House-Hold Flatlay Props You May Already Own!
Through the process of creating countless flatlays over the years for my brand’s website, design portfolio, social media posts, and shop listings, there’s been one common point of resistance which I’ve run into time and time again. I’ve felt it personally, and heard it from many people… it’s the misconception that in order to create lovely flatlays, you must have gigantic shelves of beautiful trinkets, perfectly color coordinated props, and interesting vintage goods on hand in order to style stunning flatlays. However, this is just not true!
As someone who’s lived in very small apartments in the last 7 years, worked through lots of creative projects on tight budgets, I haven’t had the room or the finances to build up a massive collection of props. To this day, I have one shallow drawer in my house dedicated to flatlay props. Everything else that I style with serves dual, practical purposes in my living room, kitchen, bedroom, even bathroom! When I want to create a flatlay, I most often start by going on a scavenger hunt through my home.
The process of needing to get creative with my sources and varieties of props has left me feeling confident that anyone else can do the same. Chances are super high that you have a wealth of props already at your fingertips to use in your flatlay photography - you just might not realize it yet!
Here’s a list of ideas of house-hold ideas which could become props in your next flatlay photoshoot:
Props and Materials for Styling:
Books
Journals
Magazines
Hats
Jars/Bottles
Textured Fabrics (a sweater or scarf would work!)
Mugs/Cups of Coffee
Coffee Beans or Brewing Gear
Tea
Potted Plants
Flowers (fresh or dried)
Flower Petals (think of it as natural confetti!!)
Foliage from outside your home/business/the nearby park
Rulers (I love the bendy, vintage ones. These are great for giving some reference to the size of the drawings or goods that you’re styling!)
String
Ribbon
Watches or Jewelry (You might be wearing them right now)
Beauty Products
Eye Glasses or Sunglasses
Scissors
Pens
Pencils
Pencil Shavings
Paintbrushes
Art Supplies
Candles
Matches
Buttons
Bottle Caps
Newspapers
Fruit
Baked Goods
Coins
Keys
Photographs (personal photos, thrifted ones, or maybe some Polaroids!)
Postcards/ Letters
Family Heirlooms
Pro-Tip: If you want to grow your collection from here, try checking out Thrift or Antique Stores, Etsy or eBay! There’s so much potential to turn anything into an interesting flatlay!
To begin putting all your newfound props to use, you can learn more about styling beautiful content with our recently released educational bunlde “How to Style Flatlays: E-Book + Video Workshop”.
