How to Make Simple Halloween Window Silhouettes

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silhouettes-in-window edit

It’s October! You know what that means: Hoodie weather, pumpkin-flavored everything and, most importantly, Halloween. If you want your home to stand out this holiday, but don’t want to spend a fortune on decorations, DIY window silhouettes are the perfect solution – and they’re super easy! Here’s how to make them.

Supplies:

  • Cardboard
  • Tape measure
  • Scissors
  • Precision knife
  • Glue
  • Tape

A pencil, Sharpie and sketch book are optional if you want to create your own designs.

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Step 1: Measure Your Window

Before you start on your silhouettes, measure the width and the height of your window. If your window is separated into panes by grids, measure the size of each pane and the overall size of the window. This will help you figure out what size to make your silhouette.

Step 2: Draw or Print a Design

bat-and-ghost-cutout

Now that you’ve got your measurements, you can get started on a design. Find one you like online and print it out, or you can draw your own! Bats, spiders and ghosts are common silhouettes, but you can really get creative with your design. Decide what size you want your silhouette to be, based on the measurements of your window.

If you are printing a larger image, it will be broken up onto multiple sheets of paper. Once they’re printed, simply tape them together.

Step 3: Cut Out Your Design and Attach to Cardboard

Once you have your design on paper, cut it out and glue or tape it onto the cardboard. The image needs to be flat against the cardboard without any ripples, because that can affect the finished product.

Step 4: Cut Around the Cardboard

cardboard-bat

Now it’s time to cut your design out of the cardboard. Lightly trace the image with your knife, but don’t cut all the way through just yet.  Precision knives work really well for this because they’re sharper and allow you to be more precise than scissors.

Once you’ve made one pass around the design, flip the cardboard over. You should see an indentation where the knife traced the design on the opposite side. Finish cutting through the cardboard. Make sure to cut all negative space (space between limbs, eyes or open mouths). If you don’t, you’ll end up with a silhouette that looks like a blob.

Step 5: Spray Paint the Cardboard Cutout

spray-paint

Your window silhouette needs to be black to have the desired effect. That’s where spay paint comes in. Make sure to cover both sides and the edges with paint. Add a second coat if you still see the cardboard through the paint after it dries.

Step 6: Tape the Silhouette to Your Window

Once your silhouette is dry and ready to go, you can grab some tape and put it up in your window. The silhouette will show up best when your blinds/curtains are closed and there is a light on inside the house. If you don’t have curtains or blinds on your window, you can place a small spotlight behind the silhouette inside your house, and turn off the main lights.

Have Windows With Grids?

You can still make a silhouette, you just have to add one step. Once you have your design cut out of the cardboard, hold the image up to the window and see where the grids cover your design. Draw the grids on the back of the cardboard. This is where you’ll need to cut the silhouette to break it up. Once you have the image cut, tape it onto the window piece by piece. It’s like a large jigsaw puzzle!

The sky is the limit with these silhouettes. Get creative! What do you think you’ll make? Tell us in the comments.

Note: This is a guest post; the views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Redfin.

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Dave Cook

Dave Cook is the Feldco Windows, Siding and Doors spokesperson. He has also served many roles in the organization. From Project Manager to Sales Manager, Dave can do it all.

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