How to make cardboard face cut-outs for your photo booth

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We've long loved the idea of having guests who can't attend or pets cameo at your reception with cut-outs of their faces. It's pretty easy: a print-out, a craft stick, and some glue. But what if you want a BIG face instead? You might see them at concerts and of course, in photo booths!

Look, if this DIY seems too hard, there are places like Build A Head that can totally do this for you!  But big cardboard head cut-outs are easy enough to make if you've got the time and aren't already overburdened with DIY projects. Here's how to make cardboard face cut-outs…

What you need

• Printer
• Scissors or an X-ACTO knife
• Clear tape
• Spray adhesive
• Foam core boards
• Jumbo craft sticks
• Optional: clear packing tape

How to DIY cardboard face cut-outs

1. Find a high-resolution photo
   Could b of your missing-from-the-wedding friend, your wedding party members, your cat, David Tennant?!
   Quick tip: Google Image Search allows you to search by image size under “Tools.”
2. If you want head-sized heads, just print them out on regular-sized paper. Easy peasy.
   If you want a larger head than regular paper-sized, try a free online poster creating site like Block Posters. You just upload your high-res photo and the site will break up the image into regular paper sized pieces to print and assemble. Hurrah!
3. Here's where the process can get tedious if you chose the big head option. Be prepared to get careful as you cut out the pieces of the face with scissors or an X-ACTO knife.
4. Assemble your pieces and attach them with a little clear tape, just to hold them together.
5. Cut out a similarly shaped piece of foam core board and attach the assembled face with some spray adhesive.
6. Attach a wooden craft stick to the back, trim any wonky edges, and you're done!
7. Optional: feel free to reinforce it all with some clear packing tape, but it's not that necessary.

Does DIYing cardboard face cut-outs sound like too much of a pain in the ass?

Look, we get it. Every DIY project starts out seeming easy, and then sometimes you'd rather take a nap and ask someone on Etsy to help you out. If you want to bail on your DIY plans (or just get some extra inspo from the pros!) here are some of our favorite cardboard face cut-outs that you can buy.

About the Author: Catherine Clark

@enidjcoleslaw @bijouxandbits @bijouxandbits

Catherine Clark loiters at her local library, makes art, watches movies en masse, plays video and tabletop games, poorly cooks healthy things, cuddles with her feline fur babies, and blogs at BijouxandBits.com.