DIY Silhouette

Contrary to what Etsy shops want you to think, silhouettes are very easy and inexpensive to make! Here's how I made Jesse's Father's Day gift:

Step 1: Select any picture that will make a nice silhouette. 

Step 2: Crop the image to your desired size and print it. You don't need photo paper or color ink since you're just going to be cutting it anyway. In this example, I cropped the image to 8x10 and printed in greyscale straight from my computer.

Step 3: Tape the image onto cardstock. I prefer a black silhouette against a white mat, but you can play around with any solid colors you want. Your image should not slide around while you cut it, but you can also use glue dots or poster putty underneath the image if you're concerned.

Step 4: Using an exacto knife, trace the edges of your image. You can buy exacto knives at Walmart, Target, or any craft store for $5 or less. You definitely want the blade to be sharp since you'll be cutting through paper and cardstock. I placed the papers on top of a cutting board so I didn't have to worry about scraping the table. I also outlined the limbs first and went back to get the tiny crevices (armpits and in between legs) last so that the papers wouldn't slide around at all.

Step 5: Lift the silhouette out and glue it onto a different colored piece of cardstock.

Step 6: Frame it. You could embellish the mat or frame however you wish, but I prefer simple and classic silhouettes.

I had all the materials in my craft closet (white and black cardstock, tape, exacto knife) and the frame was $1. This project was extremely inexpensive and simple to make.