Basics

• Always remember the basic rules that apply to all stages and levels of theater. If a set piece needs to hold either the weight of your performers or another large set piece (such as the facade of a two-story house) build it with the right materials. Set pieces built with two by fours and one-half inch thick plywood can bear a good deal of weight. Set pieces in this manner are also more cost-effective and lighter, making them a great deal easier to move.
  
  

Build with Foam

• Build pieces that don't need to hold weight out of foam. This is a light, easy-to-handle material that can be decorated using latex-based paints. Foam is also cheaper than plywood, so it cuts down the required budget to build a good-looking set.
  
  

Wheeled Set Pieces

• Make sure that if you are going to put your set on wheels, don't buy cheap wheels just to save some cash. Even if they seem to work, wheels that aren't designed to hold the weight of your set piece can and will break eventually, which can be difficult to fix on larger set pieces.
  
  

Striking

• An inevitable part of putting on a show is striking, or tearing down, the set once the show is done with it's run. While it may be quicker to build set pieces using a nail gun, it makes striking the set more difficult than is necessary. Instead, take the time to build the set pieces with drywall screws. There are many different lengths of drywall screws, and they are much easier to remove than nails.
  
  

Budget Prioretizing

• Prioritize quality over quantity when working with a small budget. This will help get the audience into the moment and make them more likely to see your shows in the future.
  
  

Multiple Piece Set

• Make certain that every set piece has more than one purpose. This not only cuts cost, it also makes it easier for your stage crew to change sets if every piece can be either reversed or transformed into something else.
  
  

Perspective and Lighting

• Use perspective and lighting to convey mood or distance to bring the audience more into the moment while still keeping low costs. For example, if your show takes place in a town, it is not always necessary to build an elaborate set. Instead make a miniature town that can be attached to a fly line toward the back of the stage. With some lighting behind the piece, or a dark stage with a spotlight on the miniature and one on the actors, one can show the audience that the action is taking place in that town.
  
  

Prisms

• Building prisms is a great way to fill the multiple purpose tip stated above. A prism is a three-sided piece on sturdy wheels. Each face of the prism can easily be painted or otherwise decorated to show a different scene. As a bonus, a properly built prism can have the inside decorated to be an interior set.
  
  

Backdrops

• Producing backdrops can be relatively inexpensive if made by hand as they are nothing more than canvas or sheets that have been painted. They are, however, difficult and time consuming to make and are not recommended when you intend to build a set in an efficient manner.