Capturing Peter Pan’s Shadow – Amazing Wall Art Ideas for Your Child’s Bedroom

When we discovered this “Once Upon a Time” photo shoot from Wendi Riggens Photography, we knew we had to share it. Riggens and her client Nicole created many amazing wall art scenes from classic Disney films, but this shadow concept got our imaginations flying.
The adventures of Peter Pan and Wendy are well known, as is the scene in Disney’s Peter Pan movie where he loses his shadow and must recapture it. But this same concept can be applied to any character in popular culture: Batman or Spider-Man’s silhouette swinging away into the night, Big Bird’s shadow stuck to the floor, or glimpsing Jack Skellington and his bony arms slipping out of the room.
The easy route is to buy a vinyl shadow on Etsy and stick it to your wall. But you can do a home version as well.

Do It Yourself

Paint It On

1. Find the image you want to place on your wall.
2. If you have a projector, shoot the image onto the wall, moving the  projector back until the shadow is the size and shape you want.
3. No projector? Print out the image then blow it up on a copy machine. Once it’s the right size, cut it out.
4. Use a pencil to lightly trace the projected or paper image onto your wall.
5. Using paint, carefully go over the outline, then fill in the shadow. Black chalkboard paint or a dull black paint work best for the shadow effect. Thinning the paint slightly so that visitors can see the wall behind it can create a “ghost” effect.NOTE: Test out the paint first using a board that either has the same paint or wallpaper as the bedroom wall. That way you’ll have an idea of which method works best.

Stick It On

1. After finding the image you want, blow it up on a copy machine. Once it’s the right size, cut it out.
2. Go to a craft supply store and buy dark contact paper (the kind you’d use to line your dish cabinet shelves) or vinyl sheeting if they have it. Ideally it should be black or the color of a shadow.
3. Trace your image on the back of the contact paper, in reverse, so that when you place the contact paper on the wall with the colored side out, it’s facing the right direction.
4. Carefully cut out the image on the vinyl or contact paper, decide where it should go on the wall, peel the backing off and stick it to the wall.NOTE: When visiting the craft store, bring Riggens’ photo along. The staff at these stores love crafts, so when they see the idea they’ll probably have a couple ideas to help with your execution.