So this weekend I finally finished up a project that I've been working on for several weeks now a bit at a time. Since the new dining room renovation (knocking out walls, ripping out floors, scraping popcorn ceilings) I have a whole, long wall that is blank. Just sitting there. Staring at me. Wishing I do something about its sad nakedness. I want something that will make a statement but will not annoy me in less than a month. I want people to think whatever is up there is cool, not dumb. And mostly I want to have yet more photos of my kids up because I gave birth to them and it's my house and I'll slap their cute little faces on every single surface of the place if I want. I earned that right. I've got the 3-time C-section scar with fat hanging over it to prove it. Too much? Sorry. Try to get that visual out of your mind before supper tonight.
Anyways - I decided on silhouettes. They are cool. They are old. They are mod. And they are of my babies. So here is a little tutorial of the steps I went through to create my cheapo masterpieces. (Disclaimer- I did not come up with this idea entirely on my own. I saw it on a random website and tweaked it to my likin'. But if you want to give me full creative genius credit, I'll let ya')

Take a pic of the kids facing sideways against a plain background. Try to get the best angle possible for the most facial detail. Trick destruct-o-girl into sitting still for a whole 3 seconds by getting her brother to play peek-a-boo and wave cookies in the air.

Print photo out to the size of your choice. I did these at Walmart 1 hour in a 11x14. Just make sure if you are doing more than one, that all the pictures are zoomed or cropped about the same so their actual head sizes will be close to the same. (experience talking)

With a really sharp little pair of scissors (I totally had to just look up how to spell that word. How sad) cut around the face and head getting as much detail as possible.

Turn the photo over and paint a thick coat of basic black acrylic paint

While the paint is drying, run to all the junk stores in town and buy a bunch of cute, junky frames for $8 or less apiece. Then spray paint them to your desired color of awesomeness.

Cover the cardboard backing, piece of mirror, or whatever came in the frame with the paper or fabric of your choice. I used wrapping paper. With a subtle striped pattern. If you buy an old frame and it has nothing in it to wrap paper around, cut a piece of foam board to size.

Attach that adorable little head

Love, love, lurve me some mod podge - glossy!!

Apply a healthy, swirly layer of the goo over the whole thing and allow to dry for several hours (up to a day).

Pop them in the frames, love how cute they turned out, and then lean them against the wall for two weeks until you decide exactly where and how you want them to go.
So I think my little weirdo's silhouettes turned out adorable, but in real life those guys are even cuter. Check out this little rare gem of everyone looking kind-of at me at our church easter egg hunt yesterday.

I could totally smooch their little faces off.
Hope this makes ya'll think I'm awesome.
Cassie