There’s been an impostor on our wall for months: a placeholder silhouette of a little girl that stared back at us from Clara’s frame even before she was born. It was time for that fake head to be replaced with the real thing — or rather, a rendering of Clara’s real head. The end result was a custom silhouette that finally reflects the little person in our photos.
We take Clara’s weekly picture every Friday, and this week we decided to shoot a profile while we were at it. The goal was a clean side shot that could be turned into a silhouette later in editing. To get that, we removed her onesie (it was bunching around her neck) and positioned her in front of the sunroom curtain so the backlight would help create a clear edge. Making funny faces got her looking in roughly the right direction, and then Sherry snapped away from the side.
After about 15 attempts we landed on a shot that worked perfectly for a silhouette — imperfections and a little neck fold included. You don’t need fancy tools to turn a profile photo into a silhouette. If you prefer a low-tech method, here’s a simple process anyone can do in about ten minutes:
- Print your profile photo at the size you want for the silhouette. Even if the print is slightly blurry when enlarged, it won’t matter.
- Carefully cut out the head so you’re left with a clean profile and no background. (Yes, it feels odd to cut a photo of your baby, but it works.)
- Trace the cutout onto black construction paper with a pencil, then cut out the traced shape for a sturdy silhouette.
We chose the Photoshop route because we didn’t have black construction paper on hand and, frankly, it felt easier. I cropped the image, desaturated it to black and white, and adjusted Brightness & Contrast to emphasize the outline. Then I used the brush tool to fill lighter areas with black until we had a crisp silhouette on a white background. I added a few eyelashes and wisps of hair to give the cutout a professional look, and extended the shoulders slightly so the final printed silhouette would sit nicely in the frame. Since the added shoulder area only needed to be roughly accurate, a little hand-cutting would clean up the edges later.
Once the silhouette was ready and printed at the size we wanted (about 3.5″ x 5″ to fit a 5 x 7 frame), Sherry used a small pair of scissors to cut it out precisely — the same little scissors she uses for quick trims. Cutting with steady hands made it easy to refine the edges and create a smooth, finished shape.
Next came the head swap in the frame. Up until now we’d been using a colorful piece of craft paper as a temporary background. Seeing our placeholder next to the new silhouette made us realize how different we’d imagined Clara’s hair and profile to be. It’s a cute reminder that actual features sometimes surprise you, and that baby hair takes its own sweet time to arrive.
We trimmed the bottom of the shoulders on the printed silhouette for a more classic look, leaving enough black on the page so Sherry could shape that portion freehand while cutting. The final piece slipped into the frame easily, and Clara’s round little head finally has its proper place on the wall.
Of course we plan to update the silhouette as she grows — baby profiles change fast, and it’ll be fun to watch her features evolve, especially once that hair fully comes in. Have you tried any silhouette DIY projects? Cutting out a profile photo can feel strange the first time, but it’s a simple way to create a timeless keepsake and a sweet addition to a frame wall.
Psst — want to know where we got something in our house or which paint color we used? Just ask and we’ll share the details.
