Silhouettes are a fun and simple way to add customization and personality to your home. The traditional black and white versions will always be classic, but some people (myself included) are opting to mix things up with colored versions that tie into interiors equally well. Think traditional with a a bit of a wink. Bright colors can work in kids’ spaces, and soft pastels can be absolutely darling in a nursery. I am a traditionalist who happens to love using color, and have both versions displayed, in different areas of our home. I love both equally, and value what each brings to their designated spaces, from both nostalgic and aesthetic perspectives.
(This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to shop through them, I may receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!)
Traditional silhouettes are typically hand-cut from paper. When my two oldest kids were toddlers, I scheduled sittings to have hand cut traditional silhouettes made by a traveling silhouette artist whose family has been perfecting the art across generations. It was such an amazing process to behold to watch this artist work in person. He was so quick, and so very talented. I will treasure the pieces he created for us forever.
As my kids have grown, and our family grew by 1, I haven’t had the time or ability (especially this past year, with the pandemic) to have our silhouettes updated. My poor little Hazel is noticing the lack of artwork and photos with her squishy face on it, and it is time I remedy that with a little creative project of my own.
I am far from a professional, but also not a first timer and have learned from my previous endeavors in creating my own silhouettes. When I was redoing my daughters room a couple of years ago, I yearned to add a fun framed piece above her headboard, and decided to give it a try myself.
I hand traced her silhouette using a software program, and while I was happy with the results overall, the process was a slightly tedious one and the results were not perfect.
Here was the result of my first efforts…
For a DIY project, I was very happy with it. Not perfect, but it definitely added a fun punch of color to her cheerful space!
The frame pictured originally came in black and can be ordered here. Since many of the elements in the room were metallic, I decided to spray mine gold with two coats of my favorite gold spray paint. So easy, and very economical. I am a girl who loves spray paint.
I tried a completely different approach this time that was much faster(which was key) and in my opinion yielded better results.
Before you dive too much further into this tutorial, I want to explain that this technique involves using a Cricut Maker or Silhouette Cameo machine, (I have this one). If you don’t own one or aren’t interested in investing, this tutorial may not be for you.
Many other tutorials exist on the web. But I personally love the look of cut paper vs. an image printed on paper. So, if you are looking to make a similar one and still here for the DIY details, and are ready, willing and able to cut paper, here is what you need to complete this project.
If you are interested in purchasing silhouettes rather than making your own, there are many affordable options you can order online, with the only requirement being an uploaded photograph of your child. If you are interested, I have covered this too in a separate blog which you can access here.
Materials Needed:
- Cricut Maker or Silhouette Cameo (I used this one)
2. Paper (a card stock thickness is great but you can use any kind/color you like) Black, or colored pieces
3. Editing app on your phone such as Bazaart or Canva
4. Glue stick
5. Frame (I prefer an oval one)
First, I took my kids pictures against a plain wall. The shirt my daughter was wearing probably wasn’t a great choice at the time (simple, clean lines are best) but she was in a cooperative mood at the moment so I didn’t want to push it by asking her to change
FYI, for girls, silhouettes work best with their hair up so you can capture their neckline!
Here is the image I started with (my adorable and tenacious model)
Next I used the app Bazaart to remove the background, leaving me with just the image of her profile. To do this, all you do is upload your photo by pressing the plus button. I did this all on my phone.
Once your photo is selected, then press the “magic” scissors icon.
The background is now removed, so press the save button on the top right corner. This new image is now saved to your phone album.
It can now be edited anyway you like! I used the “cut” feature in PicCollage to make it the shape that I liked best.
There are several apps out there that can be used to do these last steps. Canva has a similar feature as well. Often times there is a cost for using these features on editing apps, but most times, they offer a free week long trial for their “professional” services. Perfect (and free) for a one time project such as this one. Bazart just happens to be the one I prefer using.
Once I have my new image saved, I upload it to my laptop, and use my silhouette studio software to trace the image. So easy. If your image doesn’t trace well (there needs to be a good contrast between the image and the background) you can click on the icon that looks like a half moon (the best way I can describe it, since I’m not sure what it’s called-sorry!) and adjust the darkness of the image Once you have your image traced you can then resize it before printing.
I am using 11 x 14 oval frames (matted to a 8×10 opening) so I wanted my silhouette around 5 inches tall. This was a perfect size to fit the entire cut out, as my oldest daughter’s hair is currently super long.
The fun part is choosing your paper and cutting it out. You can use plain black paper, a bright colored paper, textured, or even metallic foil. Whatever fits your space and personality. For a nursery I would love a soft blue or pink. Michaels has a ton of options, and even ships if you can’t make it to a store.
I tried both black and a mix of pink and blue and green before deciding to go more traditional this time around.
Once your piece is cut you can glue it to a background of your choosing , and frame.
From start to finish this project took me about 20 minutes. And yielded these results! I’m pretty happy overall.
Tips and tricks:
Have your child wear a fitted shirt for the photo to avoid unnecessary editing.
Take a profile picture against a plain wall. If there is not enough contrast, your image will not be crisp or intact.
Use bribery if needed to capture a great image. I used lollipops but this is personal.
Be creative with the paper you use, this is meant to be a personal and unique project and you can really customize these any way your heart desires.
I hope this is a helpful tutorial for those looking to create their own silhouettes. Like I said previously, there are any different techniques out there. This is the one I found worked best for me. Please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have!
xx,
Katie