DIY Silhouette Wall Decor

Happy New Year (a month late)!  I have been planning this post since the new year but I just found all the pictures that I thought I lost.  Huzzah!  Still missing a bunch  though :-/

Yesterday I posted the first of a multi-part series on gift-giving in 2012: creating more personal, handmade gifts for your loved ones.

I love these silhouettes I made of my boys and my niece for my mother-in-law's Christmas gift.  This was a fun and simple project.  The hardest part was getting the kids to stay still enough to get the perfect profile shot!  I found that the best shots were the ones where their lips were parted just slightly... so after 100 shots, we finally got the perfect profile pictures (I exaggerate... just a little).

Materials:
11"x14" canvas
paint
brushes
Mod Podge
scrapbook paper
clear acrylic spray sealant
scrapbook letters
camera
computer
printer

Step #1:  First paint your canvas in a color that coordinates with your scrapbook paper.  You can paint it a solid color, or choose another coordinating color to frame it out.

Step #2:  Profile picture:  it is easier to be able to see details if your profile picture is against a light, solid background.  Upload your picture onto your computer and blow it up to fit on an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper.  Print it out.

Step #3:  Once you have printed your picture out, cut out the outline of the profile.

As you can tell, I was almost out of printer ink.

Step #4:  Trace the profile onto the back of the scrapbook paper and cut it out.  Spray the clear, acrylic sealant on both sides of the scrapbook paper.  This protects the thin paper from the moisture of the Mod Podge so it will not tear easily.

Step #5:  Bust out the Mod Podge!  Paint an even layer of Mod Podge onto the middle of your canvas and another on the back of your scrapbook paper profile.  No need to be stingy, but don't glop it on either.  Place your profile picture in the middle of your canvas.  Using a credit card or clay roller, smooth out from the middle to the edges.  Keep rolling until it is completely smooth and there aren't any bubbles.  Wait about 15 minutes for it to dry.

Step #6:  When your first layer to glue your profile to your canvas is dry, add a second even layer of Mod Podge on top of your entire canvas to seal it.  Place your scrapbook letters on your canvas before the Mod Podge dries.  Even if your letters are self-adhesive, the Mod Podge will give them a permanent hold.

Aaaand you're done!  Well, after you wait 15 to 20 minutes for it to dry, but THEN you're done!  Just add a frame or decorative ribbon to hang it and it makes the perfect personal gift from the heart!