home decor, recipes

7 Inexpensive Food Styling Props

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Ever since deciding that I wanted to share my love of food online, I knew I needed to up my game and take my food styling photography to another level!

I lost my full-time job back in August of 2020 and I’ve been doing Content Creating full time and although, I have been already monetizing my blog, the costs of running a blog add up so quickly. So, I really had to be creative with what I have and what I can do with it.

I’ve gotten a lot of messages from people saying that they wish they were in my position and could spend a lot of money on their platforms but in all honesty, most of my Inexpensive Food Styling Props are what I already have in the house, from the Dollar Store/IKEA or from thrifting!

I try and save my money on making myself better online like on ebooks, courses, advertising, scheduling tools, etc., and not on material items. I would define myself as a minimalist-ish.

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An important thing to remember is that you don’t need to start being a Content Creator with all the resources in the world. You start with what you have, you upgrade, you grow, you learn and it’s all part of the experience. If you told me that my food photos would look like they do now, I wouldn’t believe you!

I shoot all my photos and video on my iPhone XR which I got for free when I upgraded my phone plan. I would love to film on a nice camera but for now, this is what I work with! I even film all my YouTube videos on my phone and I’m proud of it.

Start practicing and getting into the motions of food photography with Inexpensive Food Styling Props and upgrade your items and equipment as time progresses and save your money. Make a list of things that you want or shop at different stores online and add things to your cart so you know the costs of everything. When you feel like you’re at the right stage to invest, do it!

This 7 Inexpensive Food Styling Props blog post is accompanied by a YouTube Tutorial. If you haven’t subscribed to my channel on YouTube, don’t forget to!

HERE ARE 7 Inexpensive Food Styling Props:

Backdrops

Okay, so when I first started, I went to the Dollar Store and got 2-3 Poster Boards. Just plain white, under $2 each and I either painted them or draped them with cloth/fabric. I used this for a while until I decided to upgrade to wood boards. I was ready to buy them from my local hardware store but my cousin’s husband overheard me talking about it and he had spare wood slabs at his work so I was very thankful to get them for free!

With the wood slabs, I bought vinyl adhesive from Amazon and used it over top. It’s so easy to use and remove if you’re photography style changes. These are the two that I’ve bought and you’ll see in a lot of my photos:

This YouTube channel helped me so much and helped me do a lot with my Inexpensive Food Styling Props. The Bite Shot is where I got the inspiration to take nicer food photos in the first place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_ri0908kP8

Kitchen Utensils

My aesthetic of food photography is 100% white and beige. My home is all white and beige and it’s my brand so I try and purchase Inexpensive Food Styling Props to match this as well.

The trick to deciding what to use for your photo is basically to look at the dish and think if a person didn’t know what that recipe was, what utensils would help them guess. For example, with cookies, you wouldn’t put in a ladle but probably a rolling pin and a cookie scoop. For a smoothie bowl, you wouldn’t put a fork but maybe a nice spoon or even a spatula as well.

I bought a lot of these from the Dollar Store or my local grocery store/IKEA when I have the extra cash to splurge.

Florals

This one is situational and really depends on your style as well. I’ve seen accounts that don’t use any florals at all and some that do. I used dried florals because its what I have and matches well with my overall aesthetic!

If you have a really colorful feed/blog then florals will help you a lot and go a long way. I would just pick up a cheap bunch once a week at the grocery store or even pick some outside! There are even faux florals that you can get that will go a long way but just beware might look tacky depending on the quality! Just make sure to pick and choose careful.

In the photos below, I used dried baby breaths in my Lemon Butter Parmesan Asparagus photos and dried bunny tails in my Cadbury Mini Egg Blondies photos:

Cups/Dishes

Cups/dishes are what I really want to upgrade in the next month or so. My mindset is really easy. I don’t think I’m at a place where I need to buy quality items so when my husband and I first moved in together, we really cheaped out and got literally the cheapest dishes. I see people spending more than their means and it’s honestly such a terrible habit to have when you’re not financially comfortable.

I go to the Dollar Store or thrift store once every 2 weeks and just look around. Sometimes, I come out empty-handed and sometimes I get a lot of things! I get cups and dishes specifically for food styling and I keep them in a separate box in my house with all my food photography props.

