Silhouettes {a tutorial for a fun and inexpensive Christmas gift}

This post contains affiliate links; you can read more on our disclosure page. 

A couple of years ago, Josiah made silhouettes for Christmas gifts for Carl and I, grandparents, aunts and uncles. It was such a fun gift! I’ve always loved silhouettes.

One of the classes I help teach at our homeschool co-op is for K-3rd grade. We combine them 2 hours and use some of the Five in a Row curriculum. For November, we read Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin.  One of the projects we did was to make silhouettes of each child for them to give to their parents for Christmas.

So I thought I’d share how we made them. Just in case you need an amazing, really inexpensive and quick gift for someone special.

{Supplies}
child (or dog, cat, chicken – whatever you want to make a silhouette of)
digital camera
computer and printer (optional)
black scrapbooking paper (or whatever solid color you want)
xacto knife and mat to cut on (you can do this with scissors, but it makes it not so quick or easy)
picture frame

{How to make a silhouette}

• Take a picture of the child from the side view
• Upload the picture to the computer and print out the size you want your silhouette to be – we usually use 3X5 or 4X6  (if you don’t have a computer or printer, you will have take your camera to the photo place and have a real picture printed up)

• Cut the excess paper away from the picture and then tape the picture to the black paper

• Lay the black paper on the cutting mat and cut the picture out using the xacto knife

• viola!  you have a silhouette to frame

Tips:  if the child is a boy and he has a bit of “bedhead” it looks really cute to leave some hair sticking up. Also, girls look really cute if their hair is in a ponytail, 1/2 up & 1/2 down or with a bow in it. You could even add a bow in a different color paper. Make sure you tape or glue the silhouette to the paper before framing it – you don’t want it sliding around!

Thanks for sharing with your friends!