Super easy washi tape silhouette gift to make in mere minutes

Having kids usually means playing, crafting, and exploring. So when holidays and birthdays come around, it’s the perfect moment to put those creative energies at work to create great homemade keepsakes. It also helps because grandparents love them and they don’t break the bank! This year we’ve been working on washi tape silhouette gift ideas, including some of our kids that can be used in frames and even to make daily planners have a personal touch.

After assessing my personal inventory of craft supplies and realizing I don’t have almost anything after leaving it all behind in Oklahoma, I set out to my closest Walmart here in the Boston area.

By sending my 8×10 picture to the store to be printed in their hour photo lab, it was ready to pick up as I raided the craft and scrapbooking sections for thing like Scotch® Brand products that provided the versatility and fun that could make our silhouette projects simple and fun, plus added to the stock of great items to have for every-day projects with the kids.

Our inspiration turned into so much more as we even found the perfect planners with plastic covers right next to the washi tape. So we gathered it all up, headed home, and started crafting. In fact, it only cost us $25 to stock up on everything, including the knife. And we’ll be able to make hundreds of crafts from it all.

In just 15 minutes we had a beautiful washi tape gift and even more paper, Scotch® Expressions Tapes, and ideas to make more silhouettes to hang on our own wall and send to grandparents.

15 minute Child Silhouette Craft Tutorial using Washi Tape

We chose to make a washi tape gift because it was customizable and fun. Plus, with our tutorial, you can even make multiple washi tape silhouettes of the same photo without doing an extra amount of work, effort involved, or money spent.

Items needed for your washi tape gift craft

• Scotch® Expressions Tapes
• Scotch® Create Permanent Double Sided Tape
• Craft Cutting Mat & Xacto Knife
• 8×10 photo of your child’s profile
• Metallic Pen
• Black Card stock
• Picture frame, Calendar Planner, or other unique end-product

How to make a washi tape silhouette of a child without special lighting

At first, I dreaded this project.

How was I going to get my kids to look away from the camera to get a perfect profile view?

Instead, I searched through my photos and found a great one of my oldest and her Gympa. That’s when I realized there was an easier way and I could make multiple grandparent gifts with one simple idea and even make some things for myself too.

Start by adhering double stick tape to the back of your photo.

Center your photo and attach it to your black card stock. Make sure that you align it nicely because once you place the tape, it’s not the easiest to re-position.

Once it is nice and secure you can start cutting.

Place the photo on your cutting surface and carefully trace the outline of the people in the photo. Use the xacto knife to cut the intricacies of the silhouette.

Gently pop and peel the wasted space out of the picture.

After you have your base silhouette, you can use that as a stencil, especially if you’re going to make multiple gifts for all the grandparents and everyone in the family.

After tracing and cutting out a second version, I used one of the solid pieces and taped it down. I did the because once I added the top section, all the paper would be flush. Plus it was easier to make sure I had full coverage with the tape.

Then add the outline piece of card stock on top after using the permanent tape again to adhere it.

Then you’re all done. You can decorate with metallic pens to frame it or put it in a personalized, but practical planner for the grandparents to use.

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