I saw these silhouettes in a magazine last Halloween and have been waiting all year to make our own. I wish we had the life size witch holding the lantern and broom stick but we did not have a 4×8 sheet of plywood and was not going to spend $50 to have one delivered. So we settled on the witch head and a body slowly disappearing. My daughter wanted the witch to change into a cat like Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter.

These take some time but they look amazing in the yard and we will use them for years to come. I love the way Martha Stewart designed the scaredy cats and the witch profile.

I tried to find a eco-friendly exterior grade paint but there really is not one. All have Ethylene Glycol which is the chemical in antifreeze and it prevents the paint from freezing. If you know of one, please share. I bought the water based Benjamin Moore Aura since it seems to be less toxic.

If you mix 1 cup of paint with 2 tablespoons of non-sanded grout, you have chalkboard paint. Remember to add the grout on top of the paint and mix so it does not clump. As you will see, I have grout clumps in the paint but it adds texture to these cats!

Directions

1) Print out the cat and witch templates on Martha Stewart. (Click on the red texted “cat” and “witch” for the template links) Tape the pages together and cut out the shape. Place the shape on plywood and draw the outline with pencil. Trace with a sharpie to have a darker line for cutting.

2) Cut out the shapes with a jigsaw. You will love all the fur sticking up after you are done cutting!

3) Sand both faces and all the sides with 100 grit sand paper.

4) Prime the plywood if you have time. Then paint black exterior grade paint on all the sides. Remember it will be outside and water always finds the unpainted areas. Let dry and paint another coat.

5) Buy one pack of 1/2″two hole straps, short wood screws, and 3 1/2″ diameter metal poles. I found the Rigid electrical straps and the 5 foot poles in the electrical section at Home Depot. The plumbing department cut two of the 5 foot poles in half for me. I left one pole 5 feet so the witch could stick up above the granite wall. Now, screw the hole straps on the back of the silhouettes and paint black if you wish.

6) Using a sledge hammer, hammer the metal poles in the ground. Slide the straps over the pole.

7) Add some landscaping lights to accent the silhouettes if you want your yard to look as spooky as it does in this Martha Stewart photo. Have fun decorating.