To start off, of course, use what you have but once you’re ready to spend a bit, head to the Dollar Store and get 2-3 types of dishes that are different sizes! Take good care of them and only bring them out to shoot photos.

Cutting Boards

I also get my cutting boards from the Dollar Store. They often come out with new ones and they are always under $5 each. Cutting boards are a great substitute for plating food. Honestly, I love the look of wood in anything even my home decor so placing food on top just looks so incredible to me!

In the photo below I used a $4 cutting board to photograph my Maple Mustard Chicken Wings and Canadian Butter Tarts:

Linens

Right now, this is something I lack! I use a few dish towels but I’m aiming to get an assortment of linen tea towels this month. I find that towels add more dimension and texture to the photo and fills some empty spaces too.

This is one Inexpensive Food Styling Props that I can’t really find at the Dollar Store that I like but I really love the linen look so I guess I’m a tad picky on this one! Any texture of towels will do when you’re first starting. I currently have used just my plain kitchen/bathroom towels and crumple parchment paper.

Extra Ingredients

Last but not least, use your extra ingredients! It’s the easiest and cheapest tip for Inexpensive Food Styling Props and it also let’s the viewer know what’s in it!

In the photos below, I added crushed garlic cloves to my Roasted Cauliflower photos, clementine’s to my Clementine Chocolate Mousse photos, and uncooked pasta, parsley, and roasted sweet potato bits to my Vegan Creamy Coconut Sweet Potato Pasta photos:

I can’t stress this enough but you don’t need a ton of money to have nice food styling props! I use whatever I can and I reuse them in a lot of photos.

The Dollarstore and IKEA is your best friend as well so don’t forget to shop there for some Inexpensive Food Styling Props before picking up something double the price.

As time goes on, you’ll be able to upgrade your Inexpensive Food Styling Props and get some better quality pieces! Start making a list of what you want/need and slowly add them to your collection.

All of the photos I post is on Instagram so if you haven’t followed me yet, be sure to!

Xo,

Lynn

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86 Comments

  1. These are some great tips Lynn. I don’t do a lot of flat lays now however when I did I always used to struggle with compositions and finding props that suited the shot. In terms of backgrounds I used to get wallpaper samples from the hardware shop. They were all completely free and worked really well!

    Claire.X
    http://www.clairemac.co.uk

  2. What gorgeous ideas! I love your recipes and think your Instagram is stunning. Thank you for sharing your favourite props. I’d love to one day take pictures as amazing as yours! Love, Em x

  4. Love this, I sometimes feel overwhelmed when you think you have to spend a fortune when in reality you really don’t need to. Your photos are stunning xx

  5. Thanks for sharing, as food blogger this post is great, I do find myself looking for props for my posts but just settle for my backdrops, that I got and a plain white plate, I’m looking for some bamboo boards that don’t costs a lot to 🙂

  6. I’m not a food blogger so rarely have to take photos of food related things but when I have done in the past, I’ve ALWAYS found them the most difficult to photograph! So anyone that takes amazing food shots is like… a wizard in my eyes! These are all fab prop ideas! x

    1. Ugh, I feel ya! Some recipe creators take the most gorgeous photos and it blows my mind! The creativity is astounding! Thanks for reading and commenting, Jenny xx

  7. Love this! I find flatlays so hard so I’m always looking out for different tips ? I really want to buy a marble background of some sort, my desks are all grey which doesn’t work so well. xx

  8. I love this!!! I love a good flatlay! And I think I’m gonna buy a background or two just so I can mix it up a bit!!!

  9. These are all great tips, Lynn, and you’re right – you don’t need everything right away! We need some linens for sure, but have just got some extra backdrops so that might have to wait, but then again we try and use what we have around us already. Crockery and vintage cutlery are also on our list!

  14. These are some great suggestions to help improve the look of your recipe images. Your photos always look so pretty! X

  15. These are awesome tips! I often struggle in finding the best decorations for flatlays, so this was super helpful. I love the cutting board and marble additions!

    xoxo,
    Sydney

  16. Oh.. the props look so beautiful. I love the kitchen linens and variety of floral props. Great money saving tips for food bloggers and alike!
    Dee

  19. I don’t style food for my photos but I do a lot of Flatlays and I love the idea of getting different backgrounds from Amazon! They probably have so many different options x

  20. I love your food photography & it’s good to know that you didn’t spend a ton of money on props. These are all great ideas & I love the idea of using the vinyl adhesives for the background!

