Antiqued Silhouette Boards

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The walls of my living room are quite bare. Well, let’s be honest for a second: all the walls in my home are quite bare! I’m of the slow and steady mindset when it comes to decorating. I’ve had silhouettes on my mind for a while, and then it finally came to me how I wanted to do them. I decided to go for it and take pictures of every step along the way, even though I was guessing each step as I went. But, it paid off, because I LOVE how they turned out. They are better than the ones I created in my head – which never happens to me!  If you want to make some, follow these steps, which are EASY, because I am not a skilled crafter … so it must be easy!

Materials:
-camera and computer to download pics
-a wooden oval board from a craft store
-push pins
-painting sheet for underneath your painting
-spray paint primer
-sandpaper (optional)
-spray paint of your choice of color
-glaze
-paintbrush
-paper towels and a cup of water
-white piece of paper and pencil
-thin tip permanent marker
-scissors
-black piece of cardstock
-mod podge
-an old credit card or something with a softish-hard edge

Antiqued Silhouette Boards

Step 1) Take profile pictures of your subject(s).

Step 2) Get your board. I like this one I found at the craft store.

Step 3) Insert push pins into the back to keep the back from resting directly on the painting surface, which will let you paint the back edges better.

Step 4) Spray the primer all over the surface. Wait a bit, then do it a second time. I ended up sanding the edges a bit after this step. Maybe your painting is better than mine and will not need sanding, just do it if you want.

Step 5) Spray paint your color. Wait a bit, then paint a second time.

Step 6) Get your glazing supplies ready.

Step 7) Spread the glaze all over the front and sides of your board, then wipe off with a dry paper towel. Dip your paper towel in water and rub over any desired spots that are too concentrated with glaze. The glaze is super flexible while you work with it, so just work it until you like it.

Step 8 ) Let the glaze set. I ended up waiting 24 hours, just because I was busy the rest of the day.

Step 9) Prepare your silhouettes. Open up the picture on your computer and enlarge to the right size to fit your board.

Step 10) Tape white paper to your computer screen and trace the profile.

Step 11) Pull the paper off and fix any oddities that occurred while tracing. You can clean up the edge as much as you want.

Step 12) Trace with the dark black tip marker, to make clear and obvious cutting lines.

Step 13) Cut out the silhouette and place on your black piece of paper facing the other way. This way all the pencil marks will be on the back of the paper when you glue it to your board.

Step 14) Trace the silhouette.

Step 15) Cut it out and hold it up to your board to make sure you like the size and fit.

Step 16) Prepare to mod podge. You are nearing the finish line! I mixed my glossy and matte finish mod podge half ‘n half into that blue cup. I guess we’ll call it “semi-gloss”!

Step 17) Spread mod podge all over the back side of the silhouette.

Step 18) Turn the paper over and put in place. Use something to gently push all bubbles out from under the silhouette. Continue to brush mod podge over the entire front and side surfaces. Try to make sure your brush strokes are even and that the mod podge isn’t gooked up somewhere.

Step 19) Let your board dry! Here are my boards all at different drying stages.

Step 20) Your Antiqued Silhouette Board is finished! Hang and enjoy!! I like to use those 3M adhesives that are basically like a tough velcro in the middle with two sticky sides facing out. {3M did not sponsor this post in any way.}

Step 21) Enjoy your work!

I know 20 steps may seem like a ton, but each of them is so easy and do-able. If I can do it, you can do it! Good luck!

From my home to yours,
Mary