Creating a Crafty DIY Silhouette–Easy Tutorial

 

 

I have wanted to get professional silhouettes done of both my boys for years, but I have simply not had the time or money.  I know that they are not difficult to do, yet I wasn’t sure that I would do my sweet boys justice.  I also wanted to have something that would last forever.  Silhouettes capture such a sweet and innocent time that I personally don’t want to ever forget.  My youngest son just turned 5, so I knew I was running out of time and needed to either make an appointment or do it myself.

When I was little, my school did silhouettes with a projector light, piece of black construction paper and chalk.  I remember feeling very special when it was my turn to have my shadow traced.  I loved the sweet details of my ponytail and eye lashes.   It was a really simple project yet such a wonderful gift we later presented to our mothers as a school keep sake. They were simple,  true to life, and my mother still has it to this day.  As I have said, it is just something you hold onto.

Thinking back to that school experience made me realize that I didn’t need to pay for a silhouette, I could do this on my own.  With the changes in technology from then to now, I knew I could simply take a photograph and cut it out.  I also knew that Photoshop has the capabilities to do the same thing.  I am no pro when it comes to Photoshop and I personally wanted to cut every strand of hair that stood up, their button noses and of course their eye lashes.  I don’t know why that part gets me all choked up but it does.

Here is how I created my very own silhouettes:

1. Take a photo of your child’s profile with a light background.  I sat both my kids on the same stool in front of our white shuttered windows.  It was a light background but it also allowed sunlight to come it.
   

   Side Profile of my oldest son

   

   Side profile of my youngest son. NOTE: I turned him the opposite direction

2. Print out the photos on card stock and size down to fit the frame you selected to display them it.  I did 5 X 7 frames for my first “crafty” silhouette.  Next time I am doing a much larger round frame so I will need to print out a 7.5 X11.
3. Using an exacto knife/ small scissors, cut out your child’s profile.  Get into the details of their hair and lashes.  The personalized details really make each silhouette more realistic and special.  This is a bit time consuming and ensure your knife is sharp and take a deep breath.

1. I decided to go the “crafty” quick route with my fist silhouette, I simply turned over the paper (photo side down, white side up) and pasted it to a piece of craft paper.  I still wanted the black and white theme but I didn’t want it to be traditional especially in my front foyer.   I liked that it was a bit different and unexpected.  The craft paper that I choose has a printed word pattern across it, which I love.  It made it modern, fun and very different than your traditional silhouette.   I also used a rectangular silver frame, again not the traditional round black frame you typically see.   I personally think that it works well in my black and white casual foyer and home.
   

   Choose whatever patterned paper you prefer for your child’s silhouette

I really enjoyed this project and I am already working on my next silhouette project.  This time I am going the traditional route.  That means I will either need to play around in Photoshop or cut out a template and then trace their silhouette onto black card stock.  This means double cutting, but I actually enjoy that part, so I think I am going to take the hands on approach.  I would also love to add their monogram below so I cannot wait to show you how those turn out.

Happy Crafting!!