Silhouettes make for a pretty picture, but they can be pricey. Why not DIY? This might be the easiest project you’ll ever tackle.
Cost: Only a couple of bucks for materials, plus a frame.
Total time: Less than an hour
Supplies:
- Black & white cardstock
- Scissors
- Some kind of adhesive (glue dots, glue stick, etc.)
Instructions:
Step 1: Obviously, you’ll need to first take a profile shot of your wee one. Once you have one you’re happy with, simply print it out on a piece of paper or cardstock. (Tip: It can be easier to “see” the profile if you take the picture against a white wall, but as you can see, mine had a pretty busy background and turned out cute. Use whatever you have!)
Hello, cutie! This little man is the adorable son of our very own Rachel Reiff-Ellis. That belly!
Step 2: Very carefully cut the picture out, moving slowly around the tiny nose and lips. One note: Baby heads typically are not perfectly rounded, so I chose to incorporate the lumps and bumps into my shape. However, you could smooth it all out if you so choose.
Step 3: Carefully (again!) trace the profile onto your black cardstock. Note: If you don’t have black cardstock on hand but do have some black paint, just flip the picture over, paint it black and let it dry before framing it—you’ll get the same finished product.
Step 4: Cut it out again! (And save your template so you can experiment with different colors and prints later on.)
Step 5: Cut a piece of white cardstock to the size of your frame, and glue your silhouette right in the middle of it. Since I was using a mat, I used it to help gauge where my head should be placed.
Step 6: Now stick it in the frame! I used a $5 IKEA frame; if you don’t want to spend money on a new frame and don’t have one already at home to use, hit a thrift store and coat an old frame with some spray paint.
Since I’m not a big fan of black and white, I did a couple of other variations just for fun. Consider using a patterned piece of cardstock for the background …
or make a printed silhouette with a pretty print …
or cut the silhouette out of felt and sew (or fabric glue) it onto a throw pillow!
You won’t end up with the professional finish you’d get from a purchased product, but I think that only adds to the charm. Happy crafting, mamas!
