this fun project from d*s reader lisa berry straddled the line between before & after and diy project so well that i couldn’t resist posting it as a project today. as a christmas gift for her mother, lisa decided to use these cedar slices to create a personalized silhouette series of her family. the steps are simple and are great for a rainy day like today. to create your own cedar slice silhouette, just click here for the full instructions.

what you’ll need
-cedar slice (you can saw them from local fallen trees, or pick one up/have one cut at a local lumber yard )
-sand paper
-photos of your family, friends or pets
-paint or card stock paper (depending on how you want to create your silhouette)
-scissors and a pencil
-puzzle glue
-computer and printer (optional)
-patterned/decorative paper (optional)

1. sand down your cedar slices so they’re smooth and splinter-free. if you want to alter the color of the slice you can apply a light stain to the surface. (allow to completely dry before continuing)

2. select (or take) a photo of your family members that you would like to use for the silhouettes. using a scanner and a computer, use a photo program like illustrator or photoshop to trace their profiles or full heads. print the profiles on card stock and use the scissors to cut each profile out.

*if you’d prefer to paint or cut by hand, simply use tracing paper to outline the family profiles from each photo (you can have photos blown up to make larger silhouettes if need be). then draw copy the outline onto the wood and fill in with paint, or trace onto card stock (or decorative patterned paper) and cut each silhouette.

3. after applying your chosen style of silhouette, you can cover the slice with a clear layer of translucent glue like puzzle glue. (lisa used puzzle glue and says it works perfectly).