Project of the Week: Silhouette Collage

Do you remember when you were in elementary school around Mother's Day? One of the projects that we always made for our mothers in our school was a silhouette picture. In case you never got to do one of these, it's when you sit in front of the projector and someone traces the shadow of your profile onto a piece of construction paper. Then you cut it out and paste it to a card or another piece of construction paper and give it to your mother. These were great gifts for moms! Well, this week's project is similar, but with a little twist! We are going to make a silhouette collage!

You will need:
a subject (or a person to trace your shadow if you are making your own silhouette)
a flashlight or a small lamp without the shade
two pieces of construction paper
pen
glue
scissors
ribbon (optional)
a piece or masking tape
magazines
mod podge
paint brush

Here's how you do it:
1. Use the masking tape to tape a piece pf construction paper on the wall. Make sure the paper is about the same height as the person's head that you will be tracing.

2. Have the person stand (or sit) next to a wall facing the side. The further away from the wall the person is, the larger their shadow becomes. So move the person around a little until you get the right size shadow. Depending on the light in your room, you may need the lamp or flash light. If you need it, the lamp is easier to use because you can set it down somewhere while you trace. But a flashlight can be used too. Just adjust the position of your light source a little so that it casts the shadow in a way you can trace it.

3. Use the pen to trace the shadow of the person's profile on the paper.

4. Remove the paper from the wall and cut out your traced shape. After you have cut out your shape, set the silhouette aside.

5. Now you can look through the magazines and cut out images that either represent the person or the theme you are using. I used my son's profile, so I cut out things that he likes. But you can choose to do a theme or color combination if you prefer.

6. Use the glue to glue all of you images onto your cut out silhouette. Make sure to cover the entire surface, even if it hangs over your silhouette. When you have covered your silhouette completely, turn it around so that you can see the cut out silhouette. Use the scissors to cut off anything that is hanging past the silhouette. Set this aside.

7. For your second piece of construction paper, you can decorate it or leave it blank. It is up to you. My son's favorite colors are black and red, so I chose to use a black piece of paper. Then I glued pieces of red ribbon across the paper to make a pattern. You can try polka dots, animal prints, or anything else you think might look good.

8. Now you can glue your covered silhouette onto the second piece of construction paper.

9. When everything is dry, use your paint brush to apply a thin layer of mod podge to the whole paper. This step is optional. I just prefer to use the mod podge because it keeps all the corners down and smooths everything out a little.

10. Once everything is dry, you can hang your picture directly on the wall or put it in a nice frame. Either way, your silhouette collage will add a touch of personalized art to your room!