How to Make a Cutout Dinosaur
Wooden cutouts have a number of uses, including adding decorations to your family's Christmas tree, wall accents on a bedroom wall or the finishing touch on homemade bookends. Although wooden cutouts are available in a number of shapes and sizes at craft stores, making your own is inexpensive and gives you complete control over the finished product. One cutout idea is a dinosaur shape. Using plywood and a jigsaw, make your own dinosaur cutout to add character to your design ideas.
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Things You'll Need
- 1/4-inch plywood
- Printout (optional)
- Stencil (optional)
- Jigsaw
- Medium-grit sandpaper
- Acrylic paint
- Acrylic sealant
- Drill (optional)
- String (optional)
- Hammer (optional)
- Nails (optional)
- Hot glue (optional)
Instructions
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Draw the shape of the dinosaur on a piece of 1/4-inch plywood. Use any type of dinosaur desired, such as T-Rex, triceratops or pterodactyl. If you are not comfortable drawing the dinosaur shape by hand, print out an image from the Internet and use it as a template. Alternatively, use a stencil from the local craft store.
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Cut out the dinosaur shape using a jigsaw.
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Sand the edges of the cutout using a medium-grit sandpaper to smooth away any rough spots or splinters.
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Paint the cutout using a paintbrush and acrylic paints. Choose any style of paint desired. You can choose to paint your dinosaur one solid color or add additional details on it with different colored paints. Alternatively, leave the cutout wood-colored.
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Seal the paint by spraying it with an acrylic sealant. Spray the sealant according to package directions and leave it to sit for 24 hours before displaying. To hang the cutouts from a package or Christmas tree, drill a 1/8-inch hole in the top of the cutout, 1/2 inch from the edge. Thread string through the hole and use it to hang the cutout. To hang it on a wall, hammer a nail through the top of the cutout into the wall. To attach it to wooden objects, such as bookends, use hot glue or wood glue.
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Tips & Warnings
To create thicker cutout, use thicker plywood. Or, cutout three to four dinosaurs and stack them on top of one another. Secure them together using wood glue. Allow the wood glue to dry overnight before decorating it.
Make the cutouts on a larger scale and attach a wooden stake to the back to display them in your yard.
References
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
