Silhouette canvases

These silhouette canvases were inspired by this post where they were made with fabric and put in a nice frame.  I wanted these to look nice next to the sticker canvases in the kids' rooms, though, so I thought I would use a canvas instead of a frame.  I think they look nice and simple and were very easy on the budget to make.

You will need:

8x10 canvasses

a profile photo of your child

scrapbook paper

ruler, pencil, scissors

double stick tape - or maybe glue

Prepare the silhouette:

Step 1:

Take a profile photo of your child (or twelve, which is how many tries it took me to get one of Little Lady!).  Print it in an 8x10 size on paper.  I printed at the lowest quality to save ink.

Step 2:

Trace your child's profile and cut it out.  This makes it easier to cut instead of trying to eyeball it, especially around the hair and the nose and mouth - the best part of the profile, in my opinion.

Step 3:  

Trace your cut-out photo profile onto the scrapbook paper you chose for the silhouette.  I taped the photo to my scrapbook paper and cut around it.  The tape on the edges didn't matter since it wasn't touching the silhouette that I needed.

As I was cutting and measuring, the kids were working at the table with me.  Mini Me was fascinated by his silhouette and wanted to measure all the parts of it.  

Prepare the canvas:

Step 4:  

Measure and cut scrapbook paper that will go around the 8x10 canvas a 1/2 inch on each side.  
Step 5:
Cut a square out of the corners.  This will allow you to bend the edges of the paper up to cover the edges of the canvas.

Step 6:  

Bend the 1/2 edges so they are ready to fit over the canvas.  
Step 7:
Affix the paper to the canvas top and sides.  I slathered the top and sides with double stick tape and affixed the paper right on the top and sides.  It fit perfectly and looks nice and tidy.

Step 8:
Affix the silhouettes.  I used double stick tape on the wrong side of the silhouette to place it on the canvas.  I used a lot of short pieces around the nose and mouth to make sure those parts stuck closely to the paper without a gap between the background and the silhouette.  This is where glue might be helpful.

The final photos of the hanging silhouettes look different... because they are totally different silhouettes than the ones in previous pictures.  The night I was trying to finish these I got the ridiculous idea to Modge Podge them and give them a finished look.  Duh!  It only made the paper wet and wrinkly.  This is why I can only craft during afternoon nap time when I am awake...  So, I started all over and made these beauties: 

The kids love them hanging in their rooms and I love the sweet memory I see every time I walk in there.  I think they make a crisp, simple keepsake.