Plywood Halloween yard silhouettes

How to make it

1. 

   1

   Trace the shapes

   Project your outline onto the plywood at night, or tape printed pages together. Trace with a marker.

2. 

   2

   Drill relief holes

   Drill a 3/8 in hole at each tight inside corner. The jigsaw blade can turn there without binding.

3. 

   3

   Cut them out

   Clamp the plywood across sawhorses. Cut slowly, letting the blade do the work, and move clamps as you go.

4. 

   4

   Sand the edges

   Sand all cut edges smooth with 120 grit.

5. 

   5

   Prime everything

   Prime both faces and every edge. Plywood edges soak up rain and peel apart otherwise.

6. 

   6

   Paint black

   Roll on 2 coats of flat black. Flat paint looks like a true shadow at night.

7. 

   7

   Add stakes

   Screw 2 stakes to the back of each figure, sticking 10 in below the bottom. Push them into the lawn.