discs, try glitter backgrounds; for hanging strands, see foil fringe backdrops; for mirror tiles and confetti, see disco backgrounds.

Tips for using these backgrounds

• Match the warmth. Gold, copper, champagne and red sequins are lit warm; silver, royal blue, navy and the mermaid scales are cool. Set your subject's white balance to suit, so skin does not look grey on gold or orange on silver.
• Calm the sparkle under busy layouts. Sequins sparkle all over. When a template has several photos and small text, add a light blur or a dark overlay to the sequin layer, or choose the matte antique brass or the sparse sequins on tulle.
• Crop from anywhere. The sequins cover the surface evenly, so a 2 x 6 strip or a 4 x 6 print can come from any part of the portrait or landscape file. Use the square file for invitations and social posts.

Sequins shimmer behind a face, so keep your subject brighter than the wall; for booth set-ups, see photo booth backgrounds.