  22. These are great suggestions! While I rarely take food photos, a lot of these are transferable for normal flatlays too xx

  24. Brb thinking of what sort of new projects I can do with MY iPhone XR!

    But seriously, this was so insightful! As someone who once tried food photography, I definitely didn’t have the eye for it. After reading this post, I realize I just needed to get more creative!

    Oh, and if you’re still looking for dishes: try Wal-Mart. They have some really great dishes you can buy individually. I personally bought their white marble bowls and plates for my photos and they were a hit. Even today, I still see those dishes pop up on other people’s pins!

    1. Aw, thank you so much for the tip! I actually haven’t thought of Walmart and haven’t been in so long! I’ve got to make a trip there soon 🙂 Thank you for reading, Jacqueline! Always a pleasure x

  25. I’d never really considered props so this was really interesting. I like to make food look good on the plate when serving at meals. But it never occurred to me that there are more options. I’ll definitely be thinking about these. I particularly like wooden trays!

  26. Your food styling is on point. I’d have never guessed anything other than full on professional set up over at your house. Now the secret is out. It isn’t! Imagine then when you have a more professional studio set up. No stopping you.

  27. I love taking pics of my finished food recipes. Right now I di IG reels with me cooking and music playing. These are going ro help me take great stil shots.

  31. These props are lovely for food photography. But I do believe that plating is the most important thing in food photography.

  32. These are wonderful prop ideas for food bloggers and photographers! I particularly love the vinyl backdrop idea! x

  33. You always have the best looking photos of your food and I love that the bulk of it is DIY thrifting from the dollar store! These are such easy and inexpensive things to do – thank you for sharing! I always love the florals you include in the edges/corners of photos 🙂

    1. Aw, thank you! I love that you notice <3 that made my night/morning (currently about to be midnight haha) always a pleasure to have you on my blog, alex! x

  34. I don’t do photography but I understand how difficult it is especially flat lays. I love taking pictures of food and I know it’s not easy getting it right. Thanks for your wonderful well-put ideas

  35. These are great inexpensive photo props! It is all part of the fun, styling up the photos, isn’t it and even better when you can do it on the cheap, but make them look professional! I love your photos, the camera on the phone is so good, isn’t it?! Thanks for sharing some creative ideas!
    Aimsy xoxo
    Aimsy’s Antics

  36. These are great ideas. For backdrops and flat lays, wallpaper samples from DIY stores are great.

  37. I need that backdrops and floral! Honestly I have been thinking to upgrade my photography this year, let’s hope I’ll be able to do it soon x

    1. Yes! Its so worth it. I love taking my own photos when possible! Hoping you get to do it too! Thank you for commenting, Merry xx

  38. Wow, I need to invest in some of these. All of these props are cute and stylish. I love how affordable all of them are as well. Some other blog posts include prop suggestions of items I could never afford. Thanks for making this list!

  39. So smart! Good things for all sorts of flat lays can be found at the dollar store and Ikea. Your photos always turn out well, so you’re definitely an inspiration for me when it comes to food photography. I have been so weary about going shopping lately, but I should just go and see what I can find.
    You can also snag cheap stuff at Home Sense! Takes a little more patience than the dollar store sometimes.

  40. I’m both extremely impressed and surprised I never thought of any of this! What good ideas! I am going to be using your advice going forward. Your dishes always look amazing! I hope I can start getting back into recipe making someday soon!

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  42. I love these styling tips! I’ve been trying to find a place to get dried florals for a while for my book flatlays. It’s just so hard trying to find them places where they either aren’t going to start withering away, or end up crumbling into a big mess. If you have any recommendations, I’d love to hear it!

    I also really love the vinyl idea. Right now, I use a white sheet for my flatlay backdrops and it’s been working pretty well. I used to use pieces of extra flooring my parents have for backdrops, but for some reason the sheet on the floor just adds a more personal, cozy touch that I’m quite loving.

    Really adore this post!

  43. The photography and content is amazing Lynn. I just enjoy reading the ideas, and the pictures that you put forward. It is very inspiring. Thanks for this post. Keep up the awesome work!

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