Spooky Silhouettes for Halloween

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Scary Shadows and Dark Figures

Don't dare to leave your windows bare on Halloween night! A spooky silhouette might be just the thing you need to draw in a mystical appearance through your empty panes on both sides.

You can create full scenes using silhouettes and cutouts, like a haunted house and spooky tree setting, or use just a single shape (such as a cat silhouette sitting on the window sill) to add to the rest of your creative Halloween decor...

The Art of Silhouette Crafting

Simple Silhouette Forms

Traditionally (and now continuing into the 21st century), silhouettes are cut from thin black card to depict a featureless portrait, object, or scene using a dark representation on a lighter background. Silhouettes were a cheaper format to record one's image rather than the use of photography, and simply obtained by tracing one's shadow as a side profile view onto paper from candlelight.

Silhouettes of scenes are known as paper-cuts and many illustrations and popular artworks have been derived using mainly silhouette forms. One of the most popular Halloween paper-cut scenes is of a haunted house with spooky trees, bats flying overhead, and a full moon.

Creature Silhouettes

Dark Creepy Creature Shadows

Use these creature templates to stencil your own crafty Halloween decorations. Cut them out as silhouettes from black paper or trace the design to use as pumpkin carvings.

You can layer as many smaller silhouette forms as you like together to create a full scene.
Creepy Creature Templates
A great bat silhouette, plus bones, skulls, spiders, and a few more crawllies.
Owl Template
Perched owl coloring page that is also the perfect size for a large owl silhouette.
Bats and Ghosts
even the kids can help you with these ghost and bat pattern printables.
Halloween Stencil: Raven
A raven is an important omen, according to Native American Indian wisdom. When you see a raven, expect magic, shape-shifting and creation!

Black Cat Silhouette

Stencil on a pumpkin, or use as a template for your window...

Silhouette Mice

Martha Stewart Crafts Mice Silhouettes

Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 06/04/2012)Buy Now

Halloween is probably the only time you'll want to show off your mice that run up and down the stairs at night.

You may need a big black cat silhouette to keep them at bay...

Creepy Crows

Martha Stewart Crafts Crow Silhouettes

Amazon Price: $9.10 (as of 06/03/2012)Buy Now

These creepy crow silhouettes peel off easily and are also reusable.

Halloween Objects and Scenes

Spooky Scenes and Symbolism

Halloween Stencil: Haunted House
Simple haunted house stencil for Halloween.
Ghost, Witch, Cobweb
Easy to cut Halloween silhouettes.
Pumpkin Silhouette
Medium sized orange pumpkin silhouette.

Witches' Cauldron

Add-on Silhouette for a Halloween Witch Scene

Sparkly Spiders

Martha Stewart Crafts Halloween Spider Silhouette with Gem Eye

Amazon Price: $9.00 (as of 06/04/2012)Buy Now

For both walls and windows, there are 12 spiders included that all have an extra added sparkle from their jeweled eyes.

Spooky Silhouettes

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Art of Silhouettes

Silhouette: The Art of the Shadow

Amazon Price: $38.73 (as of 06/04/2012)Buy Now

Silhouettes in the 18th century were known in England simply as just "shadows" or "shades", and in the early 19th century, they were known as "profiles'. Learn how silhouettes can be an art all in themselves...

Cast Your Own Shadow....

What are your favorite silhouettes and what projects do you use them on, if not just displaying in windows? Have you ever carved a pumpkin silhouette or made a wall full of silhouette shadows?

  • moonlitta Oct 28, 2011 @ 1:25 am | delete
    Adorable ideas! Blessed by a Squidangel!
  • shels1979 Oct 13, 2011 @ 4:17 am | delete
    What a fantastic lens. I love the silhouettes! Definitely sets the scene for a halloween party!
  • mistfang Sep 19, 2011 @ 6:38 pm | delete
    I love Silhouettes! I can't wait to try some of these!
  • hlkljgk Sep 15, 2011 @ 7:17 pm | delete
    these are just what i was looking for to decorate our front window!
  • LaurenIM Sep 14, 2011 @ 6:15 am | delete
    The silhouette mice looks like real mice running across the stairs
  • WindyWinters Sep 3, 2011 @ 3:35 am | delete
    Spook-tac-ular!
  • Geeve Aug 13, 2011 @ 3:49 pm | delete
    Original idea for a lens, nicely done. Blessed by a passing Angel :)
  • CreativeArtist Aug 10, 2011 @ 6:19 pm | delete
    Cool ideas! Another fun way to decorate for Halloween.
  • KCavender Jul 22, 2011 @ 6:28 pm | delete
    Love halloween, and theSilhouette are awesome!
  • lakeerieartists Oct 19, 2010 @ 10:05 pm | delete
    What a fun idea. I would never have thought of this on my own.
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Dark and Elegant Halloween Blog

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WebSpinstress

I aim to "poison others with inspiration and creativity" as a writer, artist, designer, wife, and a Mommy. :-)

I enjoy sharing my unique ideas on Gothic...
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Feeling creative? Create a Lens!

Bat Silhouettes 

Martha Stewart Crafts Halloween Bat Silhouettes with Gem Eyes

Amazon Price: (as of 06/04/2012)Buy Now

These bats have sparkly gem eyes. They are easy to hang and remove, and great for ceilings, walls, mirrors, and doors.

Vampire Window Cling 

Martha Stewart Crafts Halloween Vampire Window Cling

Amazon Price: $2.06 (as of 06/04/2012)Buy Now

Vampire silhouette with a beautiful Gothic arch in the background. Just add bats!