Tobacco cloth is not scrim, but it is the closest thing to a scrim substitute that I know of, and it is super cheap.  I usually buy it from Syracuse Stage Scenery and Lighting, a theatrical supply company out of Syracuse, NY. 

 It is kind of like cheesecloth, but the weave is tighter and the material is more sheer.  It comes in a natural cotton off-white color.  It can be easily dyed or spray painted with a pneumatic or hudson sprayer.  It can also be stretched over bogus paper and painted similarly to scrim with decent but not wonderful results.  Paint bleeds a bit on this material, so getting too detailed just won't happen.

When used as a drop it can be back lit for an atmospheric transluscent effect.  You will be able to see people lit behind it quite clearly, but shadows will be stronger especially on their faces, and the curtain will still be there and visible too.  (Scrim can be made to disappear entirely, which is why this is the poor man's version.)  When front lit with no back lighting, it is not completely opaque, but it is opaque enough to mask subtle movement, and quick set changes, especially when the blocking is such that the acting can distract from the curtain itself.

 When sewn, this material really wants to pucker.  It also gets pulls in it rather easily.  For this reason, it works better when stretched on frames no bigger than the material instead of as sewn curtains, however I have also used it that way with success.  It can be frustrating to work with in terms of sewing.

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