Pets are part of our families, so why not feature a photo of your dog as a piece of art in your home with a DIY pet silhouette? It doesn’t have to be cheesy. This is a project that blends perfectly into classic, sophisticated decor. I’ve wanted to include Burkley in our home decor for a long time, but nothing ever felt like it truly fit our aesthetic—until now. If you’re like me, maybe you’ve been trying to find a way to honor your pet in a way that’s beautiful and not over-the-top, too.
This DIY pet silhouette portrait is not only a great idea for pet lovers, but it’s also practically free and takes less than an afternoon to make. If you’re looking for an easy peasy way to incorporate dog shapes into your decor without breaking the bank or getting messy, this is the one for you.
Step 1: Find a Picture Frame
Before you get started on creating the silhouette, the first thing you need is a picture frame. It’s actually helpful to select your frame first so you know the image size you’ll need when printing your DIY pet silhouette. I highly recommend checking your local thrift store or flea market. You can almost always find a long-lost picture frame just waiting to be reused.
Whether you’re going for something ornate or super simple, the frame sets the tone. Go classic black for a clean look or gold for something more traditional and think about if you’ll want a matte for your particular look or not.
Step 2: Choose the Perfect Picture
The next step is selecting a photo of your dog. It can be a side profile or straight-on—either works, but the key is clarity. The cleaner the lines, the better the end result will be. Silhouette shapes work best when there’s high contrast between your pet and the background in the original image, so choose something where your dog is either straight on to see the outline of both ears or directly facing the side to see the snout clearly.
Profile pictures tend to work best because they capture more distinct dog shapes. But don’t let that stop you if you have a perfect picture of your dog staring straight into the camera. Same breads may just look better or highlight an iconic feature one way or another.
Step 3: Upload to Canva
Now that you have your original image, upload it into Canva. It’s a free tool that’s super user-friendly.
Once the image is uploaded:
- Use the “Background Remover” tool. This will isolate your pet from the rest of the photo, which is essential for creating clean silhouette lines.
- Then head to the “Edit Photo > Adjust” options:
- Reduce Brightness to -100
- Increase Contrast to 100
- Reduce Highlights to -100
- Reduce Shadows to -100
- Reduce Whites to -100
- Increase Blacks to 100
These settings will turn your pet into a bold black shape on a clean white background—classic dog silhouette style.
- Add a Concave shape to clean up the edges of the neck line. Position the concave shape at the base of the neck to create a smooth line and then change the color to white so it blends in to the background.
Step 4: Download & Print
Download the image from Canva to your computer. Then send it to a local print shop (I like Walgreens Photo). You can upload your image online and select the appropriate size for you frame.
Honestly, driving to the store to pick up the print might be the hardest part of the whole project.
Step 5: Frame It Up
Once you have your print, pop it into the picture frame. That’s it. No need to cut it out. No need for adhesive or fabric glue. Just print and frame.
You now have a piece of art that reflects one of your favorite parts of your life—your pet—and actually fits your design style. It’s simple, meaningful, and beautiful.
Final Thoughts
For my version, I used a side profile photo of Burkley. For Kevin’s first dog, a pug, we tried a profile shot, but honestly, it looked more like a snake than a dog (pug lovers will understand). So we went with a straight-on version for her, and it turned out surprisingly great. That’s the beauty of this process—you can try both and see what works best.
If you’re a proud pet owner, think about giving this project a try. It’s so satisfying to see your furry friend represented in a stylish, meaningful way on your wall. For pet lovers, it’s the perfect picture-meets-home decor solution.
And since this project is practically free, you can even do one for each pet, or gift them to friends and family who might appreciate a custom dog silhouette of their own.
So, the next time someone asks where you got that elegant black-and-white artwork in your powder room, you can proudly say, “That’s actually my dog.”
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Girl Behind the Blog
I’m Jess, the creator of Oak & Grain. A mid-west girl at heart who now resides in Raleigh, NC. I love finding old things and giving them new purpose by way of refinishing or incorporating unexpected, overlooked thrift store finds in the modern home. I work full-time in medicine and I love dipping into my creative side and in the process, keeping my sanity. Follow me on Instagram and YouTube to see more behind the scenes action.
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