Silhouettes

Hadley and Blake, 2010

Last January, I made silhouettes of the kids after reading a tutorial online.  I framed them and they have lived on the mantle ever since.  I look at them multiple times a day and they always make me smile.  I decided to do new ones every January, as a nice, simple visual of how the kids are growing and changing.  I think there is something so classic and beautiful about them. 

Hadley and Blake 2011

2011 compared to 2010

Here's what I did:

1.  Take a profile picture of your child.  This is much easier said than done, as I learned that it is really, truly impossible for a 2 year old to sit still for more than 2 seconds.  I already knew that this was the case for a one year old, so no surprises there.  Here are a couple of pictures that from the photoshoot, while cute, had to be rejected:

2. Resize image to your preferred size; I used the paint program.  Alternatively, print your photo out.  

3.  Turn of the lights, tape a thin piece of printer paper to the computer screen, and trace around the child's profile.  

4. Staple the profile tracing to a piece of heavy black paper.  I used cardstock.  

5.  Cut out the profile, glue to white paper and frame.  

6. Cry when you realize how old your kids are getting.