Categories: Decorating & Design

How to Create Your Own Wall Art – Silhouettes

I love the recession! Being broke has stimulated my creativity in a way money cannot buy. As an interior designer, I’ve always contended that it doesn’t take a lot of money to make your home reflect who are and, as Oprah says, “rise up to meet you. Now I’m taking it to a ‘whole nutha level’. In this article, I will tell you how you can create fabulous wall art using items you have around the house.

My new favorite obsession is silhouettes. I’m not talking your typical cameos here…I live outside the box, you know. The supplies you need are so minimal – paper, cutting utensil(s), and a picture of your subject in the size you want the silhouette.

Paper: To say this is an inexpensive project doesn’t go far enough. You can use ANY paper: newspaper, printer paper, kid’s artwork or school papers, used office paper, sale ads, etc. Re-use the paper you would usually throw in the recycling bin (surely you’re not still throwing paper in the trash, it’s 2011). You’ll need to decide how large you would like your project to be, but don’t worry if you’re paper isn’t big enough – you can use scraps of paper glued or taped together to make your own totally original sheets of paper.

Cutting Utensils: You can cut out silhouettes with plain scissors, but once you become addicted to silhouetting (pretty sure I just coined a word), you will want to invest in an x-acto knife to cut out any small, inside sections. If you don’t already own scissors, that’s just weird and you must go out now and get some. Being a long time crafter, I have a variety of cutting tools. My favorite is the shape cutter by Fiskars coupled with the self healing cutting mat.

Pictures of Subjects: Your silhouette subject is only limited by your imagination. I’ve used pictures of my family scanned into the computer and resized to fit my needs. I’ve also used pictures copied from Google Images – everything from dancing people to a bicycle…just perform a search for your intended subject. Yesterday’s way of obtaining silhouettes does still work: in a dark room, put a bright light behind your subject and trace the outline created on the paper you have taped to the wall. Move the subject closer or further way to get the size you want. If you have the capability, it’s much easier to take a picture and print it from the computer. Even large sizes can be printed using the poster setting on your printer.

My Process: First I trace the lines on my subject picture that I’m going to cut – a lesson hard-learned by cutting the wrong line at the end of a big project. (Some would have you cut out the original and use it as a template to trace the subject onto the final paper to be cut. I’m a step-skipper; you’re welcome for the extra 15 minutes.) Then I like to tape the picture I’m using to the paper that will be the final product. Be sure to tape around what you will cut out – you don’t want to tape inside the subject, as the paper may tear when you remove the taped picture. I cut out any inside sections first, then cut out the silhouette. You’ll be amazed at how much joy that newly made shadow can bring you!

What to Do With Your Newly Created Art: Now that you’ve got your silhouette cut out, don’t jump back into the box. Hang it without a frame. Mix it up: some in frames, some outside the frames ( see picture ). Make several and use them as a border. Go big and make wall decals. The possibilities are as endless as paper that gets thrown away. Save a tree – make a silhouette! Make a silhouette of a tree…I told you I was obsessed.