This homemade silhouette Christmas ornament is super easy to create and makes such a special keepsake. This simple ornament is definitely worth making with your child, and older children can even make their own! (These homemade Christmas tree ornaments make wonderful homemade gifts!)
Follow our DIY Christmas Ornaments Pinterest board!
This post was originally posted on November 20, 2015 and has since been updated.
I absolutely adore having keepsakes that are pictures of my children, especially around the holidays. Hanging up ornaments with pictures of my kids (like these puzzle piece frame Christmas ornaments) always bring back such special memories, and the kids always feel so proud when they see them on the tree.
This silhouette Christmas ornament is super easy to make and is one I know I’ll cherish every year. It would also make a special gift to give grandparents and other family members. This post contains affiliate links.
Silhouette Christmas Ornament Craft
Materials for Silhouette Christmas Ornament Craft
- Shrink film- We used this matte shrink film.
- Black Sharpie
- Scissors
- Single hole punch (This hole punch is a lifesaver for your hands!)
- Thin, red ribbon or yarn
- Photo of your child
Directions for Silhouette Christmas Ornament Craft
1. Find or take a picture of your child’s profile. I snapped a quick picture on my phone and printed it out on white paper using our printer.
2. Place a sheet of shrink film over the photo. (We used matte shrink film to really make the silhouette stand out on the white background.) Trace the outline of your child’s face with a Sharpie and color it in. Write your child’s name and the year near the drawing. (I used a half sheet of shrink film for each child.)
3. Cut out your profile drawing from the shrink film. Punch a hole in the top of the film.
4. Place your shrink film drawing onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake according to the directions on your shrink film’s package. (We baked ours for about 3 minutes at 335 degrees.)
5. Once it shrinks completely, press it down flat with a spatula before it completely hardens.
6. Let it cool.
7. Tie some red ribbon through the hole for hanging. That’s it!
Want to make some more ornament keepsakes with your leftover shrink film? Try these kid-made ornaments!
Looking for some more fun Christmas activities?
Check out our STEAM Kids Christmas Ebook for all kinds of science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities for kids all centered around Christmas!
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Kid-Made Ornaments Using Shrink Film
Erin says
November 29, 2016 at 6:07 pmLove this idea for my 2nd grade students! What was the original size you did before they shrunk to make an ornament?
Chelsey says
November 30, 2016 at 7:26 amThanks, Erin! Each sheet of shrink film was 8.5 x 11 inches, and I used a half sheet of shrink film for each ornament.
Debbie says
November 7, 2017 at 5:53 amOops, just saw this. You can ignore my question. Thank you.
Debbie says
November 7, 2017 at 5:51 amCan I get 2 kid’s ornaments made from one sheet of shrink film? Thinking of trying this for school, but it’s cost prohibitive if it’s one sheet per student.
Michelle says
November 29, 2017 at 4:12 pmWhere can I buy the shrink film?
Chelsey says
November 29, 2017 at 6:48 pmHi Michelle- In the materials list in the post there is a clickable link that will take you to the shrink film we used for the project! ~ Chelsey
Jennifer says
December 12, 2017 at 6:51 pmHello, I bought clear matte and it did not turn white. where did you find white matte? I clicked the link but only see white, not white matte. Just want to make sure I get the right thing.
Chelsey says
December 12, 2017 at 8:02 pmHi Jennifer- So after reading your comment, I am trying to do some research. I checked my package that I bought that’s currently sitting in my hands, and it’s called “matte”. (And my order from back when I made them also was called “matte” and matched the link in the post.) But the picture on my “matte” package is now the picture shown on the “white” Grafix film on Amazon. I wonder if they’ve made some change? My sheets before baking are not clear at all- but whitish. I’m so sorry this has happened. I’m hoping some readers can chime in… In the meantime, I’m going to order both the “matte” and “white” and see which matches mine, although I know this probably won’t give you enough time. I am so sorry for an confusion. (I’ll also make a note in the post.)
Chelsey says
December 15, 2017 at 5:58 pmHi Jennier, I just ordered both the matte from the link and the white from the same company. The matte was definitely what we used! Keep me posted! 🙂
Stacy says
December 13, 2017 at 7:40 pmI ordered the matte that you linked to and it turned white like in your picture. 🙂 Any suggestions for keeping it from curling up on itself?
Chelsey says
December 15, 2017 at 5:51 pmThanks so much for letting me know, Stacy! I’ve been doing detective work, and the matte is still the correct one. Phew! Even confirmed with the company. 🙂 The curling can be frustrating. If just a few pieces are curling crazily, you can jump in quickly with a spatula and gently correct it while it’s in the oven. Or right when you pull it out, you can press them down with a spatula. If they ALL seem to be going crazy, you might want to try to altering your oven’s temperature a bit lower than the package suggests. Good luck! Let me know if you have any more questions or tips. And thanks so much for sharing about the correct ordering link. 🙂
Anonymous says
January 1, 2018 at 4:38 pmTo keep the shrink film from curling , you need to leave it in the oven a lot longer than it says. It says 3 minutes and I left it in for 11 minutes and it it perfect.
Mary says
December 9, 2019 at 2:40 pmYou can also bake it at a higher heat. I turned mine up to 400 degrees and it shrunk faster preventing the curling onto itself that it tries to do at a lower temperature. It also gets done faster. I did this with the clear so you may want to test this on a scrap piece first to make sure the higher them doesn’t discolor the white.
Chelsey says
December 9, 2019 at 9:30 pmThank you for this tip!!
Pat says
November 1, 2016 at 4:01 pmHi,
What color shrink film did you use, clear or white?
Thanks,
Pat
Chelsey says
November 1, 2016 at 5:45 pmHi Pat- It definitely looks better on white. The one I linked to in the post is called “matte”. It appears clear in the beginning and turns white when you shrink it.