Silhouette murals

Keeping it Simple

If you want to keep it really simple as far as painting goes, consider a  silhouette mural.
Silhouettes don’t need to be black, personally I think  it’s better if they aren’t, especially in a child’s bedroom.

Willow tree and bunny paint by number paper pattern mural available at The Magic Mural Factory & Wallstory Murals
Brown on blue or brown on a pink background look both look fantastic together.

Dolphin Silhouette available at Wallstory Murals
(paint by number mural pattern)

Silhouette boys from the  Magic Mural factory
(Paint by number mural pattern)

Safari Silhouette from the Magic Mural Factory
(Paint by number Mural pattern)

See more Silhouette murals themes at the Magic Mural Factory

You could even go for a subtler look, by painting your background a pale colour and paint your silhouettes a shade darker than the background.

Where to find a silhouette image

Loads of subjects could make a great silhouette, as long as the form is simple and clear.

Find an image in a chosen theme.
Trace the outline of the picture and voila you have a silhouette.
Enlarge your image with the aid of a photocopier, or trace it onto transparent film and enlarge the image onto the wall using an overhead projector or craft projector.
If you’re lucky enough to have a video projector (the kind you can attach to a laptop computer) then any image you find on the internet can be easily projected onto the wall and traced.

Paint in your shape in a colour of your choice.

Top Tip- Buy tester pots of acrylic paint to paint your silhouette mural. They come in loads of colours to choose from.

Alternatively you can buy a ready to trace pattern and transfer paper like these below from the Magic Mural Factory and Wallstory Murals

Here is a lovely example of how to create a mural created using a video projector from
Apartment Therapy

More silhouette mural ideas

This horse design from Unique Baby Ideas

Look at this cool cowboy mural

Tone on tone nursery – blue on blue for a calm and soothing effect from Nursery Murals and More

And of course there are always Wall Decals if you really don’t want to paint.

This beautiful example above  is from a French website called Harmonie intérieure

These cuties are from Dali Decals

Children’s Room Forest from Small Time Art

Etsy has LOADS of decals in all sorts of subjects including silhouettes. Just search on any subject you like.

My final DIY silhouette mural idea for you

Using your children as the models for a truly unique mural.

You will need
A bright light or projector
A darkened room
A Pencil.
Paint brushes and acrylic paint

How to do it

Aim your light at the wall.
Have your kids strike interesting poses in front of the light creating a good shadow on the wall.
Make sure they can keep still for a little while, before tracing around the shadow on the wall.
Paint in the silhouettes in any colour you wish.