Actividades: Painted backdrops Opt for lighter materials for backdrops especially when shipping of props is required. Instead of painting or air-brushing on the traditional heavy canvas or wood, use polyester cotton. Lighter materials make it easier to hang with simpler structure like pipe and drape (do not forget that, even if a fabric doesn’t look heavy, when you need it for a complete 10 by 4 meters stage backdrop, the weight can be a real problem…). To give more dramatic effect or surprise your guests with changes of appearance, you can also try a special paint that glows when lit with ultraviolet light. Apart from polyester cotton, another fabric worth exploring is Spandex. This highly stretchable fabric can be fitted on any frames and structures, which can be formed into different shapes. It can probably stretch as far as your creativity goes! Add drama by illuminated the fabric with coloured lights. Creating “soft” sculptures Sculptures need not be carved from wood or stone. With spandex, you can create sculptures of any desired shapes and sizes, you can even make it hollow inside, and you can place the light inside it to give a visual impact. Drapes Fabrics can also be draped freely, hung from the ceiling. You can play with plain coloured materials on which you will project spotlights for colours or shapes (using a “gobo”), or which you will paint or print. Explore with different textures to give different ambiences. Be careful though when hanging drapes that there are no raw flames around it, they are fire hazardous. Table linens Apart from hanging fabrics as drapes, table linens are a clear option where fabrics can come into play. Again, you can choose from a wide variety of prints and motifs to complement your theme, or simply choosing one or a combination of colours to mix and match. For example, for a beach summer party, you can use table linens with motifs of fishes or motifs or simply shades of blue to represent the clear blue sea. Enhance with lighting Using light in conjunction with soft sculpture and backdrops is an easy way to change the look of a venue. You can use fabric backdrops embedded with frosted light bulbs that emit a blue-white light, creating the look of a starry night sky. As projection can be used on most fabrics, apart from coloured lights, you can also project corporate logos and motifs onto these “soft” sculptures and backdrops. To sum it up, fabrics can be used in many different ways to decorate your venue. Just use them appropriately and choose the right material for the right occasion.