Half Body Custom Cutouts

the idea

Make a big first impression by greeting guests with half body custom cutouts of the guest of honor at different stages of their life

man standing next to half body cutouts of himself with Look Who's 50 printed on them

half body cutouts of family members used as party decorations lining driveway up to a house

the how

Choose waist-up photo(s) of the guest of honor
Select size (range from 18″ to 4ft tall)
Select cutout finish: cookie cutter, hand cut with white border, or hand cut close crop
Choose optional H frame, grommets, bungee cords, or wire ties to help display
Most sellers printed on weather resistant Coroplast corrugated plastic suitable for indoor or outdoor use
Arrange cutout(s) in front yard or along driveway to party entrance using H frame to stand up

half body cutouts of a graduate in graduation cap and gown staked into grass at backyard party

half body custom cutout of man in navy uniform on party dessert table

the why

Entrance Decorations

Functional; identifies party location and directs guests to the entrance (especially useful for parties held in venues)
Welcoming; a warm welcome subliminally puts guests at ease (versus a bare/cold entrance)
First impressions matter; guests make judgments and form opinions quickly
Attention to detail; many people overlook the importance of having some entrance decorations to greet guests
Anticipation; exterior decorations build anticipation and tease what’s to come

this idea

Special occasions should feel special; generic ‘off the shelf’ decorations are lazy and unimaginative
Personalized; customized decorations are more special and show you made an effort
Custom photo; opportunity to show the guest of honor at different ages ‘through the years’
Dramatic; makes a big and bold first impression to wow guests from the start
Sets the tone; signals that it’s going to be a fun event
Funny; quirky, lighthearted, or self-deprecating decorations will make guests smile
Entertaining; guests may not have seen funny or embarrassing old photos of the guest of honor
Memorable; guests remember creative, unusual, or unexpected decorations
Photo-worthy; a great photo-op for guests to share and tag on social media
Surprise; a great way to surprise the guest of honor as they arrive
Unusual; a less common party idea to impress guests
Inexpensive; 3ft tall versions available for around $25

married couple standing next to a custom half body cutout of them as bride and groom on wedding day

ADVICE FROM A PRO

Matt’s tip

“These work best when you use a few different photos of the guest of honor at different ages ‘through the years’

As these large-size cut outs will be printed from a small photo, the image needs to be high-resolution to avoid it appearing too blurry.

If you’re using an old printed photo, it will probably need to be scanned at 600dpi so it’s probably best to take it to a local printer (not an office supply shop) who will have a flat bed scanner specifically for photos.

I’d recommend chatting to the seller first to check their photo requirements or see what they advise.

Different sellers offer different finishes for the cutting out:

The cheapest are typically ‘cookie cutter’ style, where a general shape is cut around the person but it leaves in some of the background (see second image below) or a ‘hand-cut with white background’ option that leave a smaller white border around the shape of the person.

Alternatively, there are more expensive ‘hand cut close crop’ options that that leave no border at all (as in most of the examples on this page.”