Instructions for Making Silhouette Decor Pieces for Your Home

Who doesn’t love mirrors? They add sparkle and glamour to any room and make great gifts. Mirror tiles are an easy way to make mirrored crafts and decor pieces. The tiles are used for all types of decor arrangements. They’re found at most hardware and home improvement departments in a 12″x12″ size – usually in a box of 12. The mirrors are available in a plain version as well as types that have gold or silver marbled patterns. For this project any of the mirrors – as long as they’re not the smokey kind, will work.

Decor items are so expensive, even the simplest piece can cost a lot, but silhouette mirrors are very inexpensive. With a pack of 12 costing about 20 bucks, each mirror costs under $1.50. The mirrored silhouettes are slightly time consuming to make, but you can’t beat the cost! And, since you get a pack of twelve you can make this beautiful project for someone else (they’ll think you spent a fortune on them).

Start by purchasing a roll of adhesive shelf paper. Stick a piece to one mirror and smooth out any wrinkles. Now use a stencil, cut-out or another pattern to draw the silhouette onto the adhesive paper. Now use an Exacto knife to make a perfect cut of the silhouette outline. Peel away the image but leave the remainder of the contact paper in place.

Use spray paint to paint the silhouette. Allow to dry well. Now remove the remaining contact paper. You’ll have a mirror with a silhouette image that’s fabulous. You can get the opposite effect by putting the contact paper on the mirror, cutting out around the image, then leaving that paper in tact while you remove the background contact paper. Now spray paint and the silhouette becomes the mirror while the background is painted.

You don’t necessarily have to make the mirrors silhouettes. Use a stencil to create flowers, a train set, a wolf, a baby crib, birds, a covered bridge, a lighthouse – or whatever kind of image you want. The great thing about this project is that it can be made to fit into anyone’s decor. Make a set of 2, 3, 4 or more and you have a great gift that looks expensive.

Be sure the paint you use will adhere to glass by reading the label. New paints of gold, silver and bronze really look great. One can of paint will do many of the silhouette mirrors. Invest in a pack of the mirrors, a can or two of paint, and a roll of contact paper, and you’ll be able to make twelve really nice gifts or decor pieces for yourself, family and friends. At a cost of about $2 a piece, you can’t go wrong!

Make smaller versions of the mirror silhouettes by purchasing even smaller mirrors at a craft store. They’re available in diamond shapes, ovals and other interesting shapes, come in a variety of sizes, and make a cute mini version of the original.