Cardboard cutouts are a fun way to decorate your home or office space. They come in various shapes & sizes, from simple geometric designs to elaborate characters. You can use them to make a fun gift for someone you love. The possibilities are endless.
So, are you ready to learn how to make personalized cardboard cutouts by yourself? In this article, you will learn how to make a cardboard cutout of any person, real or fictional.
1. Gather Materials
The first step to making a cardboard cutout is gathering the needed materials. You’ll need:
- Cardboard and paper
- A printer
- Tools such as a ruler, scissors, and a pencil.
Most cutouts are designed on a computer, so cardboard and paper are enough. You can buy a printer if you don’t have one, or you can use a photocopier or even a camera to make your cutouts.
2. Find An Image You Like
Choosing the perfect picture is an art form. There are many ways to go about finding the perfect photo. One way is through Google Images or other image searching websites. Another way is to take a photo yourself. In either case, you need to look at images until you find the one you like.
Tools are available to help you find the perfect image. Some include Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Flickr, and Adobe Lightroom. All these apps offer filters that can help you find an image you like.
3. Editing The Image
The next step is to edit the image to make it your own. It could mean adjusting the contrast or changing the color. You can also use apps to make additional changes. Some apps to try out include Instagram, Pixlr, and Peek.
We have created a basic step-by-step editing guide for anyone wanting to make a custom lifesize cutout, which you can find below:
- Make the necessary levels, brightness, and contrast adjustments using your preferred photo editing program (Photoshop is mine).
- Once you’ve decided on an image, crop the subject’s foreground to remove everything except the white background.
- Create a path around the object using the Magic Wand tool. Please make a new layer and fill it with white paint.
- Scale to fit your needs. Select All should be used first, followed by Cut.
- On a big color plotter printer, print the original image.
4. Cut Out The Shape
You need to cut out the shape of the object now. It can be tricky at first, but the more you do, the better you’ll get. Try enlarging your image to the size of your plotter, and try to cut out where your object is.
If you’re still having trouble, try cutting out a shape similar to what you want. It helps to have a friend or parent help you cut out the shape. You can also use a template to help you get the position of the cutout right.
5. Glue Down The Pieces
The next step is to Glue Down The Pieces. To glue down the pieces, you must first attach them to a piece of paper.
- Glue each piece back on, ensuring that the cutout is facing outwards.
- Glue the corner pieces of the cutout onto the cardboard.
- Use tape to hold the pieces in place while they dry.
- Use scissors to trim the edges of the cutout.
- Now, we wait for the glue to dry.
6. Finish Off The Look
The next step is to finish off the Look. To finish off the Look, we need to remove the tape. To remove the tape, place a sharp knife at the cutout and carefully cut through the tape. The tape can be tricky to remove. You can also use a pair of scissors to cut through the tape as well. Once the tape is removed, your cutout is ready to be used.
Tadaaa! You’ve finished your cutout 🙂 Congratulations!
Conclusion
Ultimately, we would like to emphasize that this step-by-step guide is not meant to be a tutorial. It is simply to provide you with some guidelines to get you started. Creating your cutout is not a chore. It is a fun activity you can do with your friends and family. So, enjoy it and have fun! If you mess up, you can always start over.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your scissors and start cutting!
