How to Cut a Silhouette

Make an outline of someone that is suitable for framing or making into a special card.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Blank Greeting Cards
• Copy Machines
• Chairs
• Desk Lamps
• Glue Sticks
• Masking Tape
• Masking Tape
• Scissors
• Scissors
• Pencils
• Black Construction Paper
• Large Sheet Of White Notebook Papers
• Pencils
• Unlined Paper
• Pencils
• Chairs

1. Hang a large piece of white paper on the wall of a darkened room.

2. Have a person sit in front of the paper.

3. Shine a desk lamp at the person to create a defined shadow on the paper.

4. Have the sitter turn sideways so that the shadow is a profile. Tell him or her to sit very still.

5. Use a pencil to draw an outline of the sitter's head, neck and the top of his or her shoulders.

6. Use a copy machine to reduce the drawing to the size you want.

7. Use a glue stick to fasten the copy to a sheet of black paper.

8. Cut around the outline.

9. Pull the white paper off the black one, flip the black one over and stick it on the front of a blank greeting card or on a sheet of light-colored paper.

Tips & Warnings

• If you use a halogen floor lamp, you can get very sharp detail.
• The closer to the person you set the lamp, the smaller and more defined the silhouette will be.

[hcab]

on 5/10/2009 Why not use silhouette paper and copy on the white side. Then just cut it out and there's your silhouette on the black side.

[rhill]

on 12/18/2007 I found an EASY way to make sihouettes. Find the photo you want to use, get it ready to print, and instead of using photo or copy paper use a sheet of black paper instead. Keep in mind, the image won't show up nearly as well as it does on white paper. But you're left with a very simple outline of the face that you can trace lightly with a pencil to reinforce (then erase the pencil later after cutting, if needed.) It's not perfect, but it worked well for me.