Shockingly Easy Silhouette Art Using a Cricut

For at least three years I have wanted silhouette art of my children. Silhouettes and cameos are a charming way to capture the sweet innocence of young children, though “sweet” and “innocent” are not the words I would always use to describe my precious babies (they’re literally wrestling and yelling at each other next to me on the couch as I type this). I will guess, as they get older and I see these silhouettes hanging in the hallway, sweet and innocent is exactly how I will remember them at a young age.

For Christmas, my husband, Matt, gifted me a Cricut Maker and I was so surprised because I knew absolutely nothing about them! I will confess that I initially thought I would never find a use for the machine but Matt encouraged me to watch a few videos and see all the possibilities. As it turns out, there are an incredible amount of things that can be made with a Cricut and they have evolved past the scrapbooking machines I associated them with in my memory. After I drove myself crazy with Cricut Google searches, it occurred to me that I could make my own silhouette art using the Cricut but I was pretty sure it was going to be frustrating.

It wasn’t frustrating. Like, not even a little bit. This is entirely due to the Cricut app. Okay, maybe one tiny thing was slightly frustrating and that was attempting to take a profile picture of my three year old (an actual picture of the side of his face- no social media for toddlers) but fortunately he was able to be bribed with a Reese’s cup. Anyway, the app eliminated all of the work I thought I’d have to do editing the profile pictures of my kids and I might have screamed a little (with delight) when the app instantly transformed their photos into silhouettes. I didn’t even have to ask which I can’t always say about my kids.

For this project you will need:

• Cricut Maker or similiar
• Cricut Design Space app
• Cricut light grip mat
• Cricut fine point blade
• Weeding tool
• 65 or 85 lb. cardstock in two colors (I used black and white)
• Paper cutter
• Ruler
• Acid free glue or double sided tape
• Picture frame

1. Take your photos. I actually took a photo of my 8 year old back when he was 5 to send to a company that makes wood cut silhouettes but I never got around to it. I took his picture with him facing left, chin parallel to the ground, against a plain white background with no shadows. For my 3 year old, I took his picture against our front door, which happens to be white, in the same manner I took my oldest’s photo (with the exception that he was gripping Matt’s hands and periodically jumping up and down because he’s 3). I used my iPhone to take both pictures.

2. Remove the background from your photos. You can do this easily by uploading your photos on the website www.remove.bg and then choose download > view > save image. Do not open the picture in photos after you remove the background, or at least don’t edit it in your photos app. For whatever reason, when I have done this, the background is gone but it is no longer transparent (meaning there’s a white block around the image instead of the image by itself). Instead, open the image in the Cricut app and complete your editing steps there.

3. Open your image in the Cricut app. Select new project > upload > photo library then select your image. And JUST LIKE THAT your subject is a silhouette!! When the image opens, you can “clean it up”. You might not need to (I didn’t for my older son) but you might have to erase some wispy hairs to avoid strange cuts (I did for my younger son). I also cropped the image and then used the eraser tool to remove the neckline of their shirts and everything below to create the “bust” look. Next, the app brings you to “refine” which I discovered distorts the image if you do too much with it. Again, I needed just one click for my younger son and nothing for my older son. Then you can name your image and choose “cut” or “print then cut”. I don’t know how to do the latter, but for this project you want to choose “cut” anyway. If you have other photos in your Cricut app library, look for the file you just saved and open it. Keep the image locked and adjust the image to the size you want for your frame. My silhouettes were about 4.5″W x 5.5″H for an 8×10 frame. Once you’re happy with the size, choose “Make It” and the Cricut will tell you what to do!

4. Use the Cricut app to create an oval or a circle. I chose a 7×9 oval but I considered a circle and a square frame. I made test cuts on computer paper of each silhouette for sizing and tried them out with the different shape and frame options. In the end I preferred the oval with a rectangular frame. In the app, create a new project and choose shapes > circle. If you’re making an oval, unlock the circle and stretch it to your desired dimensions. Once again, hit “Make It” and follow the instructions on the app.

5. Mount your silhouette and oval/circle. Cut your backing color to fit the entirety of your frame. I used black 12×12 card stock and trimmed it with my paper cutter to fit my 8×10 frame. The frames I purchased are from Target and are actually floating frames. I took the backing plastic film and drew a line with pencil to make sure the paper covered the entire background. I was desperate for some adhesive and found shriveled craft glue sticks in the back of a drawer. I cut the shrunken ends off with a butter knife and voilà! Working glue stick. I had normal glue sticks but these were acid free and I really wanted them to work. Which they did 🙂 You, of course, could be a better planner than I and can used whatever adhesive you prefer. Next, I covered the back of the oval with the glue and, before securing it, I used a ruler to make sure it was centered on all sides. I repeated the same steps with the silhouette cut-out.

That’s it (other than placing the finished project in the frame and hanging it)!

This is one of the easiest, hassle free projects I have ever done. I will admit, now I’m a little addicted to the Cricut. I’m planning on making coasters and house numbers for the lake house using their Infusible Ink products sometime soon and if I ever get around to cleaning out the pantry again I will likely label everything, haha. Let me know what you’re making with your Cricut and if you try out the silhouette art!

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