Anyone working in the theater knows the many uses for muslin. This cotton cloth has served the industry well for centuries, providing a versatile, but very inexpensive, fabric for many applications.

Muslin is typically a very closely woven cloth made from cotton. The untreated color is a cream, but muslin is available bleached (white) and dyed many colors. Muslin is sold in numerous thicknesses and widths, with the wider runs being referred to as “sheeting”.

Since the texture is relatively smooth and cotton is easy to paint, this fabric has become a staple for the theater and entertainment industry. Muslin can be used as set decoration, painted for almost any effect, and can even be treated to be translucent. This inexpensive fabric is easy to work with, inexpensive, and easy to manipulate during production. Muslin can also be painted to create an inexpensive greenscreen, the monochromatic screen in back of the weatherman on television that gets replaced by the map. Muslin can also be used for “bounce drops” for production lighting. These drops reflect and diffuse light to create a desired effect. Photographers use painted muslin backdrops to create backgrounds or scenery behind their subjects.

Muslin has also been used for clothing throughout the years. Cotton is breathable and comfortable to wear, and muslin accepts dye well, making it an ideal choice for clothing and apparel.

Muslin comes in widths from 36” to 120” and is available bleached, unbleached, and in a variety of colors. Flame retardant treatments are also available. Many thicknesses are also available, making this cost-effective, versatile material great for multitudes of applications.