lo-fi holiDIY: silhouettes

Did everybody else make these in kindergarten? I remember my teacher shining a spotlight on my profile and tracing the shadow on a piece of paper taped to the wall. I think the only part I actually helped with was gluing the black cutout to a piece of construction paper and proudly bringing it home to my parents.

Based on that memory – and the recent resurgence of silhouettes, I made a little wall hanging with hooks and a group of ornaments of my niece and nephew.

I love the quaint, Victorian vibe of this project. For the wood slice, I tea-stained plain paper to give the name banners a more aged look. Done in miniature, I think they feel utterly precious. I confess that taking a photo and scaling it down on the computer breaks my self-imposed lo-fi mantra of the season. But I think anything that harkens back to 17th century France still counts.

Now, I want to be honest here. Silhouette cutting is an art form. I took a somewhat rudimentary approach here, but getting the profile cut just right took me a few attempts. Be sure you are working with a very sharp blade and take your time.

And ultimately, there is something very satisfying about tracing and then cutting the adorably round little features of my niece and nephew. And I think the result is heirloom-quality.

You’ll Need:

For Silhouettes:

• Camera
• Photo editing software and printer (at home or copy store)
• Card Stock
• Thin permanent marker, like a Sharpie
• Craft knife with sharp blade
• Black paper
• Sealant (optional)

For Ornaments:

• Wooden circles for base of ornaments (I used 3” wide circles)
• Decorative paper
• Scissors
• White glue
• Ribbon
• Decoupage glue like Mod Podge, with foam brush
• Clothespins
• Finished Silhouettes

For Wood Slice:

• Wood slice, bought or foraged (if foraged, make sure to sand it)
• Plain white paper
• Pencil and eraser
• Black pen
• Craft Knife
• Small amount of black tea (a strong black tea, like Irish or English breakfast)
• Paintbrush
• Finished Silhouettes
• Decoupage glue with foam brush
• Screw-in brass hooks
• Sawtooth for hanging

How To:

To Make Silhouettes:

1. The quality of your silhouette depends upon the quality of the photo you start with. Get your subject to stand in profile against a solid background.
2. At home or at a copy center, scale your photo to size and print (the larger the image, the easier it will be to capture the details, but I wanted to work small so I scaled the photo down to 2 ½” wide). Print onto card stock.
3. With a fine-tipped permanent marker, trace the profile, adding a swoop at the bottom, below the neck. I wanted to add wisps of hair, so I took a couple small liberties and exaggerated their bangs and some pieces of hair at the crown.
4. With a craft knife, carefully cut out your silhouette. This is now your template.
5. Place your template on black paper and trace. Carefully cut out.
6. Repeat to create as many silhouettes as you need for your projects.

To Make Ornaments:

1. Place a wooden circle on a piece of decorative paper and trace the shape. Cut out.
2. Cut a 6” length of ribbon and fold in half. Place a small bead of glue at top of the wooden circle, and affix ribbon in place.
3. With foam brush, apply a thin layer of decoupage glue to the surface of the wooden circle, including the ribbon that is now glued onto the circle.
4. Place decorative paper on top and press into place with your fingertips.
5. With foam brush, apply a thin layer of decoupage glue to the back of the silhouette and place in the middle of the ornament. Secure the layers – especially where the ribbon is attached – with a clothespin while it dries.
6. When dry, add a sealant if desired. This can be another layer of decoupage glue or spray-on sealant.
7. Repeat to create additional ornaments.

To Make Wood Slice:

1. First make the name banners. With a pencil, draw a scrolling banner (or use my template) on plain paper. Add name, centered in the banner. Dip your paintbrush in a small teacup of black tea and “paint” the tea over the paper until it’s as dark as you want. Let dry.
2. When dry, trace over the pencil lines with black pen and erase the pencil marks. Carefully cut out just outside the lines with a craft knife.
3. Place your silhouettes and name banners on the wood slice to decide where you want to place the elements. Be sure to leave enough room for the hooks.
4. When you like the arrangement, glue everything in place with a thin layer of decoupage glue. Add a sealant, if desired.
5. Add hooks and a sawtooth at the back to hang.

Again, I want to offer big, merry, crafty thanks to Michaels for the support (and most of the supplies) for these lo-fi DIY projects.