Custom Silhouette Hand Cut

$35.00

PLEASE NOTE: This is the first step in any order so unless Patti did a silhouette for you previously, you will need to purchase a standard silhouette before ordering any other items upon which to feature it.

Please use this listing to purchase a standard silhouette, and click the button on this page to upload profile photos for reference in the creation of your silhouette. (Or email them to Patti@HeartPaperScissors.com and please put your name in the subject bar so she knows you are connected to this purchase.)

In the Houston, TX area? Contact Patti to have your silhouette done in person! The sitting itself only takes about 2 minutes or less. (She is used to wiggly children – no worries!)

For a general FAQ about silhouettes, please see this page.

Once a silhouette is completed and approved, you are able to order any of the other items offered on Heart Paper Scissors.

When you order a Standard Silhouette, you receive two: a left and a right facing silhouette, hand cut by the artist.

SHIPPING: Silhouettes ship separately from other items for $6.95 via Priority Mail (added at checkout).

email process

PLEASE NOTE: This is the first step in any order so unless Patti did a silhouette for you previously, you will need to purchase a standard silhouette before ordering any other items upon which to feature it. 

Have you had your own custom silhouette hand cut before? Did you know that this is a rare, dying art form, originally passed down from generation to generation? Patti is one of only about a dozen or so artists in the United States who still hand cuts silhouettes based on this original, centuries old technique. And since she learned portraiture from her mother who learned from her mother before her, she is able to ensure that each silhouette will in fact, have an accurate likeness of that particular person – not just a cute generic profile.

Please use this listing to purchase a standard silhouette, and then follow the directions on this page to send Patti photos to use in the creation of your silhouette.

In the Houston, TX area? Contact Patti to have your silhouette done in person!

For a general FAQ about silhouettes, please see this page.

Once a silhouette is completed and approved, you are able to order any of the other items offered on Heart Paper Scissors.

When you order a Standard Silhouette, you receive two: a left and a right facing silhouette, hand cut by the artist.

SHIPPING: Silhouettes ship separately from other items for $6.95 via Priority Mail (added at checkout).

Weight 2 oz
Dimensions 7 × 5 × .125 in

Photo Tips

Profile Head / Shoulder examples

Profile Head to Toe examples

Hair bow examples

F.A.Q

Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you for your interest!

Here are the questions I get asked the most and think you might find helpful:

1) How much are the silhouettes?
They are $35 per child, and you receive 2: a left and a right facing profile. They are mounted onto a 5″x7″ acid free art board. If you’d like more than 2, let me know before I start cutting. They are $16 per extra.

2) Why two?
It is customary for a silhouette artist to fold the paper before cutting so that you’ll receive one in each direction. That way, if you have an older silhouette already on the wall of an ancestor or a sibling, you don’t have to remember which direction they’re facing. You’ll have one of each to choose from. And you have one to keep, one to give.

3) Does my child have to remain perfectly still the whole time?
No. I show them a stool they can sit on (or on your lap) so I can see the shape of their face in profile. They’ll wiggle and blink and turn their head now and then. I just need glimpses of the right pose. And if they absolutely can’t stay in one spot, it’s okay. I have a plan B for that. Leave it to me – this is truly a stress-free portrait.

4) Do they have to face the right – can they face the left if it is their “good side?”
They face my right because I am right-handed. A “good-side” doesn’t matter in a silhouette because I’m not concerned with details in the side of their face. I’m looking at the outermost edge of the shape of the head.

5) Does their hair have to be perfect?
Not really. If a curl in the back of their hair goes flat, just let me know how it usually looks. I can enhance the part that flips or smooth down a section that won’t behave.

6) Do they need to wear a special type of collar or shirt/dress?
No. You can dress your child in a special collar if you like, or you may bring the article to show me or even just describe and I’ll add it to the profile to look as though they are wearing it.

7) Is there a certain age they need to be?
No. I do silhouettes of children as young as only a few days. It is one step up from an ultrasound. If you are looking for a common age, we can begin as soon as a baby is able to hold their head up. We can repeat as often as you like and do more as they grow – their profile changes so fast. Also, there is no age too old for a silhouette. Silhouettes show a characteristic that a camera misses. Adults love it when they see that this portrait doesn’t show wrinkles or blemishes!

8) Can you do silhouettes by photograph?
Yes. If you are located nearby, I prefer in person. But I do these through email all the time. (Or regular mail.) Click on title on top of this page, “Send in Photos” for tips and instructions.

9) Will the silhouettes bend if you mail them to me?
No. I package them with a hardboard backing so they’ll remain stiff, flat and unharmed.

10) Will you write their name below the silhouette?
I studied calligraphy years ago so, if you specify, yes. (No extra charge.) Historically, not many silhouettes have a name included. Most people choose the name added so generations from now, descendants will know whose silhouette is on the wall. If we do this by email, you’ll need to mention it if you do want the name added. Would you like first/middle/last name or only first… In email orders, please write out the name exactly as you would like it to appear when written.

11) Should girls wear a ponytail?
If your child normally wears a ponytail once in a while, I think they’re great for longer hair. If they never do, then let’s not. But if they have long straight hair, we might consider including a hair band or small bow or a clip with the top portion pulled back toward the crown – something to add a bit of interest. If they have a short bob haircut, a bow will help dress it up. If you do a ponytail, play with the placement. Up high near the crown can be more playful and cute. In the middle off the back is standard and fun. A low ponytail can look more sophisticated and demure. Braiding the hair is a good idea too – but really, one braid works better for a silhouette rather than two.

12) What makes you so excited about silhouettes?
Silhouettes never get thrown out. An outdated photo fades and shows outfits no longer in style and crazy hair do’s. People pass down their silhouettes. They hang on the walls for generations. Someday, your silhouette (or your child’s) will be pointed out as someone’s Great Great Grandfather or Grandmother! Also, just as an experienced artist knows the fewest strokes, if placed in just the right place with just the right tone, are better then layers and layers of trial and error painting… a silhouette pushes this concept in that it eliminates hair color, eye color, skin tone, even attire and leaves only the basic essence of a person to be recognized by the viewer. And, it takes one minute… how many things in art can you watch created in front of you while you watch from start to finish and when complete, shows such a strong likeness!?

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