DIY Silhouettes

I love silhouettes.  The other day while waiting in line and flipping through a magazine I came upon an article about how to stage a bookshelf.  A tiny picture in the corner of the page caught my eye....a framed dog silhouette hung on the back of the bookshelf. I knew right then and there I needed to make one of our pup Stan.  He is after all the sweetest dog ever!


It was a simple process, and the whole project came together quickly.

Step 1:  I chose a profile picture of him.  (Actually this was the hardest part of the job -- getting him to stay sideways without turning to see what I was doing or to give me kisses.) 

Step 2: I  cropped the picture to my chosen size, then printed and taped it to the paper I chose to use for the silhouette.  I chose brown, well, because he's brown. 

Step 3: I next cut around the edges of the picture.  I was careful to be detailed with some of tufts of hair that tends to stick out.  I think this gave some authenticity to the silhouette, making it look more like Stan, rather than any 'ole dog. 

Step 4: After cutting the silhouette I mounted and framed it.  Voila! 

The beauty of this project was not just the simplicity, but the possibilities.  You could do this with little ones, loved ones, or pets of all shapes and sizes.  I think they would be especially sweet in a grouping in round frames or a in a locket.  What a special gift this would make!